Indonesia Flashcards
Describe diversity of Indonesia in number of islands and languages
17500 islands, 700 languages
Suharto did many things wrong, but what did he get right
Secularism. He never let religions enter the state appatus
Who was Wahid?
The newly elected president in 1999, also called Gus Dur by most. He was virtually blind and recovering from a stroke, and tended to doze off.
Who replaced Wahid? And what was The Economist’s speak about it?
Megawati, daughter of Sukarno (first ruler of independent Indonesia). She was blithely incompetent, and The Economist wrote that she made ‘George Bush seem like an intellectual’. She lasted only a few years before Yudhoyono took over. Megawati also ruled when Paddy’s Bar exploded on Bali, and created Densus 88.
How long did Yudhoyono (SBY) govern?
Two full terms. He was a retired general, and had a master’s degree in management.
What did Yudhoyono do well in terms of curbing radical islamism?
He kept secularism, and brought some muslims into his government’s coalition and cabinet to demystify their allure. He also made Densus 88 larger, to 400 soldiers with better equipment. Even D88 soldiers were generally seen eating and praying together with prisoners, so were soft in general. They also let former terrorists speak on television with remorse.
Who became president in 2014?
Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, son of a carpenter and former owner of a small business. He is often compared to Obama.
