FROM STAGNATION TO REGRESSION? INDONESIAN DEMOCRACY AFTER TWENTY YEARS
Convenors: Thomas Power and Eve Warburton
Indonesia is a rare case of democratic transition and persistence in Southeast Asia. But like many other countries around the world, Indonesia’s democracy increasingly shows signs of fragility and even regression. In recent years there has been a rise in authoritarian populism, arbitrary state crackdowns on freedom of speech and organisation, and a deterioration in the protection of minority rights. There are more deep-seated problems too: corruption, clientelism, unequal access to legal protection and redress, under-representation of lower-class and minority voices, and growing support for religious majoritarianism amongst the political class. Many symptoms of democratic fragility were first diagnosed during the second term of President Yudhoyono (2009-2014); but to the surprise of many observers, the most dramatic decline in democratic quality has occurred on President Jokowi’s watch (2014-).
To be sure, Indonesia has a well-earned reputation as the region’s most vibrant democracy. There is much to celebrate about what Indonesia has achieved over the past two decades since Suharto’s authoritarian regime was dismantled. But the warning signs require urgent analytical attention. Cases like the Philippines and Turkey provide powerful reminders that once-stable democracies can deteriorate quickly in the hands of democratically-elected leaders. This conference examines the quality of Indonesian democracy. The contributors will identify, assess and debate the signs of democratic backsliding across a range of political and institutional contexts. They will do so with a view not just to assessing Indonesia’s democratic evolution over time, but also to situating Indonesia in the context of a global democratic recession.
Program and more information about the Indonesia Update:
http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/blogs/indonesiaproject/indonesia-update/2019-iu/
The conference is free of charge
Conference convenors
Thomas Power
The Australian National University
Eve Warburton
The Australian National University
The National University of Singapore
Conference administrator
Indonesia Project
The Arndt-Corden Department of Economics
ANU College of Asia and the Pacific
Canberra ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
P 61 2 6125 3794
F 61 2 6125 3700
ANU Indonesia Project wishes to thank The Australian National University and the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for their substantial and continuing support.
The Indonesia Update has been conducted annually since 1983. It is organised by The Australian National University's Indonesia Project and Department of Political and Social Change.
