Indonesia

Modern Indonesia encompasses an enormous diversity of ethnic and cultural groups on hundreds of islands and boasts both global megacities and uncontacted Papuan tribes. Over the course of the 20th century, Indonesians constructed a national identity through the conscious choice, primarily of youth, to promote the national language and a national motto of ‘Unity in Diversity.’ Following decades of struggle against a repressive Dutch colonial regime and Japanese occupation during World War II, the longtime nationalist leaders Soekarno and Mohammad Hatta became the first president and vice-president, respectively, of an independent Indonesia in 1945. After Hatta’s resignation in 1956, Soekarno’s rule became increasingly unstable, and in 1965 a mysterious failed coup was the impetus for the army general Soeharto to seize power, oversee mass killings and begin his 32-year ‘New Order’ authoritarian regime. Riots fueled by the Asian Financial Crisis compelled his resignation in 1998, ushering in the reformasi period and a cycle of democratization. The post-Soeharto years have been marked by negotiations for a more liberal political order, resulting in greater freedom of expression and opinion, moves toward a depoliticized military, and political decentralization. Party politics remain heavily fragmented and often depend on patronage and clientelist networks. The last ten years have seen active military and police officers creeping back into certain civil service positions. 

Contemporary national political cleavages revolve around secular and religious divides, with political parties maintaining distinct views on state-Islam relations. The marginalization of Islamists under Soeharto prompted greater introduction of various interpretations of "Islamic values" into draft ordinances among Muslim politicians following his departure. Gender is caught up in these cleavages, as conceptions of private morality and women’s roles in society are negotiated using these frameworks. Corruption has been a high-profile political issue for decades, reflected in discourses on decentralization, the control of natural resources and weak accountability mechanisms, and other factors. In recent years, the weakening of the country’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), has been reflected in the Absence of Corruption attribute.   

There are also broad socio-economic disparities between Indonesia’s extraordinarily ethnically, and linguistically diverse islands; almost half the population lives in rural areas where access to basic services and resources is poor, with ‘circular migration’ to urban areas for work. Separatist movements have played a sizable role in Indonesian history, including the secession of Timor Leste in 1999, the independence struggle in Aceh, which ended after the devastating tsunami in 2004 and ongoing unrest and armed groups aiming for independence in West Papua province.  

In the next several years, it will be important to watch Civil Liberties. Issues of discrimination against religious minorities and the increased use of laws to curtail free speech may impact that attribute, as could the increasingly visible influence of more radical interpretations of Islam in politics. Continued political conflict over the management of natural resources and environmental sectors may be reflected in the Absence of Corruption subattribute or affect socio-political stability between the islands.