
Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia is a mid-performing democracy, a member of the G20 group of nations and the largest economy in Southeast Asia. The fourth most populous nation in the world and home to the largest population of Muslims globally, Indonesia has a service-based economy largely dependent on domestic consumption. The GSoD indices show significant improvements in Basic Welfare over the last ten years but significant declines in the last five years in Civil Liberties, Access to Justice, Freedom of Expression and Social Group Equality. The latter group of changes can be attributed to a revival of defamation and blasphemy laws, which critics say are too easily politicized.
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.
Monthly Event Reports
August 2023 | Parliament announces plans to amend constitution
Indonesia’s parliament announced plans to amend the constitution to permit the delay of elections in the event of an emergency. The speaker of the upper house of parliament also suggested that these changes should once again make the upper house the highest state institution, as it was under former dictator and president Suharto. The latter proposal was condemned by activists and legal experts, as it would grant parliament the power to end the direct election of presidents. Although the proposal to introduce a framework to delay elections caused less controversy and parliament stressed it would not amend the constitution before February 2024 elections, it is the latest of many explicit or implicit suggestions from allies of President Joko Widodo that he be allowed to stay on past his constitutionally-required term limit or that elections be delayed.
June 2023 | Novel reparations plan draws criticism
President Joko Widodo announced an unprecedented programme to pay reparations to victims of human rights abuses by the Indonesian state on 27 June, which could conceivably cover the over 500,000 killed and million jailed in twelve separate periods between 1965-2003. However, the programme is only open to victims who have been positively identified by the government, which Indonesia’s Human Rights Commissioner said numbers only 6,400. The Indonesian branch of Amnesty International welcomed the program as a positive step, but criticized it for offering only “token compensation” and failing to address the issue of holding the perpetrators of the abuses accountable.
May 2023 | Communications minister arrested on corruption charges
Indonesian Communications Minister Johnny G. Plate was arrested on 17 May, making him the fifth senior cabinet member in President Joko Widodo’s administration to face corruption charges. The charges relate to the procurement of 4,200 mobile communications towers, but the minister’s precise alleged role remains unclear.
April 2023 | Surprise ruling over election overturned
A surprise 2 March decision by the Central Jakarta district court to postpone the 2024 national elections for two years was overturned on 11 April. The initial decision had launched weeks of political uncertainty and speculation that President Joko Widodo was seeking to extend his rule beyond constitutionally mandated term limits. Joko Widodo has repeatedly denied he plans to seek another term, but the subject has been raised by supporters. In overturning the decision, the Jakarta High Court ruled the lower court had no legal authority to weigh in on the matter.
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GSoD Indices Data 2013-2022
Basic Information
Human Rights Treaties
Global State of Democracy Indices
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Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time
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