Jul 13, 2020 Last Updated 11:50 PM, Jul 2, 2020

Inside Indonesia

Guided Democracy

Sport, politics and the 1962 Asian Games

Jakarta’s 1962 Asian Games were a symbol of Sukarno’s postcolonial nation-building

Review: The ideology of the family state

David Reeve reviews David Bourchier’s important contribution to understandings of political thinking in Indonesia

Jakarta’s Asian Games, yesterday and today

South Sumatra governor Alex Noerdin is inspired by Sukarno for his vision of Asian Games impact and infrastructure. (Credit: Isriya Paireepairit)

Ignoring issues from the 1962 Games will not help solve the many problems faced by sport in Indonesia

Review: Jakarta, Mon Amour

source: Scott Merrillees

A series of illustrated books offers a visual journey through the history of Jakarta and brings back vivid memories

Review: The making of an Indonesian human rights lawyer

Review: The making of an Indonesian human rights lawyer

Dan Lev explains how an outsider became a national hero

Gus Dur’s 100 days

Gus Dur’s 100 days

Abdurrahman Wahid’s life deserves serious and critical reflection

Censorship makes a comeback

Censorship makes a comeback

Recent book bannings mark a return to the repressive practices of the New Order

Driving under the New Order

Driving under the New Order

The tumultuous events of 1965 thwarted Liong Tjie Tjong’s writing aspirations

The Papua dilemma

The Papua dilemma

Personal reflections on an ongoing challenge

Negotiating the past and looking to the future

Negotiating the past and looking to the future

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

Fauzi Abdullah (1949-2009)

Fauzi Abdullah (1949-2009)

Indonesian labour activists are mourning the passing of a great man

Gerindra and 'Greater Indonesia'

Gerindra and 'Greater Indonesia'

Prabowo’s party has deep roots in Indonesian political mythology

Fighting over the land and forest

Fighting over the land and forest

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

Genocide and demographic transformation in Papua

Genocide and demographic transformation in Papua

A response to Jim Elmslie and Stuart Upton

Not just another disaster

Not just another disaster

Papuan claims of genocide deserve to be taken seriously

A disaster, but not genocide

A disaster, but not genocide

Migration has caused many problems in Papua, but it is not part of a genocidal master plan

W.S.Rendra (1935-2009)

W.S.Rendra (1935-2009)

The peacock is no more

Through a building darkly

Through a building darkly

The story of the Teochiu Huikuan building in Medan provides insights into Chinese Indonesians’ history of dispossession

Learning from Malaysia's mistakes

Learning from Malaysia's mistakes

Chinese Indonesians must re-enter politics in order to fully exercise their citizenship

Beyond the Museum

Beyond the Museum

Asmat bisj-poles gain new meaning in a Papuan refugee protest in Melbourne

Latest Articles

A generation of resistance

Jun 26, 2020 - IVO MATEUS GONCALVES

Students demonstrate at Santa Cruz cemetery, 12 November 1991 / Author

East Timor’s student movement and the struggle against oppression

Essay: Celebrating Imlek, Catholic style

Jun 22, 2020 - JOSH STENBERG

/ Josh Stenberg

Practices such as Imlek masses are a welcome example of tolerance and plurality

West Papua and Black Lives Matter

Jun 17, 2020 - SOPHIE CHAO

We are not monkeys / Twitter

A movement seeking justice, healing, and freedom for Black people has become a powerful rallying call for Indigenous West Papuans

Artists seek assistance

Jun 14, 2020 - RAHMADI FAJAR HIMAWAN

Several pesinden accompanying a wayang performance / Rahmadi Fajar Himawan

Javanese traditional musicians are among the many artists and performers struggling to survive, or qualify for government payments under COVID restrictions

A house of cards?

Jun 02, 2020 - YULIDA PANGASTUTI

ANTARA FOTO/Saiful Bahri/wsj

The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the exploitation of non-formal early childhood educators

Subscribe to Inside Indonesia

Receive Inside Indonesia's latest articles and quarterly editions in your inbox.

Lontar Modern Indonesia

A selection of stories from the Indonesian classics and modern writers, periodically published free for Inside Indonesia readers, courtesy of Lontar