Talking Indonesia

Associate Professor Eka Permanasari - Building the New Capital

In late February, Joko Widodo’s official social media feed showed him conducting the affairs of state from a small hut set amongst a forest of trees. This was his second overnight stay on the site of the future Presidential Palace in the yet to be built new capital city (Ibu Kota Negara, IKN). Since announcing the move from Jakarta to East Kalimantan in 2019, this has become a pet project for the second term president, which many interpret to be his final legacy before he steps away from the top job in 2024.

The idea to move the capital away from Jakarta is almost as old as the nation itself. The megacity of over 30 million is over-crowded, choked by traffic and famously, sinking. However, with the project's first milestone to deliver accommodation and services in the forest capital just over a year away, many questions remain. These include outstanding concerns about the highly ambitious design itself and the viability of its implementation. But also, who will pay for the projected cost of more than US$35 billion? With Indonesians already looking towards the 2024 presidential election, many speculate that project may not survive past Jokowi’s leadership.

If it is successful the new capital stands to be a showcase of sustainable design and Indonesian progress. The question is, can these high design standards and ambitions be reached? And what are the risks if it fails?

In this week’s episode of Talking Indonesia, Dr Jemma Purdey chats to Associate Professor Eka Permanasari, Associate Professor in the field of urban design, architecture and Southeast Asian Studies at Monash Indonesia.

In 2023, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Jemma Purdey from the Australia-Indonesia Centre, Dr Jacqui Baker from Murdoch University, and Tito Ambyo from RMIT.

Photo by IG/@jokowi

ronmental Program has identified Indonesia as one of 17 "megadiverse" countries, making it highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Yet the country also ranks among the top-10 emitters of greenhouse gases in the world, largely because of its forestry, land use and energy sectors.

The Indonesian Constitution provides for environmental protection, and sustainability is critical to its National Development Plan. But Indonesia has no specific law to deal with its National Action Plan on Climate Change or its international commitments to reduce carbon emissions. Its pledge to reduce emissions by 29% by 2030 is regarded as insufficient, yet it has announced plans to increase its dependence on coal by 2030.

How can the legal framework promote defence of the environment in Indonesia? How are environmental activists strategically using the law to promote environmental protection? And, more chillingly, how is the law being used to criminalise their activism?

Dr Jacqui Baker chats to Associate Professor Agung Wardana, from the Department of Environmental Law, Universitas Gadjah Mada, about these issues and more, in the latest episode of Talking Indonesia.

In 2023, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Jacqui Baker from Murdoch University, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Tito Ambyo from RMIT, and Dr Dave McRae from the Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society at the University of Melbourne.

Photo by Walhi (Instagram).

The cryptocurrency market in Indonesia is booming. In 2022, the country recorded 14 million cryptocurrency investors, much higher than the number of Indonesians who invest in the stock market.

Last month, President Joko Widodo signed off on a new law that aims to provide greater clarity on how cryptocurrency is regulated. The new law transfers cryptocurrency regulatory powers from the commodities watchdog Bappebti (Badan Pengawas Perdagangan Berjangka Komoditi) to the Financial Services Authority (Otoritas Jasa Keuangan, OJK), effectively switching the classification of cryptocurrency from commodities (like gold or coal) to securities. 

This is part of a larger plan in which Indonesia hopes to set up a national cryptocurrency exchange. The exchange will cover existing exchanges and function as a national custodian and clearing house for cryptocurrency in Indonesia, adding another layer of protection for cryptocurrency users in Indonesia. But the exchange has been delayed by various obstacles.

Will this new law create more clarity for cryptocurrency users in Indonesia? How has it been received and what are some of the concerns users have about regulation of the industry in Indonesia? In this week’s episode of Talking Indonesia, Tito Ambyo speaks to Rob Raffael Kardinal, the chair of the Indonesian Crypto Consumers Association. 

In 2023, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by  Tito Ambyo from RMIT, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Dr Jacqui Baker from Murdoch University, and Dr Dave McRae from the Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society at the University of Melbourne.

On 11 January, President Joko Widodo gave a national address in which he acknowledged gross violations of human rights had occurred in Indonesia and expressed his regret and sympathy for the victims.

He referred to 12 incidents involving historical rights violations, including the 1965-66 killings, the extrajudicial killings of criminals in the 1980s (known as Petrus), kidnappings and disappearances of students and activists in the late 1990s, the Talangsari incident in Lampung in 1989, and a number of events in Aceh and Papua.

