Talking Indonesia

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been front of mind across much of the world for the past month – with Indonesia no exception. The Indonesian government has not joined the western sanctions regime nor criticised Russia by name in its statements, but it did support a UN resolution condemning Russian aggression. Most striking in Indonesian responses to the conflict, however, has been the sympathy and even support for the Russian invasion that has come from many Indonesians online. What factors underpin the Indonesian response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, how are Indonesians obtaining information about the war, and what interests does Indonesia have at stake? What are the implications for Indonesia-Russia relations? And can we discern anything from Indonesian reactions to the current war as to how Indonesia might react if China were to one day seek to occupy Taiwan? In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dave McRae chats with Radityo Dharmaputra, PhD candidate and junior research fellow in Politi

Dr Dicky Budiman - Omicron wave Indonesia has recorded more than 5.5 million cases of Covid-19 and more than 148,000 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. These are official figures, assumed by epidemiologists to be far lower than the actual impact of the disease on the population. In July and August 2021, as the deadly Delta wave swept across the country, hospitals were overwhelmed and graveyards struggled to cope with a massive increase in demand for burials. Since then, Indonesia’s vaccination program has accelerated. More than 50% of the total population (an incredible 144 million people) have now had two doses of the vaccine, with almost 70% receiving at least one dose. Over the past few weeks, the arrival of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in Indonesia has seen case numbers climb again – reaching daily numbers even higher than those recorded during the Delta peak. But what is happening in Indonesia’s hospitals this time around? Are vaccinations doing what they should? What are the legacies of t

Major social and technological innovation is expected to be required if countries are to meet development challenges into the future. But government initiatives have typically had limited success in driving the transformative change required. Recent years have seen increasing instances of the private sector financing startups to meet societal challenges, while also generating business profits. What spurs private sector companies to innovate in ways that cater to lower-income customers, what forms do these innovations take, and how have governments responded to such innovation? In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dave McRae chats with Professor Michiko Iizuka from the National Graduate Research Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS). Professor Iizuka recently co-authored a three-country study (with Gerald Hane) on disruptive and inclusive innovation, which included Indonesia as one of its case studies. Today’s episode is the latest in the “Policy in Focus” series of Talking Indonesia episodes, supp

In the 80s and 90s, the influence of hip-hop in the music industry and urban cultures of Indonesia was unmistakable. One of the first nationally successful rappers in Indonesia was Iwa K, with his hit Bebas. Legendary hip-hop band Homicide, led by Heri "Ucok" Sutresna (aka Morgue Vanguard), gained a devoted following for its socially conscious, political songs. Recently, artists like Young Lex and Rich Brian have attracted massive audiences. How do Indonesian hip-hop artists tackle social and political issues in their music? How do the different hip-hop scenes, in Bandung and Yogyakarta, for example, differ in their approach to social and political themes? How do issues of ethnicity, sexism and masculinity influence hip-hop lyrics in Indonesia? In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Tito Ambyo explores these issues and more with William Yanko, PhD candidate with the Digital Ethnographic Research Centre at RMIT University. William is writing up his thesis based on fieldwork with hip-hop artists from acros

Progressive politics in Indonesia has historically enjoyed only a narrow support base. Nevertheless, there have been several attempts to mobilise the support of progressives for political purposes. In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dave McRae chats with Dr Amalinda Savirani about one such example, the emergence of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) to contest the 2019 elections. As Dr Savirani and her co-authors highlight in their article, “Floating Liberals: Female Politicians, Progressive Politics, and PSI in the 2019 Indonesian Elections”, PSI stood out as having a female face. This was seen in the prominence of women among party leaders, having women as almost half of its candidates, and in tackling controversial issues relating to gender equality in Indonesia. The party secured a number of seats in regional legislatures (DPRD). At the national level, however, where parties must obtain 4% of the vote to occupy any seats in the House of Representatives (DPR), PSI fell well short, with only

