Talking Indonesia

In the shadow of Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody crackdown on drugs, Indonesia has been fighting its own war on drugs. Under President Joko Widodo, executions for drug traffickers were resumed and, more recently, researchers have recorded a growing number of fatal police shootings of drug suspects. As in the Philippines, the government’s hard-line stance toward drugs has broad public support, which makes it difficult for proponents of a more humane drug policy to provide effective counter-narratives. So what prompted Jokowi to declare a drug emergency in Indonesia? Have his hard-line policies achieved their intended results? And what is the future for drug policy in Indonesia? In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dirk Tomsa discusses these issues with Ricky Gunawan, a human rights lawyer and director of LBH Masyarakat, the Community Legal Aid Institute in Jakarta. Photo: Reno Esnir for Antara Foto

October 2017 marked three years since President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo came to power. Elected in 2014 as a symbol of hope for Indonesia’s progressives, Jokowi won support with lofty promises of infrastructure building, better governance, improved welfare, and economic growth, among others. As Indonesia gears up for another round of important elections, the time is right to assess Jokowi’s leadership. Has he lived up to expectations and campaign promises? How does the Indonesian public view his presidency so far? What issues matter to them when determining who to vote for in the next presidential election? Dr Charlotte Setijadi discusses these questions with Dr Djayadi Hanan, lecturer in political science at Paramadina University in Jakarta and executive director of Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC), a leading political research and polling institute.

How does support for political Islam correlate with other political attitudes in Indonesia, such as support for decentralisation, choice of a political party, anti-Chinese sentiment, and so forth? How have the correlations between support for political Islam and other political attitudes manifested in the actual political behaviour of Indonesians, and what implications might they bear for forthcoming elections in Indonesia over the next two years? Dr Dave McRae explores these issues with Dr Diego Fossati, research fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute, author of the recent paper, Support for Decentralization and Political Islam Go Together in Indonesia. The paper is based on the Indonesian National Survey Project fielded in May 2017 by the ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute, where Diego is also an associate fellow. In 2017, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Dr Charlotte Setijadi from the ISEAS-Yu

Last month protesters disrupted a meeting at the offices of the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Jakarta)and its national umbrella body, the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI). In what was a first for the NGO, police did not initially prevent the protesters from blocking meeting, an academic discussion on 1965-66. What does this attack signal for human rights and civil society in Indonesia? Is democracy in peril? In this week's podcast, host Dr Jemma Purdey explores these questions with leading human rights lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis. Photo: Muhammad Adimaja for Antara

In 2016, Tempo magazine named Istirahatlah Kata-Kata (Solo, Solitude) its film of the year. The  arthouse film attracted acclaim at festivals around the world, and played to packed houses in cinemas across Indonesia. Since its release, it has sparked discussion, especially among younger audiences, about its subject, poet and activist Widji Thukul,  and the mystery still surrounding his disappearance in the last weeks of the New Order. The film raises more questions that it answers about Widji’s disappearance and about the unresolved cases of human rights violations from this period in Indonesia. What has been the response to this film in Indonesia? How can storytelling about the past through film provide new opportunities for dealing with histories that remain obscured? In this week's podcast, host Dr Jemma Purdey explores these questions with the film's director, Yosep Angi Noen.

In the midst of growing nationalism, the notion of 'food sovereignty' has come to occupy an increasingly prominent place in food policy within Indonesia. But what does food sovereignty mean, and is it being used within Indonesia in similar ways to which it is understood globally? How effective are food sovereignty policies in enabling Indonesia to tackle the considerable challenge of ensuring all of its citizens have access to sufficient food, and is it possible the government might adopt an alternative approach? Dr Dave McRae explores these issues with Dr Jeff Neilson is a senior lecturer in Geography at the University of Sydney and Indonesian coordinator of the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre. With Josephine Wright, Jeff co-authored a recent paper on food sovereignty, 'The state and food security discourses of Indonesia: feeding the bangsa' - he will have a chapter on the same topic in the forthcoming proceedings from this year's ANU Indonesia Update conference. In 2017, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-

Indonesia’s tertiary education institutions have long performed poorly in global university rankings. Among the various deficits that are routinely recorded for Indonesian universities are low teaching and research quality, inadequate levels of knowledge transfer and a lacking international outlook. The Indonesian government has repeatedly expressed its concern about the dismal results in the rankings, but despite a number of initiatives to transform the country’s leading universities into world class institutions, the higher education sector remains riddled with problems. Why do Indonesian universities struggle to deliver better academic programs? What reforms have been attempted and why have they failed? Who are the actors and organizations involved in the politics of higher education in Indonesia? In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dirk Tomsa discusses these issues with Professor Andrew Rosser, Professor of Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute. In 2017, the Ta

