After World War II, we indulged the Pax Americana, a period of development and peace with the United States as its superpower. Before the pandemic, no other party possessed the hard and soft power comparable to the US.
Politics
Like many world leaders, Indonesian President Joko Widodo is hoping that 2021 will be a bounce-back year after a terrible 2020. This week he is scheduled to become the first Indonesian vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, kicking off an ambitious plan to vaccinate more than 180 million people in just 15 months.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has made what analysts have described as a bold move in nominating a Christian police chief to replace outgoing chief Gen. Idham Azis amid a recent surge of sectarianism in the country.
With the next National Police chief soon to be appointed by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, experts expect that clearing up unsolved cases of alleged excess violence by police personnel in the past year will be a critical test for the new leadership.
On December 30, Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s government moved to ban the Islamic Defenders Front (Front Pembela Islam, FPI), one of the most prominent hardline Islamist groups in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.
With National Police chief Gen. Idham Azis set to enter retirement next month, speculation has been rife as to whom President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo will handpick to lead the police force.
Kevin O’Rourke of Reformasi Weekly returns to help sort through the country’s regional elections that are taking place against the backdrop of Covid-19 and the return of hardline cleric Rizieq Shihab from self-imposed exile. Never a dull moment in Indonesia.
Indonesian police held firebrand Muslim leader Rizieq Shihab for questioning on suspicion of breaching coronavirus restrictions by staging several mass gatherings.
Indonesia’s new Omnibus Law has attracted a great deal of commentary. One feature that has largely escaped notice is its likely impact on regional autonomy and consequently corruption and political dynasties in the regions.
Efforts to implement a Sexual Violence Bill in Indonesia have been further delayed, despite the fact that numerous women’s organisations were advocating for the Bill to be passed as soon as possible to address the grave impacts of sexual domestic violence in Indonesia.
The Australian Government has unexpectedly announced that Australia will make a $ 1.5 billion COVID-related support loan to Indonesia. Australia’s assistance program to Indonesia has lagged somewhat in recent years. Indeed, the fall in support to Indonesia had begun to attract comment. But in one stroke, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s announcement late last week significantly strengthened Australia’s economic diplomacy in Southeast Asia.
Indonesia will assume the Group of 20 (G-20) presidency in 2022 after a swap with India, which will chair the world’s biggest economies summit in 2023, the Indonesian foreign minister said on Sunday (Nov 22).
Fifty years ago this month, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs was born, casting aside its old moniker, External Affairs. The name changed as Australia changed. The switch from External Affairs to Foreign Affairs was a small expression of big shifts.
The goodwill pledge is set to arrest a steady decline of Canberra’s aid to Southeast Asia’s most populous country.
Indonesia’s newly appointed envoy to the United States, Muhammad Lutfi, said the two countries would stand as equals as “new old friends” Read more
Indonesia’s capital Jakarta will increase minimum wages next year for select businesses despite a government advisory to keep pay unchanged to avoid further job losses during the pandemic.
