Jakarta – Democracy in Jakarta was on the decline in 2016, hitting its lowest point in the past seven years, the city's Central Statistics Agency (BPS) says.

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo reiterated his message on Wednesday that he would not go down the authoritarian path as the country's constitution had a checks-and-balance system that coul

Jakarta – Responding to criticism that many of his recent policies had an authoritarian bent, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has said that he has no predisposition to turn into an autocrat.

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Jakarta – President Joko Widodo has dismissed criticism by the opposition including his predecessor Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that a new election law and a decree banning radi

Jakarta – Democratic principles are rarely used to resolve national crises, the governor of state-security think-tank National Resilience Institute, or Lemhannas, said at the 2017 Jakarta Geopoliti

Jakarta – Arteria Dahlan, a politician from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P, said President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's recent comment that democracy in Indonesia "has gone over th

Kieran Gair – Human Rights Watch (HRW) have said Indonesian President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's comments this week on religious fundamentalism is evidence the leader has a "democracy problem".

Nurul Fitri Ramadhani, Jakarta – House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Fahri Hamzah has slammed President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo over the latter's recent statement that Indonesia's democracy had go

Nurul Fitri Ramadhani and Haeril Halim, Jakarta – During the New Order regime, Indonesia enjoyed robust economic growth, which many believe came largely at the expense of civil liberties.

Nurul Fitri Ramadhani and Haeril Halim, Jakarta – Several lawmakers have described the arrest of eight antigovernment political figures for alleged treason as premature, and fear it could be a prec

Marguerite Afra Sapiie, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democracy Index (IDI) released by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) on Wednesday showed that Indonesia became slightly less democratic in 2015, wh

Jakarta – Chief Security Minister Wiranto said supremacy of the law outranks civil rights and freedom in Indonesia, despite the county being a democracy.

Jakarta – Indonesia's democracy rating has dropped slightly on the back of increasing discrimination and alleged corrupt practices among lawmakers and political parties, a leading researcher has sa

Marguerite Afra Sapiie, Jakarta – Recent controversy over dual citizenship and the growing role of the Indonesian diaspora have brought up the country's long-time plan to revise the 2006 Citizenshi

Jakarta – The presence of activists and academics within Presidential Palace circles are often considered an opportunity to push for democratic reform in the bureaucracy.

Jakarta – A people's conference titled "Fighting Criminalisation and Wining Democracy" (Lawan Kriminalisasi dan Rebut Demokrasi) was held at the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Jakarta) offices i

Paulina Quintso – The Timorese government has allocated $9 million to support civil society development programs in 2016.

Jakarta – After successfully seeing President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla inaugurated on Monday, Jokowi's volunteers are expanding their movement with the purpos

Ina Parlina and Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta/Denpasar – Eleven of 14 civil society groups invited to join the Bali Civil Society Forum (BCSF), a side event at the annual intergovernmental Ba

Jakarta – Eleven of 14 pro-democracy organizations have rejected invitations to attend and speak at an upcoming global democracy forum in Bali.

Ni Komang Erviani and Bagus Saragih, Denpasar – To ensure the success of the seventh Bali Democracy Forum, police announced on Monday that they would not tolerate demonstrations or prot

Yuliasri Perdani, Jakarta – Despite a paranoid official overreaction, the Sovereign Indonesian People's Assembly (MKRI) staged a protest on Monday, calling for the President's resignati

Bagus BT Saragih and Margareth S.

Robertus Wardi & Ezra Sihite – A completely unsubstantiated rumor of a planned coup d'etat by a previously unheard-of fringe group has taken on a life of its own, with politicians o

Markus Junianto Sihaloho & Carlos Paath – The Army's top officer and a relative of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has denied rumors of a coup d'etat later this month, saying the

Rights activist Adnan Buyung Nasution is calling the government paranoid for its response to a protest against President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono planned by civil society groups for Mar

National – National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Lt. Gen.

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – A group of activists grouped together as the Assembly of the Sovereignty of the Indonesian People (MKRI), has called for the creation of a transitional government

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) is seeking the Constitutional Court's (MK) support in the fight against legislation considered to hinder civi

Activists are condemning as repressive a draft bill on mass organizations currently under deliberation by the House of Representatives.

Antonia Timmerman – A lack of civil liberties and political rights has caused Indonesia to slide four points on the United Nations Development Program's latest Indonesia Democracy Index

[Indonesia's experience shows to the world how democracy is compatible with security and how the two produce a much more authentic and robust stability and harmony, says the nation's

Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Sunday that there was no contradiction between Islam and democracy and Indonesia was a living proof that the two entities could go h

La'o Hamutuk feels that a multi-party state is essential to genuine democracy, to give space for a variety of perspectives to be discussed and considered with public participation.

Margareth S.

Damien Kingsbury – As Timor-Leste moves towards marking the 10th anniversary of its independence and completing the third round of its national elections, the question arises as to whet

Rt. Hon David Cameron
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA

Dear Prime Minister,

Yohan Wahyu – Most of the recent social upheavals have been triggered by a decline in public trust in the state.

Margareth S.

Endy Bayuni – For years now, Indonesia has been basking in its status as the world's third-largest democracy after India and the United States.

James Balowski, in Jakarta – May Day was commemorated across Indonesia by thousands of workers, students, women activists and NGOs.

Mariel Grazella, Jakarta – Irked by the foot-dragging investigations of myriad corruption cases, a group of high-profile legal experts, social activists and academics launched the Anti-

Camelia Pasandaran – Unfazed by a meeting they had with the president to clarify their accusation that the government has been lying to the public, a group of religious leaders on Wedne

Armando Siahaan, Jakarta – A coalition of religious figures has vowed to remain critical of the government's failings, following a meeting on Monday night with President Susilo Bambang

Ismira Lutfia, Jakarta – Despite a recent report identifying Indonesia as the only truly free country in Southeast Asia, the country's Asean human rights commissioner said weak law enfo

Armando Siahaan & Anita Rachman – Critics have lashed out at two top ministers for "overreacting" to accusations that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration had lied to

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – Nine prominent religious leaders of five religions in the country gathered on Monday, calling for the government to explain "at least 18 lies" within four days an

Slamet Susanto and Sri Wahyuni, Jakarta – Sirajuddin Syamsuddin, known widely as Din Syamsuddin, vowed to maintain neutrality in practical politics on Wednesday afternoon after being of

Anita Rachman – Din Syamsuddin has been re-elected chairman of the nation's second largest Islamic organization, Muhammadiyah, for another five years.

Anita Rachman – Muhammadiyah, the country's second-biggest Islamic organization, says it will remain involved in politics as long as public aspirations require a voice.