The vast number of Indonesian migrant workers working abroad have long been a prominent feature of Indonesia's labour market. Indonesian government policy on migrant workers tends to come into the public spotlight primarily when cases of maltreatment and abuse towards these workers emerge, not infrequently spurring the government to impose moratoriums on departures to particular countries and regions. For its part, the Jokowi government has voiced an aspiration to halt the departure of domestic workers abroad altogether. But what have been the Indonesian government's longer term policy objectives surrounding migrant workers? How has the government sought to manage the flow of its citizens seeking employment overseas? What effect do these various bans and moratoriums have on the flow of migrant workers? In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dave McRae explores these issues with Dr Wayne Palmer, lecturer in the Department of International Relations at Bina Nusantara University, and author of Indonesia's

The Jakarta gubernatorial election, held earlier this year, was perhaps the most divisive and bitterly fought campaign seen in modern Indonesian politics. Social media and the internet played a large role in the campaign, which was characterised by racism and sectarianism. But how much can we blame the internet for the bitterness of the campaign and how much is it explained by Indonesia’s conservative turn more generally? How did technology impact on this election? Are we seeing a new platform for organisation and political activism in Indonesia, based on a freedom to hate? In this week's podcast, Dr Jemma Purdey explores these questions with Associate Professor Merlyna Lim from Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. Image: Andreas Atmoko for Antara.

In line with Indonesian President Joko Widodo's vision to establish Indonesia as a global maritime fulcrum, Indonesia in February this year issued its first National Ocean Policy. Drafting of the policy was overseen by the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs, newly formed as part of the Jokowi administration, which in July also launched a new map of Indonesia that alters some of Indonesia's maritime boundaries, and renames part of the area of the South China Sea that Indonesia claims as its exclusive economic zone as the North Natuna Sea. What is the significance of this map and the renaming of this sea area? What are the elements of Indonesia's maritime vision, and how is it attempting to realise this vision? In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dave McRae explores these issues with Dr Arif Havas Oegroseno, Deputy Coordinating Minister for Maritime Sovereignty in Indonesia's Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs. In 2017, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Dave McRae from

Jemma Purdey talks with Deasy Simandjuntak about the latest challenge to the independence and authority of Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), this time from the House of Representatives (DPR),which has initiated an inquiry into the institution. What triggered the inquiry? What are the implications for the KPK? Talking Indonesia, co-hosted in 2017 by Dr Dave McRae, Dr Jemma Purdey, Dr Charlotte Setijadi and Dr Dirk Tomsa, presents extended interviews each fortnight with experts on Indonesian politics, foreign policy, culture, language and more. Find all the Talking Indonesia episodes and more at the Indonesia At Melbourne blog. Photo by Aprillio Akbar for Antara.

Jakarta’s urban village (kampung) communities have received considerable attention in the last few months amid the hotly contested Jakarta gubernatorial election. While most of the election coverage focused on race and religious issues, former Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama’s track record of forced evictions of kampungs along Jakarta’s riverbanks also stirred much controversy. Kampung residents and activist groups condemn these evictions as unlawful and undemocratic. Yet many Jakartans argue that evictions are necessary measures to fix the city’s notorious traffic gridlocks and seasonal flooding. Is there a middle ground? Can Jakarta’s kampungs co-exist with residential, infrastructure, and commercial projects planned for the city? Dr Charlotte Setijadi discusses these issues with Dr Rita Padawangi, Senior Lecturer at Singapore University of Social Sciences. Rita is a passionate researcher and proponent of participatory urban development, and has worked with kampung communities in Jakarta to get th

Wildlife trafficking is thought to be the third largest illegal trade after drugs and weapons. As a global hot spot for this illicit trade, Indonesia is not only a source country for the rapidly growing international market, but it is also home to a huge domestic market, especially for songbirds. In recent years, the volume in trafficking has risen dramatically and for many of the archipelago’s endangered species, poaching is now as big a threat as habitat loss. Why has wildlife trafficking reached such enormous proportions in Indonesia? Who and what are the main drivers of the trade? And what initiatives exist to combat wildlife trafficking and enhance conservation efforts? In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dirk Tomsa discusses these issues with Eleanor Paish, a zoologist and filmmaker from the University of West England, and Adam Miller, executive director and founder of Planet Indonesia, an NGO working on conservation issues in Indonesia. Talking Indonesia, co-hosted in 2017 by Dr Dave Mc

We continue our conversation about the state of women’s activism in Indonesia in the midst of a conservative turn that has seen a particular focus on women’s bodies and non-traditional sexualities. In this podcast we explore the ways in which issues important to women, including sexuality and religion, are being shared and communicated beyond the conventional media. How has digital media created spaces for a diversity of views written by and for Indonesians? What does an Indonesian ‘feminist’ publication look like? How many 'hits' can an article on 'to wear or not to wear' the hijab possibly get? In this week’s podcast, Dr Jemma Purdey explores these questions with Devi Asmarani, chief editor of the online magazine Magdalene, which publishes under the tagline "a slanted guide to women’s issues" and calls itself a feminist publication. Magdalene publishes in both English and Indonesian and has a growing readership inside and outside Indonesia. Image by Adhitya Pattisahusiwa courtesy of Magdalene.

