Election politics
Chaos and consolidation
The April 2009 legislative polls exposed weaknesses in Indonesia’s electoral management, but the results will help to strengthen the democratic polity
The eagle has crash-landed
Despite an unprecedented media campaign, Prabowo Subianto’s political comeback has fallen flat – for now
Down but not out
Islamic political parties did not do well, but Islamic politics are going mainstream
Dominant but weak
Signs of underlying fragility in nationalist parties may benefit Islamic parties in future elections
Symbols and signs
Photo-essay: PKS is often depicted as radical Islamist, but its members show evidence of ideological diversity
Seeking representation
Activists in Palu remain confined to the political margins
Feeling cheated, acting apathetic
Many Indonesian students face obstacles voting, but they aren’t much interested anyway
Suicide and progress in modern Nusantara
While it’s tragic that some candidates kill themselves after Indonesian elections, at least they aren’t killing each other
Not just an elite game
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
Latest Articles
Mapping the 1965-66 killings in East Java
Sep 26, 2019 - SIDDHARTH CHANDRA
In the first of a series of articles we present recent work by demographers and genocide scholars at Michigan State University's Asian Studies Centre on the 1965-1966 killings. Their analysis takes...
Challenging syariah
Sep 16, 2019 - BALAWYN JONES
The media ignores women’s crucial role in the formation of regional laws in Aceh
Competing Papuan identities
Aug 07, 2019 - PETRUS K FARNEUBUN
A battle is looming between an emboldened pro-independence movement and Papuans who are pro-Indonesia
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Lontar Modern Indonesia
A selection of stories from the Indonesian classics and modern writers, periodically published free for Inside Indonesia readers, courtesy of Lontar