Asia > South-Eastern Asia > Indonesia > Indonesia's Joko Widodo in World Economic Fourm Jakarta.

Indonesia: Indonesia's Joko Widodo in World Economic Fourm Jakarta.

2017/05/29

Amid the 2017 Jakarta Election, some loosely interpreted laws (such as regarding blasphemy, anti-Pancasila, and treason) have frequently been used as a tool for political manoeuvre both by the establishment and the opposition. The majority prominent victim of this exploitation of democratic space is the incumbent Jakarta Governor, Basuki Tjahya Purnama.

Political balancing nuanced the government’s intention to disband Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), one of the mobilising forces behind the anti–Basuki Tjahya Purnama (Ahok) series of rallies throughout Indonesia. Indeed, the government has been closely monitoring HTI for years, due to suspicion over their activities promoting world Islamic caliphate ideology, which is deemed incompatible with Indonesia’s democratic values.

Nonetheless, HTI has been operating for over 25 years and was acknowledged by the Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Right as a legal societal organisation in 2014, which warrants proper legal procedure (e.g. by issuing series of warnings) before any decision to dismantle them. The announcement of the plan to ban HTI a day before Ahok’s sentencing on 9 May 2017 has as well led a lot of to speculate that the decision was a political balancing act.

Weaponisation of “Rubbery” Laws

Having a vibrant democratic environment is evolution, but learning to use the freedom is difficult. Blasphemy law in Indonesia has been the subject of international criticism, particularly next Ahok, a Christian of ethnic Chinese descent, was found guilty of blasphemy under Article 156(a) of the Criminal Code over a few careless throwaway lines on the campaign trail, weaponised against him through outrage from his political adversaries.

The sentence of two years’ imprisonment was as well deemed as unexpectedly excessive, as the prosecutors only found him guilty of inciting public disorder and again reduced the request to two years’ probation. This seems to suggest that the court verdict was motivated to maintain political stability, catering to pressure from the disgruntled conservative Muslim people.

Although the establishment elites appeared to have accepted the decision, they seem to be looking to compensate for defeat by targeting representatives of the opposing camp by using an extra pasal karet or “rubbery” law, in this case using the anti-Pancasila (Indonesia’s Five Founding Principles) charge against HTI. The worrying trend is that the term ‘anti-Pancasila’ can be loosely defined or interpreted with criteria subjectively determined by the elites in power.

Muhammad Rizieq Shihab, the leader of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), an extra leading figure behind the anti–Ahok rally, was as well charged on 30 January 2017 with undermining the philosophy of Pancasila. The establishment camp targeted Rizieq Shihab personally, instead of the FPI as an organisation, arguably because the FPI is leader-driven and at times can be a government political proxy. As the pasal karet can be used for the government’s political objective, there is a lack of motivation to repeal the laws.

Beware Leviathan

Strong-arm tactics have as well been frequently used in the name of creating stability at the height of tensions during the 2017 Jakarta Gubernatorial Election. On the eve of the 2 December 2016 rally the police arrested a dozen activists and nationalist figures, accusing them of treason – plotting to overthrow the government. The individuals detained included the coordinator of the Ahok Opposition Network (JALA).

Having limited funds, few supporters, and being unarmed, the Indonesian police’s argument that such groups were plotting an insurrection was not very convincing and widely criticised. This led a lot of to believe that it was the government’s way of sending a signal to their opponents that the security apparatus can be used against them.

The police released most of the captured suspects next questioning them. From presently on the event has created a chilling result on free speech by the threat of legal sanction. This argument seems to be substantiated next an extra five men were arrested for treason on 31 March 2017, before a subsequent anti-Ahok rally. The worrying trend is the utter disregard by the authorities over the difference between treason and dissent, which can undermine the exercise of personal rights.

Return of Large Government

The contentious oligarchic politics in Indonesia have motivated the establishment party to utilise whatever resources are at their disposal to consolidate power. This has indicated that today large government is back with a vengeance to quell forces confronting the establishment.

