#188: The Democratic Decline of Indonesia

Published: July 25, 2022, 5:45 a.m.

Indonesia has made impressive democratic gains since the fall of the authoritarian Suharto regime in 1998, and has long been praised as a ‘model Muslim democracy’.

But in recent years, the quality of Indonesian democracy has noticeably declined as the country continues to struggle with challenges to its democratic institutions and values, with systemic corruption and discrimination and violence against minority groups.

Guests:

Dr Ken Setiawan (Lecturer in Indonesian and Asian Studies, Asia Institute, University of Melbourne)

Associate Professor Dirk Tomsa (Head of Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, La Trobe University)

Their book is Politics in Contemporary Indonesia: Institutional Change, Policy Challenges and Democratic Decline (Routledge, 2022).

Recorded on 15 July, 2022.