ELIZABETH SOELISTIO WRITES FROM INDONESIA – This sprawling country, the world’s fourth most populous, is no stranger to internet censorship. However, the consequences of Indonesia’s recent censorship tactics are not only felt by the individual users but also by the community around them. First, there is the censorship of homosexuality…
NICOLAS SWAYA WRITES – Investing in technology is not a new concept for much of the public; we in the West especially take this for granted. But in many parts of the world, such as Indonesia, investing in technology is foreign and uncommon. According to Deloitte, fewer than 1 in…
TIARA SALVABILLA WRITES – In Indonesia, social media has become the norm of everyday life. People from all sectors of society have a smartphone, tablet, or laptop in-hand. Coupled with affordable data plans, Indonesia has become one of the fastest growing countries for internet use. With a population of over…
EVA THIO WRITES – Indonesian lawmakers have started to ban LGBT activates, and police have raided popular spas, arresting hundreds of people in the process. In lockstep, the government is considering banning LGBT-related television programming in an effort to head off what one politician says could become a wave of…
AMANDA SUHARTONO WRITES – There has been an increased correlation between social media and marital problems, likely due to the growing influence of the internet in Asia. The internet has created new outlets for forming secret affairs. Engagement in social media has been the cause of 1,826 divorce cases reported…
ELIZABETH SOELISTIO WRITES – Sure, Tinder and OKCupid are good for finding a mate. But what if you’re after mates, plural? To make up for the lack of polygamy features in most dating websites and mobile apps, Lindu Pranayama created AyoPoligami which literally translates to “Let’s do polygamy.” Since AyoPoligami…
EVA THIO WRITES – President Joko Widodo, whose approval rating has reached a remarkable 68 percent, is looking to cement his reelection with a successful hosting of the Asia Games next year. But is the country and its aging sports infrastructure up to the task? Jakarta and Palembang will host…
ELIZABETH SOELISTIO WRITES – It has been 52 years, yet the ghost of the 1965 anti-communist massacre continues to haunt Indonesia. Today, communism remains one of Indonesia’s most sensitive topics. Not only is there little effort from the government to confront its darkest part of history, but also, recent fake…
AMANDA SUHARTONO WRITES — Like most of the developing countries in Asia, Indonesia struggles with maintaining a decent educational system. Even as a contemporary society, Indonesia still cannot properly handle the education situation. Indonesia’s educational system has been a hot topic among political discourse. The current system is having a…
EVA THIO WRITES – President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, also known as Jokowi, officially dispatched aid to the Rohingya refugees. The President sent 34 tons worth of aid to help the displaced Rohingya people fleeing Burma, Myanmar. Four Hercules planes carrying food, family kits, tents, and blankets departed for Bangladesh…
ELIZABETH SOELISTIO WRITES – Along with his usual feistiness and candor, former Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Purnama is revealing a new side to his personality: Graciousness. In a letter written from Mako Brimob Prison, read to the media by his tearful wife, Ahok explained why he won’t appeal his recent…
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] ELIZABETH SOELISTIO WRITES – In early May, the former governor of Jakarta was convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to two years in prison. This came shortly after he lost re-election to a Muslim opponent in a hard-fought election campaign. To…
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” custom_css_main_element=”.post-thumbnail header .single.featured-image .site-header-image {display: none;}”] ELIZABETH SOELISTIO WRITES – As the Jakarta Post notes in its write-up, it’s one thing for a photo to be kept from publication because it’s not good enough. It’s another when the photo is…
ELIZABETH SOELISTIO WRITES – Thousands turned out in protest last month demanding the governor of Jakarta be locked up for allegedly insulting Islam. The governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, better known as Ahok, is in the middle of a tight reelection campaign that will finish in April. Voting results in the…
ELIZABETH SOELISTIO WRITES – The governor of Jakarta has once again caught the attention of the Indonesian media and public with his feisty and straightforward personality. In late October, Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama encouraged Thousand Island residents to vote for whomever leader they choose, regardless of their religious affiliation.…
ELIZABETH SOELISTIO WRITES – Whether it’s Indonesians living outside the country or foreigners in it, everyone’s supposed to follow the laws where they live. Seems simple, but things got confusing recently when the government said residents of Indonesia and its citizens abroad must both pay Indonesian taxes. In July, Parliament approved…
