Indonesia
ASEAN centrality stands in the way of an Indonesia-Australia alliance
Sam Roggeveen has made the case in The Interpreter for Australia to seek out a defensive military pact with Indonesia to prevent Chinese domination of maritime Southeast Asia…
The time has come for an Australia‑Indonesia military pact
Australia is lucky to have Indonesia as a close neighbour. It’s true that Jakarta is often prickly. Indonesia has never been benign and friendly like New Zealand (we couldn’t get…
A Prabowo presidency will be good for Australian interests
The world’s largest single-day elections, held in February 2024, granted Prabowo Subianto his long-held dream of becoming Indonesian president. Having served as Indonesian defence…
The carbon sinks of Southeast Asia are in trouble
Southeast Asia contains about 40 per cent of the world’s tropical peatlands. These wetland ecosystems, comprised of centuries-old, partially decomposed organic matter, play a…
Data Snapshot
Constrained Recovery: Global Shocks and Emerging Southeast Asia
How growth and development in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam have been reshaped by the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Indonesia’s digital drive gets big tech backing
Two US technology tycoons and one British political luminary made separate visits to Jakarta in April, met Joko “Jokowi” Widodo at the presidential palace, and pitched projects…
Indonesia, and the origins of a decolonialisation movement that swept the world
Book Review: Revolusi: Indonesia and the Birth of the Modern World by David Van Reybrouck (Norton, 2024)In survey of public opinion in former colonial powers a few years back, the…
Waqf-based forests: Harnessing Islamic philanthropy for climate financing in Indonesia
Domestic funding for climate resilience has been one of Indonesia’s top priorities. Going “bigger” and “better” are essential to Indonesia’s future prosperity, given the Asian…
60 years of Kartini Day: Indonesia’s feminist pioneer or political pawn?
On Sunday 21 April, millions of women and girls across Indonesia celebrated Hari Kartini (Kartini Day), the commemoration of the birth of 19th century Javanese noblewoman, Raden…
Australia’s comparative advantage in climate transition
Australia’s $2 billion Southeast Asia Investment Financing Facility (SEAIFF) is a catch-all response to diverse objectives. It was a “deliverable” – or at least an “announcable” –…