Indonesia
Economic diplomacy: Global tax, education exports and Team Australia
Tax and spend
US President Joe Biden may be grabbing the global headlines by boosting world growth with his big spending and international security with his telephone diplomacy…
Commentary
Jokowi’s contradictions and the struggle to remake Indonesia
Originally published in The Jakarta Post.
Are Indonesia’s “rubber” laws limiting freedom of speech?
In an unexpected announcement, Indonesian President Joko (Jokowi) Widodo this month called upon Indonesia’s military and police leadership to “improve supervision to ensure…
Helping Indonesia’s children in a time of pandemic
While the Indonesian government is taking important steps to improve pandemic management – appointing a new Health Minister and Minister of Social Affairs and preparing to…
Why Indonesia seizing an Iranian tanker is purely over domestic law
The Indonesian coast guard (BAKAMLA) last week seized two oil tankers – one Iranian flagged, the other from Panama – inside Indonesia’s waters. The two tankers are suspected of…
The cleric shell game in Indonesia
When Indonesian authorities recently banned well-known extremist group the Islamic Defenders’ Front (FPI) – having first arrested its leader, Rizieq Shihab – many…
Indonesia lags on renewable energy, and pays the price
Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s vision to make the country a destination for foreign company investments neglects the growing demand for clean energy.
RE100, a group…
Commentary
In the defining year of his presidency, Joko Widodo faces an incredibly difficult challenge
Originally published in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Australia-Indonesia relations need to talk the talk
This year has been one of great tumult at Australian universities. Not least are the nonsensical proposals to axe Indonesian language programs by several universities, such…
Indonesia-China cooperation: Standby for take-off
For all the quandaries thrown up by 2020, this has been an important year for Indonesia-China relations. The ties between Jakarta and Beijing have increased and expanded, not only…