Hobbling Indonesia’s anti-corruption body The introduction of a so-called “civics” tests for investigators appear to be a thinly disguised attack on human rights. Demonstrations against proposed legislative changes in 2019 to anti-corruption laws: the latest concern focuses on a so-called “civics” test for staff at the Corruption Eradication Commission, or KPK (Bay Ismoyo/AFP via Getty Images) Published 29 Jun 2021 06:00 0 Comments
Ask any Indonesian about their country’s most pressing problem and more likely than not the answers you’ll get are “the economy” and “corruption”. This is with good reason. Indonesia ranks 102 of 179 on Transparency International’s 2020 Corruption Perception Index, falling over four years from a previous ranking of 90, underscoring the problem with widespread graft. Corruption among judges, prosecutors and senior police officers has undermined the right to equal protection under the law. Rampant bribery in the business licensing process for the mining and plantation industries has enabled the seizure of land from indigenous communities, while also threatening action on climate change. Embezzlement of government funds earmarked for access to public services, including social safety nets during the pandemic, has particularly cost low-income and marginalised citizens.