Researchers in Indonesia studying human society and its workings no longer operate under the strictures of the authoritarian era, when those working in the field of social science were expected to support the regime's policies. But do contemporary Indonesian social scientists enjoy the freedom to conduct socially relevant research on any topic of their choosing? How is their research funded, and how does the government view their work? More broadly, how does the entanglement of universities with the Indonesian state shape the work of social science researchers? In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dave McRae chats with Dr Inaya Rakhmani , the founding director of Universitas Indonesia's Asia Research Centre , and the lead researcher of an 11-country study on mobilising social sciences in Southeast Asia and Bangladesh supported by the Global Development Network . Today’s episode is the latest in the “Policy in Focus” series of Talking Indonesia episodes, supported by the Knowledge Sector Initiative (

Tito Ambyo - Supernaturalism online Ghosts, spirits, kuntilanak, tuyul, and pocong. For most Indonesians these are familiar and, in some ways, even comforting companions from the supernatural realm. Ghost stories are passed down through generations, regardless of class, religion or belief system, and horror has long been a staple of Indonesian literature, art, film and television cultures. Across history, Indonesian leaders have claimed a mystic mandate, alongside political power, to rule. Supernaturalism or "horror stuff" is something of a national trait.  In recent years, young urban Indonesian YouTubers have engaged an eager and growing audience, telling old stories in new, innovative and fascinating ways online. The continuing popularity of horror stories and their reimagining through the use of digital technologies highlights some of the ambiguities in Indonesia’s progressive and increasingly cosmopolitan nationalism.   What is it about the supernatural that so captivates Indonesians? Why is YouTube a

Both the Indonesian government and universities have sought to increase the international outlook of the sector in recent years, for example, through proposals to increase the number of foreign staff working in Indonesian universities, and by tying pay and promotion to international publications. But there has also been disquiet about the restrictions and penalties imposed by Indonesia’s National System of Science and Technology Law (Law No. 11 of 2019). How are Indonesian universities navigating this environment? What are they seeking from international collaboration? Do Indonesian universities face the sort of scrutiny and debate currently playing out in Australia over perceived foreign interference via research collaborations, especially with Chinese institutions? In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, the final episode for 2022, Dr Dave McRae chats with Professor Panut Mulyono, Rector of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) about Indonesian universities and international research collaboration . Today’s

The COP-26 climate summit in November – the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – focused the world’s attention on the challenges of global warming and government responses to it. But what targets has the Indonesian government set for itself, how were these targets formulated, and did they change as a result of COP-26? Is the government united in its response to climate change? And does Indonesia have the capacity to implement its climate change response framework? In this week's Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dave McRae discusses these issues with Dr Josi Khatarina, Senior Researcher at the Indonesian Centre for Environmental Law. From 2010 to 2014 Dr Khatarina was also a senior legal specialist at the Indonesian REDD+ Taskforce and Agency. The Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Annisa Beta from the University of Melbourne’s School of Culture and Communication, Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr

Road to 2024 - Philips Vermonte The Indonesian government and General Elections Commission (KPU) have yet to agree on a date for the next legislative and presidential elections, which must be held by May 2024. Even though the concurrent elections are still more than two years away, with no incumbent candidate on the 2024 presidential ticket, gossip and speculation about potential contenders, coalitions and pairings is already well underway.   As Indonesia looks toward 2024, what issues are expected to dominate campaigning? Who are some of the likely candidates to emerge in the battle for president, and what sort legacy is President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo hoping to leave behind?   In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Jemma Purdey discusses these issues and more with Dr Philips Vermonte from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and International Islamic University of Indonesia (UIII).  The Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s A