Having bought a lot of opponents to move to his side, President Joko Widodo’s (Jokowi) coalition currently controls nearly 70 % of the Home of Representatives (DPR) seats – a large jump from only 37 % next the 2014 Presidential Election. Jokowi has made alliances with the Party of Functional Groups (Golkar), inclunding small nationalist parties. Despite its overwhelming majority, Jokowi’s coalition remains capricious and largely depends on the president’s ability to strike bargains with senior party leaders.

Jokowi as well still faces relatively strong opposition, primarily from Prabowo Subianto’s Gerindra Party and Islamist parties such as the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). This presence of counterbalancing forces is reassuring to maintain checks and balances, so long as the establishment party and opposition do not conspire in collusive practices. This has often been the case, such as the E-KTP (electronic ID card) scandal, incurring national losses of around Rp. 2.3 trillion (USD172 million), which was allegedly shared by different factions of the DPR.

The return of large government has stirred up fiery opposition inclunding praise. On one hand it helps Jokowi to implement his policies additional entirely. On the other, it has often provided opportunities for the establishment to clamp down on the dissent of those who are not in favour of the government. While President Jokowi is not a large fan of free-flowing ideas and debates, as indicated in his remarks on 22 February 2017 that Indonesian democracy has “gone too far,” he needs to remember this vibrant democratic scene was the one that got him elected.

Related Articles
  • UNWTO: International tourism – strongest half-year results since 2010

    2017/09/09 Destinations worldwide welcomed 598 million international tourists in the initial six months of 2017, some 36 million additional than in the same period of 2016. At 6%, increase was well above the trend of recent years, making the current January-June period the strongest half-year since 2010. Visitor numbers reported by destinations around the world reflect strong request for international travel in the initial half of 2017, according to the new UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Worldwide, international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) increased by 6% compared to the same six-month period last year, well above the sustained and consistent trend of 4% or higher increase since 2010. This represents the strongest half-year in seven years.
  • Invest in Riau, Indonesia Green, prosperous and at the heart of ASEAN

    2017/08/11 Business-friendly Riau is working to encourage visitation and investment while as well preserving its forests Strategically on the eastern coast of Sumatra, along the Strait of Malacca and close to neighboring Malaysia and Singapore, Riau province sits at the center of the ASEAN region and is known for its natural resources and endless forests. The provincial capital and major city is Pekanbaru, which translates as ‘new market’ in Indonesian. It has long been known as a mercantile center since the Kingdom of Siak fell under the influence of the Dutch East India Company during the mid-1700s. This strategic city of trade was transferred to the Dutch authorities and remained a commercial investment during the colonial period.
  • Seychelles promotes eco-culture tourism in Kutai Kartanegara, Indonesia

    2017/05/29 Seychelles recently organized the visit of 15 youths and students from 8 nations to Kutai Kartanegara in East Kalimantan as part of its effort to help promote compassionate destinations of eco-culture in Indonesia. Seychelles Appropriate Envoy for ASEAN, Mr. Nico Barito, said the youth and students came from France, the Netherlands, Japan, Liberia, Madagascar, Belgium, Dominican Republic, and Italy.
  • Government enacts large-scale infrastructure development to boost long-term economic growth and improve national competitiveness

    2017/05/28 Government enacts large-scale infrastructure development to boost long-term economic increase and improve national competitiveness As Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s longest-serving prime minister and the initial woman to have been elected to that office once famously said, “You and I come by road or rail, but economists travel on infrastructure”. This wry observation rings particularly authentic at the same time as applied to Indonesia today. Since the establishment of the Republic in 1949, the Indonesian economy and social development that has been held back by a pronounced lack in the quality and quantity of its infrastructure. Certainly this is due to the lack of investment during the colonial period and the vast damage inflicted onto the country by World War Two and the subsequent struggle for independence.
  • SOEs increase capacity to accelerate infrastructure development

    2017/04/19 SOEs such as PT PP will be critical to realizing Indonesia’s infrastructure ambitions. The company has ambitions beyond this, with plans to become ASEAN’s major integrated construction company by 2018 Spearheading Indonesia’s infrastructure boom are efforts by the country’s national-owned enterprises (SOEs). Following dramatic increases in national budget allocation, the construction phases of a number of key projects were implemented by these organizations over the last schedule year, such as the Trans-Sumatra toll road, which is under construction.