Jokowi made the statement at an event where he accepted the recommendations of a team he had assembled in 2022 to consider non-judicial resolution of past violations of human rights. The presidential statement included a commitment to recovery and restoration of the rights of victims, and to ensuring that such events do not happen again.

What is the significance of Jokowi’s acknowledgement and why did he choose to make it now? How has it been received by victims, their relatives and the human rights community in Indonesia? And does it signal a step towards further processes of truth seeking and accountability for past human rights violations?

In this week’s episode of Talking Indonesia, Dr Jemma Purdey speaks to Dr Sri Lestari Wahyuningroem, author of Transitional Justice from State to Civil Society Democratization in Indonesia. She is Fulbright Fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Harvard Kennedy School, and director of the Center for Citizenship and Human Rights Studies, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional.

In 2023, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Dr Dave McRae from the Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society at the University of Melbourne, Dr Jacqui Baker from Murdoch University, and Tito Ambyo from RMIT.

Photo by Akbar Nugroho Gumay/Antara.

Indonesia has expressed persistent reservations about AUKUS, the security pact reached in secret between Australia, the US and the UK and announced in September 2021. Under the pact, the three allies will share defence capabilities, with the initial headline item being Australia’s acquisition of a fleet of nuclear-powered but conventionally-armed submarines.

When AUKUS was announced, Indonesia's Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing caution. In 2022, Indonesia also submitted a working paper to a UN review of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty critical of the transfer of submarine nuclear propulsion to non-nuclear weapons states.

What underpins Indonesia’s negative response to AUKUS, and how widely are Indonesia’s views shared in Southeast Asia? What can Indonesia’s response to AUKUS tell us about how Indonesia will seek to manage great power competition between the US and China? Might AUKUS spur Indonesia to alter its own defence acquisition plans?

In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dave McRae chats with Dr Ahmad Rizky M. Umar from the School of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Queensland. Dr Umar is the author of a forthcoming paper on Southeast Asian responses to AUKUS with Yulida Santoso from Universitas Gadjah Mada.

In 2023, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Dave McRae from the Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society at the University of Melbourne, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Dr Jacqui Baker from Murdoch University, and Tito Ambyo from RMIT.

Photo credit: US Navy

On 6 December, Indonesia’s House of Representatives (DPR) passed a long-awaited new Criminal Code (KUHP), in an act the government described as one of decolonisation and modernisation of the Indonesian nation-state. Revised and re-drafted over several years, the new code replaces the 1918 version inherited from the Dutch and incorporated into the law of a newly independent Indonesia in 1946.

Civil society organisations, journalists and human rights activists immediately condemned many of the articles in the new code, particularly those that restrict freedom of speech, the right to protest and express views deemed counter to the national ideology, Pancasila. Women and other minorities are seen to be particularly vulnerable, with new laws criminalising access to abortion, sexual relations and cohabitation outside marriage. Senior researcher at Human Rights Watch Andreas Harsono expressed the disappointment and concern of many Indonesians when he said: “In one fell swoop, Indonesia’s human rights situation has taken a drastic turn for the worse, with potentially millions of people in Indonesia subject to criminal prosecution under this deeply flawed law.”

How did it come to this? Why did Indonesia need a new Criminal Code? Who were the key stakeholders responsible for writing it? What was the process and the impetus behind the creation of new laws (and a return to some old ones), which now curb Indonesians’ hard-won freedoms? Is there still time to change the code, or is there no turning back?

In this week's episode of Talking Indonesia, the final episode for 2022, Dr Jemma Purdey chats to Bivitri Susanti, deputy chair and lecturer at Indonesia Jentera School of Law.

In 2022, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Dr Dave McRae from Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society (CILIS), Dr Jacqui Baker from Murdoch University, and Tito Ambyo from RMIT. 

Look out for a new Talking Indonesia podcast every fortnight when Talking Indonesia returns in 2023.

Image by Asep Fathulrahman for Antara Foto.

This year, the Indonesian government has replaced more than 110 local elected leaders for appointed caretaker leaders. By 2024, almost all district and provincial leaders will be appointments from Jakarta. The government says that this is a technocratic fix. The plan is to hold all district, provincial and national elections on the same day, and to fill the gap between the electoral terms of these local leaders running out and the elections planned for 2024, the government has decided to appoint caretaker administrations.

These appointments occupy a strange political space. Most Indonesians don’t know anything about them. And that’s because on one side, they seem highly technocratic. But as these appointments have been made, questions are being asked.

