Ben Bland, director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute, and former journalist at Financial Times, joins Kopi Time to discuss Indonesia, world’s third largest democracy. Ben draws on his multi-decade experience in covering the nation’s economic, politics, and history to shed light on the present juncture, as the Covid-crisis challenges Indonesia like never before. We discuss the idiosyncrasies driving the present narrative and the outlook for reforms and possible fault-lines ahead. We also delve into Ben’s new book on President Joko Widodo, in which Jokowi’s rise to power, challenges of governance, key views and instincts, and personality traits are discussed insightfully. For those of you who find Indonesia fascinating like I do, you will enjoy this chat.

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