Local Politics

Personal reflections on an ongoing challenge

Meaningful dialogue about the future of Papua requires that Indonesians and Papuans honestly address the past

Reflecting on the Act of Free Choice and the integration of West Papua into Indonesia

Indonesia’s claim to sovereignty over West Papua rests upon an unsound legal basis

Packed screenings of the controversial film about the deaths of five Australian journalists in East Timor continue, despite an official ban

Indonesian labour activists are mourning the passing of a great man

In South Kalimantan local politicians target TV screens with strategically-placed messages for Ramadan

Activists split with Indonesia’s government over whether land registration helps the rural poor

Regional autonomy and spatial planning in Bandung benefits the elite

Direct local elections have led to new developments in the struggle for land rights in East Kalimantan

Central Java farmers refuse to get stuck in cement

Century-old conflicts persist in the vast tracts of Indonesia that are designated as state forest

Jakarta needs more green space, but not at the expense of the poor

Communities struggle for access while reforms run aground

A response to Jim Elmslie and Stuart Upton

The elections were tense in Aceh but in the end helped to consolidate the peace process

Activists in Palu remain confined to the political margins

Grassroots political operators hold the key to many candidates’ success

In Bali, it’s neither policy, parties nor entrenched elites, but image-savvy politicians and an all-powerful media that are dominating the new electoral landscape