Who are these interim regional leaders? Who decided on their rule? How will they rule? If the caretaker administrations are just a technocratic stop gap why do they feel like Jakarta overreach? In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Jacqui Baker explores these questions and more with Dr Ian Wilson, Senior Lecturer in International Politics and Security Studies, Academic Chair of the Global Security Program and Co-Director of the Indo-Pacific Research Centre at Murdoch University, Western Australia.

In 2022, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Jacqui Baker from Murdoch University, Dr Dave McRae from the Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society at the University of Melbourne, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, and Tito Ambyo from RMIT.

Photo by Didik Suhartono/Antara.

There are many Indonesian researchers conducting important and path-breaking research, both within Indonesia and around the world. But many of these Indonesian scholars often find it difficult to distribute and share the results of their research projects with the global public. 

The reasons for Indonesian researchers' underrepresentation on the global stage are varied, and include lack of access to global media organisations, language barriers, and limited infrastructure and support. One platform that has helped Indonesian researchers to share their knowledge and expertise with the world is The Conversation Indonesia, which launched in 2017.  

In the latest episode of Talking Indonesia, Tito Ambyo speaks to CEO and Publisher of The Conversation Indonesia Prodita Kusuma Sabarini about the challenges Indonesian researchers face in distributing their research, and what Indonesian academics need to do to communicate more widely with the world. Prodita is also one of the founders of "Ingat 65" ("Remember '65"), an online forum for young Indonesians to share their reflections on the 1965 tragedy.

In 2022, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Jacqui Baker from Murdoch University, Dr Dave McRae from the Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society at the University of Melbourne, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, and Tito Ambyo from RMIT.

Photo: The Conversation Indonesia hosts a panel discussion series titled “Hear The Experts” in September 2018. Photo by Gracesillya Febriani.

Preliminary investigations into the events at Kanjuruhan Stadium on 1 October, which claimed the lives of 135 people, have found that the use of tear gas by police was the primary cause of the tragedy. This and other recent high-profile scandals involving the Indonesian National Police (Polri) have led to a renewed focus on the failures of police reform. 

It is two decades since the police separated from the Indonesian armed forces, following the fall of the New Order. How have the Indonesian police now become synonymous with scandal, violence and corruption? How have police responded to the Kanjuruhan tragedy and could this present a tipping point for lasting structural change? Or is it too late and instead the answer lies in more radical reform of the criminal justice system as a whole? What does a failing police force mean for democratic process and political competition as Indonesia heads towards national legislative and presidential elections in 2024?

In the latest episode of Talking Indonesia, Dr Jemma Purdey chats to Dr Jacqui Baker, lecturer in Southeast Asian politics at Murdoch University and a co-host of Talking Indonesia.

In 2022, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Jemma Purdey from the Australia-Indonesia Centre, Dr Dave McRae from the Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society (CILIS), Dr Jacqui Baker from Murdoch University, and Tito Ambyo from RMIT.

Look out for a new Talking Indonesia podcast every fortnight.

Image/ Biro Pers, Media, dan Informasi Sekretariat Presiden 2022

It is often said that it is easy to start a podcast. But not many make it to 200 episodes. Many factors have played a part in making Talking Indonesia special and helping us reach this important milestone, from the podcast's various co-hosts, its listeners (thank you!), its many supporters, and, most of all, its amazing guests, who have shared their fascinating insights into the latest research and happenings in Indonesia.

To celebrate Talking Indonesia's 200th episode, we are doing something a bit different. Three of the co-hosts will share some of their favourite grabs from past interviews. It wasn’t easy to choose, but we thought this would be a great opportunity for new and old listeners to discover, or re-discover, the depth of Talking Indonesia's archive. 

We have selected four grabs from these interviews that we thought could provide interesting insights into the challenges that Indonesia faces today and discuss these grabs. Of course, you can get the fuller picture by listening to the episodes - linked below. We hope you enjoy the discussion as much as we did, and here’s hoping we will be here for another 200 episodes at least!

Associate Professor Merlyna Lim - Freedom to hate: https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/social-media-and-the-freedom-to-hate/

Dr Fabio Scarpello - Illegal fishing:

https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/talking-indonesia-illegal-fishing/

Dr Ligia Giay - Racism:

https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/talking-indonesia-racism/

Andy Yentriyani - The Sexual Violence Law:

https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/talking-indonesia-the-sexual-violence-law/

In 2022, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Jacqui Baker from Murdoch University, Dr Dave McRae from the Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society at the University of Melbourne, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, and Tito Ambyo from RMIT.