Buehler, Michael. 2012. Countries at the Crossroads: Indonesia. (Washington D.C. Freedom House) , online. (original) (raw)

Buehler, Michael. 2010. Countries at the Crossroads: Indonesia. (Washington D.C.: Freedom House), pp. 273-96.

Indonesia is both the world’s largest Muslim-majority country and one of its most ethnically diverse. Home to approximately 230 million people, of whom more than 85 percent follow Islam, there are almost as many Muslims living in Indonesia as in the entire Arabic-speaking world. The Sunni branch of Islam predominates, while approximately one million Indonesians adhere to the Shia variant. A signifi cant number of Sufi communities also exist in the archipelago state. Indonesia is also the world’s third largest democracy, after India and the United States. President Suharto’s New Order regime, one of the most repressive dictatorships in Southeast Asia, collapsed in May 1998 after controlling Indonesian politics for more than 30 years. Since Suharto’s downfall, the most dramatic reform initiative has been the introduction of an extensive regulatory framework governing the conduct of executive and legislative elections. Based on the new system, three national legislative and presidential elections, as well as balloting in several hundred localities, have occurred throughout the last decade. Overall, elections in Indonesia are considered free and fair. The quality of democracy remains low, however.

Two steps forward, one step back : Indonesia’s arduous path to reform

2012

Australians have long worried about whether Indonesia is ‘special’ or ‘normal’. Instead, we need to deal with Indonesia as it really is—a country experiencing simultaneously the challenges of political reform, economic development and a shifting regional security environment. The country’s political future is less certain than we would hope: after SBY’s term of government ends, the choice of a successor will be critical in determining the future of reform. We can’t rule out that Indonesia might slide back to old ways of doing business—democratisation is a fraught process. As the Indonesian economy grows, so too do the prospects for Indonesia to establish its natural position as the leader of Southeast Asia. As the world is re-examining Indonesia, so too Indonesia is looking afresh at the world—more interested in external issues than it was a decade ago. The Southeast Asian subregion increasingly finds itself at the centre of a more strongly interconnected Indo-Pacific region—so Indo...

"Indonesia 2017: Towards Illiberal Democracy?", Asia Maior, Vol. XXVIII, 2017

In 2017, in the third year of Joko «Jokowi» Widodo’s presidency, Indonesia was already preparing for the next general elections, scheduled in April 2019. The country’s political arena saw on the one hand the mobilisation of political Islam, which resulted in the arrest and defeat of Jokowi’s ally, Basuki «Ahok» Tjahaja Purnama, and, on the other, the adoption of hyper-nationalist and illiberal tones. Moreover, the contrast between Jokowi’s electoral promises and his action became more apparent, raising doubts about his transformative capability and willingness. This became particularly evident in terms of the fight against corruption and of the Papuan question. No major development characterised Indonesia’s foreign policy as compared to previous years. Yet moderate improvements could be seen in its economic performance, with the growth rate stable at around 5%, but with still-high levels of inequality.

Reform: Political Scandals, Elite Resistance, and Presidential Leadership in Indonesia’, Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 2011, 29 (1): 79-94.

Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 2011

While Indonesia’s democracy has received much acclaim for institutionalizing fair, free, and peaceful elections, many important challenges still lie ahead. The “politics of reform,” which has consumed much of the government’s time and energy, are a mixed blessing. Interest collisions – between those who seek change and those who resist it – have caused government paralysis and aversion and, at the same time, sparked promising forms of public participation and resilience. Meanwhile, the Yudhoyono administration has reached a critical juncture that will define political and economic trajectories for upcoming years. Now that two controversies (Bank Century and KPK debacles) have tarnished the government’s credentials, the president will need to make continued efforts to sustain support in his cabinet, coalition, and electorate. In order to steer the country toward calmer political waters and higher socio-economic development, President Yudhoyono will be challenged to form flexible policy coalitions and reinstate the momentum for change.