It was almost 2pm in one of the outer western suburbs of Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city of more than three million inhabitants. Merry, 50, a transwoman, had just alighted from a bemo, or public transport van, to head home after a day spent busking. Home is a three square metre room she rents for just under US$25 (S$33.6) a.
JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network): A recent encounter between the leaders of the Gerindra Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has once again set off a social media buzz, with pundits suggesting that an alliance between the parties is in the cards as they seek to improve their chances of winning in the 2024 elections.
When you shuffle through the deck of the world’s more bombastic populist leaders, Indonesia’s quietly spoken president, Joko Widodo, is not the first man who comes to mind. Presidents Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, as well as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are more obvious choices.
However, the culture wars are heating up in Southeast Asia’s largest economy, home to more than 270 million people. Rising religious intolerance and criminal complaints against activists who challenge politicians are increasingly common in a country where the government is openly jailing critics. Given that democratic backsliding is a key
Ever since the amendment of the 1945 Indonesian Constitution became a hot topic of discussion among people, several competing viewpoints raise a certain .
JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network): When President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo took office on Oct 20, 2014, doubts lingered over whether an upstart like him could secure the support of the political elite.