The 37th Indonesia Update

From stagnation to regression? Indonesian democracy after twenty years

6-7 September

HC Coombs Lecture Theatre, ANU

View the conference program.

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.

The conference is free of charge.

Conference convenors

Thomas Power
The Australian National University
thomas.power@anu.edu.au

Eve Warburton

The Australian National University
The National University of Singapore
evewarburton@gmail.com

Conference administrator

Indonesia Project
The Arndt-Corden Department of Economics
ANU College of Asia and the Pacific
Canberra ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
indonesia.project@anu.edu.au
+61 2 6125 5954, +61 2 6125 3794

Day 1

 

Welcome.

Welcome remarks by Michael Wesley (ANU) and Julie Heckscher (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade)

Session 1. Political Update

Chair: Toni Erskine (ANU)

Speakers: Marcus Mietzner (ANU) and Edward Aspinall (ANU).

Discussant: Charlotte Setijadi (Singapore Management University)

Session 2. Economics Update

Chair: Jim Hagan (The Treasury)

Speakers: Paul Burke (ANU) and Martin Siyaranamual (Universitas Padjadjaran)

Discussant: Vivi Alatas (Economist)

This presentation is published in the Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, December 2019 volume.

Session 3. A comparative look at Indonesian democracy

Keynote address. A comparative look at Indonesian democracy after twenty years

Chair: Greg Fealy (ANU) Speakers: Allen Hicken (University of Michigan)

4. Deepening polarisation

Chair: Sally White (ANU)

How polarised is Indonesia by Eve Warburton (The National University of Singapore)

Divided Muslims by Nava Nuraniyah (Institute for Policy Analysis and Conflict)

Day 2

Session 5. Disinformation & freedom of expression

Chair: Michelle Ford (The University of Sydney)

A state of surveillance? Freedom of expression under the Jokowi presidency by Ken Setiawan (The University of Melbourne)

Political rumours in Indonesian elections: evidence from Kalimantan by Irsyad Rafsadie (PUSAD Paramadina) and Dyah Ayu Kartika (PUSAD Paramadina)

Session 6. The populist challenge

Chair: Paul Kenny (ANU)

Jokowi, personalism and parties: does populism work in Indonesia? by Liam Gammon (ANU)

Islamic populism and Indonesia's illiberal democracy by Abdil Mughis Mudhoffir (The University of Melbourne

Session 8. The political economy of democratic quality

Chair: Hal Hill (ANU)

How misperceptions of inequality shape voter preferences in Indonesia: evidence from a randomised survey experiment by Christopher Hoy (ANU)

The economic dimensions of Indonesia's democratic quality by Puspa Delima Amri (Sonoma State University)

Session 9. Re-assessing public support

Chair: Thomas Power (ANU)

Conceptions of democracy and implications for democratic consolidation by Diego Fossati (City University of Hong Kong)

Electoral losers, democratic support and authoritarian nostalgia by Burhanuddin Muhtadi (Universitas Islam Negeri Jakarta)

Session 10. Reflection on the state of Indonesian democracy

Chair: Virginia Hooker (ANU)

The strong shall inherit: historical foundations of Indonesia's surprising democratic success (recorded video presentation) by Dan Slater (University of Michigan)

Is Indonesian democracy in decline? by Endy Bayuni (The Jakarta Post)

Closing

 
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2018 Indonesia Update