Unsurprisingly, this year’s papal visit has triggered a media frenzy in Indonesia, with most commentators interpreting Pope Francis’s arrival as a marker of religious tolerance amidst Indonesia’s diversity.
Commentary
On 27 August 2024, former Constitutional Court Chief Justice Anwar Usman lodged an appeal against a Jakarta Administrative Court (PTUN) ruling (604/G/2023/PTUN.JKT) that cancelled ethical sanctions imposed on him by the Constitutional Court. He did so because it also denied his request to be reinstated as head of that court .
A week ago, just as this podcast was being recorded, the hashtag #daruratdemokrasi (democratic emergency) went viral across Indonesian social media.
Earlier this month, senior officials of the Gerindra party, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad and Habiburokhman, met with several pro-democracy activists from the 1997/1998 period and their family members.
In August, Indonesian legislators are set to begin deliberations on amendments of the 2002 National Police Law after President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo issued a letter endorsing it.
The Indonesian music scene is currently experiencing a vibrant period of experimentation, where musicians are blending vernacular Indonesian music traditions with elements from diverse global influences and historical periods.
Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), perpetrators of the Bali bombings, decided on 30 June to disband. This is huge news, and many commentators are convinced it’s a sham, a cold-blooded calculation after an unprecedented crackdown by police, to secure early release.
The controversial policy of the outgoing Joko “Jokowi” Widodo government to grant coal mining concessions to Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) — Indonesia’s largest Islamic organization — is posing a serious threat to the country’s efforts in the fight against global warming.
Indonesia is currently home to over 13,000 refugees and asylum seekers, a majority of them young people who are stuck in limbo waiting for their futures to be determined.
Indonesia’s gig workers — who navigate the digital marketplace as delivery personnel, ride-hailing drivers or online freelancers — are in an increasingly precarious position.
Jakarta is a fabulous city. To many, this statement might sound odd. The city conjures up images of endless traffic jams, immense shopping malls that all sell pretty much the same thing and, of course, floods.
The issue of supply chains have transformed in recent years from being primarily centred on trade and economics to now becoming highly strategic in their makeup and utilisation.
As President Joko Widodo’s administration comes to an end, the government is once again considering revising the Indonesian National Military (TNI) Law. The same discussions appeared at the end of President Joko Widodo’s first term and have become a regular news headline.
In late May 2024, Indonesia’s Anti-corruption Commission (KPK) began prosecuting former Supreme Court Judge Gazalba Saleh in the Central Jakarta District Court. It indicted him for taking a bribe of around Rp 650 million to overturn a businessperson’s conviction and one-year prison sentence (for failing to properly manage hazardous waste his company produced).
In November 2023, a unique event occured. Eight gamelan groups – Gamelan DanAnda, Kacapi Suling Melbourne, Mahindra Bali Gamelan, Melbourne Community Gamelan, Mugi Rahayu, Putra Panji Asmara, Talo Balak, Selonding Sapta Nugraha – came together to perform at a small church in Northcote, a suburb in North Melbourne.
Since the fall of Soeharto over two decades ago, the Indonesian media landscape has been dominated by a handful of powerful oligarchs.