In May, the Indonesian government announced it would ban the Indonesian branch of Hizbut Tahrir, an Islamist organisation which seeks to replace democratic governments with an Islamic caliphate through non-violent means. Indonesia is not the first democracy to consider a ban of Hizbut Tahrir - the organisation has been banned from public activities in Germany, and Great Britain and Australia, amongst others, have considered proscribing the organisation without ultimately doing so. Banning an extremist organisation is a rare step for the Indonesian government, however, which has generally resisted such calls even for violent groups. What has spurred the government to attempt to ban Hizbut Tahrir, what would be the likely impact of such a ban, and what are the challenges for the Indonesian government in regulating extremist speech and ideology? In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dave McRae explores these issues with Sidney Jones, director of the Institute for the Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC), a

The past decade has seen increased global interest in Indonesian art and along with it, interest in the long-neglected field of Indonesian art history. Until quite recently, art history resources were limited, particularly relating to lesser known artists and works produced during tumultuous periods. Today, institutions like the Indonesian Visual Arts Archive (IVAA) in Yogyakarta are doing their best to fill these gaps by building art archives and making them accessible to the public. But much work still needs to be done in cataloguing Indonesia’s extensive collection of old and new art. What are the main challenges faced by those who are trying to build Indonesia’s art archives? What is the relevance of art history to contemporary Indonesian society? Dr Charlotte Setijadi discusses these issues with Farah Wardani, art historian, curator, author, and assistant director in charge of archives at the National Gallery of Singapore (NGS). Before joining NGS in 2015, Farah was the executive director of IVAA, t

On 21 April, Indonesia celebrated Kartini Day, commemorating Raden Ageng Kartini, a national hero and pioneer of the emancipation of women. More than a century since her death, gender, sexuality and morality are highly contested issues in politics and society. In recent times, a conservative turn in Indonesia has seen extreme voices come to the fore in mainstream Islam, leading to attacks on non-traditional sexualities and women’s bodies. What is the present state of the women’s movement in Indonesia? Why have sexuality and the female body continued to be sites for contestation and national anxiety? How have women and other marginalised groups like the LGBT community responded to the conservative turn? In this week’s podcast I explore these issues with Dr Intan Paramaditha, a lecturer at Macquarie University. Image: Indi and Rani Soemardjan (Flickr)

What is the state of US-Indonesia relations, amidst rising geo-political competition in Indonesia's immediate region, and following the election of Donald Trump as president? What does President Jokowi's Indonesia seek from the United States on shared concerns such as the South China Sea, the fight against ISIS, and the Palestinian conflict? And will Trump's America First policy be manifest during Vice President Mike Pence's upcoming visit to Indonesia? In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dave McRae explores these issues with Dr Dino Patti Djalal, founder of the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI). Dr Djalal served as Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Indonesia in 2014, after previously serving as Indonesian Ambassador for the United States from 2010-2013, and presidential spokesperson under Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono from 2004-2010. Talking Indonesia, co-hosted in 2017 by Dr Dave McRae, Dr Jemma Purdey, Dr Charlotte Setijadi and Dr Dirk Tomsa, presents extended interviews each fort

While the extractive industries sector in Indonesia is particularly well-known for its widespread rent-seeking, opaque licensing rules and assertive resource nationalism, a small but growing number of civil society organizations is trying to alter the sector’s reputation through initiatives that aim to spread global norms and values such as transparency and accountability in Indonesia’s extractive industries. Who are these groups and how do they operate? How are they linked to broader transnational advocacy networks and how do they interact with government and business actors in Indonesia? Are there noteworthy achievements that can be attributed to these groups? What challenges do they face? To discuss these and other related issues, Talking Indonesia’s new host Dr Dirk Tomsa speaks to International Relations expert Dr Poppy Sulistyaning Winanti, vice dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, and currently a visiting scholar at the University of Melbourne.

The recent visit by Indonesian President Joko Widodo to Australia was considered a success, with evidence of a good rapport between Widodo and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. However, the visit came in the wake of yet another tense period in the bilateral relationship, this time because of the discovery of apparently offensive materials related to Pancasila and Papua at an Australian military training centre and the unveiling of the Papuan Morning Star flag by trespassers at the Indonesian Consulate in Melbourne. Why does this issue remain so sensitive and what is its history in the bilateral relationship? What is the situation in Papua today and what are the challenges facing Jokowi’s government? In this week’s podcast I explore these issues with Dr Richard Chauvel, an Honorary Fellow in the Asia Institute at the University of Melbourne. Talking Indonesia, co-hosted in 2017 by Dr Dave McRae, Dr Jemma Purdey, Dr Charlotte Setijadi and Dr Dirk Tomsa, presents extended interviews each fortnight