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused the most severe economic contraction since Indonesia's 1997-98 financial crisis, posing a stern challenge for recovery. Covid-19 struck amid a push by the Indonesian government to increase the role of science and technology in driving economic development. The government enacted a new Science and Technology Law in 2019, and has also formed a new National Research and Innovation Agency, known as BRIN. In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dave McRae chats with Professor Arief Anshory Yusuf, founding director of the SDGs Centre at Padjajaran University, about the economic impacts of Covid-19, Indonesia's likely trajectory for recovery, and the prospects for a transition as part of this recovery to a so-called knowledge economy - an economy based on the ability to produce and make use of knowledge. Today’s episode is the latest in the “Policy in Focus” series of Talking Indonesia episodes, supported by the Knowledge Sector Initiative (KSI), a partnership between the Aust

Please note that this episode discusses gender violence that some people may find disturbing or triggering. Listener discretion is advised. Images have always played an important role in Indonesia, not just in everyday life, but also in its ever-changing political landscape. Terms like pencitraan (political image building) are commonly heard during election season. On social media, buzzers actively attempt to shape the public image of various social and political issues. Meanwhile, posters of murdered human rights activist Munir Said Thalib have become almost as iconic as the man himself. What role do images play in political life in Indonesia? How do the public consume political imagery? Why do certain images gain political significance? In Talking Indonesia this week, Dr Annisa Beta discusses these questions and more with Karen Strassler, Professor of Anthropology at the City University of New York. Professor Strassler's work focuses on the social lives and political work of images, looking into the rela

Dr Robertus Robet – Academic Freedom Recently, a number of high-profile cases have highlighted growing threats to academic freedom in Indonesia, amid a broader environment of shrinking civic space. Last month, the imprisonment of Dr Saiful Mahdi from Syaih Kuala University in Aceh, under the draconian Law on Information and Electronic Transactions (known as ITE Law), brought condemnation from academics and civil rights groups across Indonesia and abroad. In the face of widespread agreement that authorities had overreached, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo eventually granted Saiful amnesty. But this was just one example of the pressure academics and students have faced under the Jokowi administration. And while the government has acknowledged the need for reform of the ITE Law, serious structural, legal and cultural restrictions remain in the higher education sector, and beyond. What is driving these limits on academic freedom? What has been the impact of the ITE Law on academic freedom? What topics are off li

Last month, Time published its annual list of the 100 Most Influential People. Under the category of ‘Pioneers’, alongside pop star Billie Eilish, was an Indonesian scientist from the University of Gadjah Mada (UGM), Professor Adi Utarini. Professor Utarini is head of the Eliminate Dengue Project at the UGM Faculty of Medicine, funded by the Tahija Foundation and run in collaboration with the World Mosquito Program at Monash University. In 2020, the team published the results of 10-year study, including a 3-year randomised controlled trial, examining the effectiveness of introducing Wolbachia bacteria into Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to reduce their capacity to transmit dengue. The findings of the research were described by the World Health Organisation as epochal and a breakthrough in the fight to eliminate dengue and potentially other mosquito-borne viruses. This is particularly significant given that dengue affects almost 400 million people around the world annually and is described by WHO as one of the 10

Despite the fact that Indonesia’s deforestation rate reached a historic low in 2020, the social, cultural, and ecological wellbeing of people whose livelihoods depend on forests has continued to suffer greatly. The indigenous Marind people in Papua, for example, have seen 1.2 million hectares of their lands and forests targeted for oil palm and timber plantations as part of the Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate. This has led not only to food and water insecurity but also fundamental shifts in the food and eating habits of the Marind people. Why is this happening? Joining Talking Indonesia for a second time is Dr Sophie Chao, postdoctoral research associate in the Department of History, University of Sydney. Dr Annisa Beta chats to Chao about her extensive work with the Marind people and the intersections of race, food, and development in Papua. Chao has recently published articles on gastrocolonialism and on the political symbolism of the monkey from the perspective of West Papuan indigenous communi

