The Jokowi government must reexamine the political map in Indonesia to better understand its supporters and opponents. On May 14, a suicide bombing took place at a police headquarters in Surabaya, Indonesia. The perpetrators were a family of five riding on two motorbikes. The incident took place a day after another family carried out a suicide bombing on three churches in the same city, which... Continue Reading
Indonesia must craft a long-term policy to clamp down on tax evasion. As the largest Southeast Asian country with abundant natural resources, Indonesia still encounters difficulties in strengthening its economic base. Even though it started to show signs of recovery following the reformation era of 1998, state revenues are too weak to support the country’s economy, especially with its... Continue Reading
Muslims and non-Muslims in Indonesia will not be divided. Today, Indonesians are mourning. Our people were taken away from us, and dozens of others were injured as a result of horrendous acts of terrorism in Jakarta that you claimed responsibility for. Several hours later, Indonesian authorities and the media reported that the attacks were perpetrated by Daesh, aka the “Islamic... Continue Reading
The case of Freeport is a clear illustration of Papua and the Indonesian government being held hostage by global capitalists. Papua, formerly known as Dutch New Guinea, is the western half of New Guinea, an island in the Pacific. For decades, Papua has been a region associated with conflict and has rarely received international press coverage. There have been many civilian casualties... Continue Reading
Returning Indonesian fighters must be provided with a reintegration program and not simply labeled as criminals. With the largest Muslim population in the world, Indonesia's capability in combating extremism has been under scrutiny. Over the last year, there have been growing concerns that Indonesian fighters returning from Syria may be radicalizing others within the country. The... Continue Reading
