Politics and Governance in Southeast Asia

By Latiza, Cyrel Mallie

GROUP #5 : INDONESIA
ETYMOLOGY OF INDONESIA
The name is an 18th-century construct of two Greek words, "Indos" (India) and "nesoi" (islands),
meaning "Indian islands”.

Conventional long form : Republic of Indonesia

Local long form : Republik Indonesia
GEOGRAPHY
Location : Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
Terrain : mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains.
Climate : tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Natural resources : petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper, fertile soils, coal, gold, silver
o According to Indonesia's National Coordinating Agency for Survey and Mapping,
the total number of islands in the archipelago is 13,466, of which 922 are permanently inhabited
(Indonesia is the world's largest country comprised solely of islands)
Natural hazards : Occasional floods, severe droughts, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis
NATIONAL SYMBOLS
o National Flag
 In Indonesian, this flag is called "Sang Saka Merah Putih" (meaning "lofty bicolor red and
white").

 The red symbolizes human blood and the white represents the human spirit.

 The design of this flag is based on the 13th century Javan Majapahit Empire flag that had nine
red and white stripes.

 Indonesia's flag was officially adopted on August 17, 1945

o National Anthem
"Indonesia Raya“, It has been the national anthem since the proclamation of Indonesian
independence.

o National Emblem
 The national emblem of Indonesia is called Garuda Pancasila.
 The shield's five emblems represent Pancasila, the five principles of Indonesia's
national ideology. The Garuda claws gripping a white ribbon scroll inscribed with the national
motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, which can be loosely translated as "Unity in Diversity". 
 Pancasila is the philosophic fundamentals of the state. 

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  Principles:
1. The belief in one God
2. A just and civilized humanism
3. Unity of Indonesia
4. Democratic citizenship lead by wise guidance born of representative consultation
5. Social justice for all the people of Indonesia

o National Flower

The government of Indonesia officially declared three national flowers of the country.
1. The Moon Orchid is one of the longest blooming orchids.
2. Rafflesia is noted for producing the largest individual flower on earth.
3. Jasminum Sambac which symbolizes the beauty of a girl, is commonly used in religious or
cultural ceremony.

o National Animal
Komodo Dragon is the symbol of wildlife of Indonesia. So they have taken it as their national identity of
Indonesia.
HISTORY
The history of Indonesia has been shaped by its geographic position, its natural resources, a series of human
migrations and contacts, wars and conquests, as well as by trade, economics and politics.
o at least 1.5 million years ago… : Fossilized remains of Homo erectus and his tools, popularly known as the "Java
Man", suggest the Indonesian archipelago was inhabited.
o around 2000 BCE.. : Austronesian people, who form the majority of the modern population, are thought to have
originally been from Taiwan and arrived in Indonesia around 2000 BCE.
o 7th century : the powerful Srivijaya naval kingdom flourished bringing Hindu and Buddhist influences with it. The
agricultural Buddhist Sailendra and Hindu Mataram dynasties subsequently thrived and declined in inland Java.
o 13th century : The last significant non-Muslim kingdom, the Hindu Majapahit kingdom, flourished from the late
13th century, and its influence stretched over much of Indonesia. The earliest evidence of Islamised populations
in Indonesia dates to the 13th century in northern Sumatra.
o 16th century : other Indonesian areas gradually adopted Islam which became the dominant religion in Java and
Sumatra by the end of the 16th century. For the most part, Islam overlaid and mixed with existing cultural and
religious influences.
Europeans such as the Portuguese arrived in Indonesia from the 16th century seeking to monopolise
the sources of valuable nutmeg, cloves, and cubeb pepper in Maluku.
o 17th century : In 1602 the Dutch established the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and became the dominant
European power by 1610.
o 18th century : Following bankruptcy, the VOC was formally dissolved in 1800, and the government of the
Netherlands established the Dutch East Indies under government control.
o 20th century : By the early 20th century, Dutch dominance extended to the current boundaries. The Japanese
invasion and subsequent occupation in 1942–45 during WWII ended Dutch rule, and encouraged the previously
suppressed Indonesian independence movement. Two days after the surrender of Japan in August 1945,
nationalist leader, Sukarno, declared independence and became president. The Netherlands tried to reestablish its
rule, but a bitter armed and diplomatic struggle ended in December 1949, when in the face of international
pressure, the Dutch formally recognised Indonesian independence.
An attempted coup in 1965 led to a violent army-led anti-communist purge in which over half a
million people were killed. General Suharto politically outmanoeuvred President Sukarno, and became president
in March 1968. His New Order administration garnered the favour of the West, whose investment in Indonesia
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 was a major factor in the subsequent three decades of substantial economic growth. In the late 1990s, however,
Indonesia was the country hardest hit by the East Asian Financial Crisis, which led to popular protests and
Suharto's resignation on 21 May 1998.
o 21st century : The process of reformasi has resulted in a higher degree of freedom of speech, in contrast to the
pervasive censorship under the New Order. This has led to a more open political debate in the news media and
increased expression in the arts. 
Issues over this period have included a push for a stronger democracy and civilian rule,
elements of the military trying to retain their influence, a growing Islamism in politics and society, and
demands for greater regional autonomy.