Yogyakarta is famous for its bustling cultural scene and its cosmopolitan, artistic atmosphere. But the Covid-19 pandemic has seen Yogyakarta’s arts scene grind to a halt. With health restrictions and regulations against public gatherings, it has been almost impossible for artists to continue performing, and this situation has severely affected their livelihoods. In Yogyakarta alone, an estimated 172,000 creative workers have had to seek alternative sources of income to make ends meet and continue their artistic endeavours. Many of these creative workers are young artists who have now been left wondering what the future holds for them as the pandemic continues, without an end in sight. How have Yogyakarta’s young artists managed during the pandemic? What strategies have they implemented to try to make ends meet while still channelling their creative passions? What can the government, civil society, and the public do to support young creative workers during these troubled times? To explore these questions

In recent years Indonesian cinema has enjoyed great success and acclaim at international film festivals around the world. In 2017 Mouly Surya’s film 'Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts' was met with rave reviews when it premiered at Cannes Film Festival and last month Edwin’s 'Vengeance Is Mine, All Other’s Pay Cash', based on the novel of the same name by Eka Kurniawan, took out the top award at the Locarno Festival in Switzerland. This so-called Indonesian New Wave is made up of a generation of filmmakers in their 30s and 40s who have come of age in post-New Order Indonesia. Their films tackle weighty themes like gender identity and inequality, historical injustice, sexual violence, family tragedy and the tensions between youth culture and tradition. Themes that transcend and translate for audiences around the world. Meanwhile, films including Joko Anwar’s suite of commercially successful and acclaimed horror and action flicks are also finding international audiences on streaming platforms around the world.

Indonesia’s once-feted Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) established itself as one of the most trusted institutions in Indonesia, through its prosecutions of ministers, heads of state agencies, political party figures and legislators from across the political spectrum, as well as judicial and law enforcement officers. But the KPK’s many opponents appeared to strike a decisive blow in 2019, as a newly re-elected President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo lent his support to amendments to the KPK’s founding statute. The revision of the KPK Law severely undercut the Commission’s autonomy, and was one of the triggers of the #ReformasiDikorupsi protests, the largest wave of student protests in Indonesia since Suharto’s fall in 1998. Two years on, how have the new amendments affected the KPK’s ability to investigate corruption cases? How has the new set of commissioners performed, having been appointed soon after these amendments were passed? What lies ahead for anti-corruption efforts in Indonesia? In this week’s Talk

In July, Indonesia recorded its highest daily numbers of new coronavirus cases, making it the epicentre of the global pandemic, ahead of India and Brazil. The daily peak of 55,000 cases in mid-July, though shocking, only represented cases confirmed by PCR testing and reported by the government in its national tally. For many epidemiologists and other observers of Indonesia’s pandemic over the past one and half years, this surge was no surprise. Experts have long warned that Covid-19 cases and deaths in Indonesia are vastly undercounted and underreported and have expressed concerns about data transparency. Volunteer organisations are among those seeking to provide a more complete picture of the state of the escalating health crisis in Indonesia. One of the most prominent is LaporCovid-19, comprised of scientists, public health experts and journalists. Established in early 2020, with a particular focus on the collection of data through an innovative crowdsourcing platform, the organisation regularly lobbies

Please note that this episode discusses gender violence that some people may find disturbing or triggering. Listener discretion is advised. UN Women recently described violence against women during Covid-19 as "the shadow pandemic". As Covid-19 has gotten worse, so has women’s experiences of domestic violence. Indonesia’s National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) reported that the pandemic has reduced victims’ ability to report incidents of violence safely, aggravating the already elevated risks of domestic violence during the outbreak. Indonesia passed the Anti-Domestic Violence Law in 2004, but the law’s efficacy is disputable. In this week’s Talking Indonesia, Dr Annisa Beta discusses domestic violence in Indonesia with Balawyn Jones. Balawyn Jones is a PhD Candidate at the Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society at Melbourne Law School. Her doctoral thesis examines the implementation of the Anti-Domestic Violence Law in Indonesia, with a focus on the intersection between gend