Politics

From the Archive David Bourchier (ii53: Jan-Mar 1998) looks at the new generation of military leaders, after a big shakeup between July and October 1997

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

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

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

Communities struggle for access while reforms run aground

Indonesian activists keep fighting to have abortion decriminalised

A response to Jim Elmslie and Stuart Upton

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

Islamic political parties did not do well, but Islamic politics are going mainstream

Despite an unprecedented media campaign, Prabowo Subianto’s political comeback has fallen flat – for now

Activists in Palu remain confined to the political margins

Photo-essay: PKS is often depicted as radical Islamist, but its members show evidence of ideological diversity

Signs of underlying fragility in nationalist parties may benefit Islamic parties in future elections

While it’s tragic that some candidates kill themselves after Indonesian elections, at least they aren’t killing each other

Grassroots political operators hold the key to many candidates’ success