INDEPENDENCE
17 August 1945
(declared independence from the Netherlands)

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS
31 provinces
1 autonomous province
1 special region
1 national capital district

o Following the implementation of decentralization beginning on 1 January 2001, regencies and

municipalities have become the key administrative units responsible for providing most government
services.

CAPITAL
Jakarta, Indonesia's massive capital, sits on the northwest coast of the island of Java. A historic mix of
cultures – Javanese, Malay, Chinese, Arab, Indian and European – has influenced its architecture,
language and cuisine. 
o Etymology : "Jakarta" derives from the Sanskrit "Jayakarta" meaning "victorious city" and refers to a
successful defeat and expulsion of the Portuguese in 1527.

POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE

o Government Type : Presidential Republic
The politics of Indonesia take place in the framework of a presidential representative democratic
republic whereby the President of Indonesia is both head of state and head of government and of a multi-
party system. The President leads an executive branch that is separate from the legislative branch.
As in other democratic countries, Indonesia applies the Trias Politica that recognizes the separation of
the legislative, executive and judicial bodies. 
o Suffrage : 17 years of age; universal and married persons regardless of age.
o Executive branch : The executive institution is centralized under the president, vice president, and the
cabinet of ministers. The cabinet is a presidential cabinet in which the ministers report to the president
and do not represent the political parties.
Chief of State & Head of Government : Joko Widodo
Vice President : Ma’ruf Amin
Cabinet of Ministers
Cabinet of ministers are appointed by the president.

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 President and vice president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote for a
5-year term (eligible for a second term)
o Legislative branch : The legislative authority is under the People’s Consultative Assembly  or Majelis
Permusyawaratan Rakyat  (MPR) that consists of two bodies namely the Parliament composing of
members of political parties and the Regional Representative Council (DPD) composing of
representatives from each province in Indonesia. Each province is represented by 4 delegates that are
elected by the people in the respective region.
Regional Representative Council or Dewan Perwakilan Daerah (132 seats; non-
partisan members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies - 4 each from the country's 33 electoral
districts - by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)
House of Representatives or Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (560 seats; members
directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by single non-transferable vote to serve 5-year terms.
o Judicial branch : The judicial institution is administered by the Supreme Court including the
administration of the judges.
Highest courts : Supreme Court or Mahkamah Agung
(51 judges divided into 8 chambers)
Constitutional Court or Mahkamah Konstitusi
(consists of 9 judges)
Supreme Court judges nominated by Judicial Commission, appointed by president
with concurrence of parliament; judges serve until retirement at age 65.
Court judges - 3 nominated by president, 3 by Supreme Court, and 3 by parliament;
judges appointed by the president; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 70.
Subordinate courts : High Courts of Appeal, district courts, religious courts.

LEGAL SYSTEM
Civil law system based on the Roman-Dutch model and influenced by customary law.
Before the Dutch colonisation in the sixteenth century, indigenous kingdoms ruled the archipelago
independently with their own custom laws, known as adat.

CONSTITUTION
o History : drafted July to August 1945, effective 18 August 1945, abrogated by 1949 and 1950
constitutions; 1945 constitution restored 5 July 1959

o Amendments : proposed by the People’s Consultative Assembly, with at least two thirds of its members
present; passage requires simple majority vote by the Assembly membership; constitutional articles on
the unitary form of the state cannot be amended.

HUMAN RIGHTS
The government failed to protect human rights defenders, and restricted the rights to freedom of
expression, peaceful assembly and association. The abuse of criminal law provisions to curtail legitimate
expression persisted. Security forces committed human rights violations largely with impunity, using
excessive force during policing and security operations. Violence flared in Papua, involving both
peaceful and violent reactions to racist verbal attacks and violence against Papuans. (2019)

o Violations :
Use of force and impunity
Discrimination
Capital punishment
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 Domestic workers
Sexual and reproductive rights
West Papua
Anti-Chinese legislation
Freedom of expression

CURRENT POLITICAL ISSUES

1. Indonesia’s   draconian new Criminal Code
Indonesia has been working on updating its colonial-era Criminal Code for decades. Now
Indonesia’s parliament is discussing a new draft code with a raft of problematic provisions that
would be disastrous for women and minorities, and for many Indonesians in general.
2. No UN access for West Papua
The 2019 Pacific Island Forum Leaders’statement, signed by all Pacific nations including
Australia, expressed concern about “reported escalation in violence and continued allegations of
human rights abuses in West Papua (Papua)” and urged the Indonesian government to honor
Jokowi’s 2018 promise to allow the UN Human Rights Office to visit the two provinces and
report on the situation before the next Pacific Island Forum’s leaders meeting this year.
3. Defense Minister implicated in abuses
Imagine what would happen if an Australian soldier discharged from the military for human
rights abuses and disobeying orders became our Defense Minister. That is exactly what has
happened in Indonesia, when last year Jokowi appointed his presidential opponent, Prabowo
Subianto, to the post.
4. Defective Democracy
Jokowi, as he is known, has sought compromises with corrupt politicians and intolerant
religious leaders, and surrounded himself with former generals with little commitment to
democratic principles. On his watch, human rights, the rule of law, and the protection of
minorities have all weakened. A bitter form of religion-based identity politics seems to be
embedded in the system. As Indonesia faces growing challenges, its future will be defined by
how the next generation of leaders use the powerful mandate of electoral victory to overcome
those who are seeking to stymie much-needed reforms and undermine democratic norms.