JESSICA LEGASPI WRITES — Indonesian President Joko (‘Jokowi’) Widodo and Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Indonesia’s Environment and Forestry Minister established a new approach to effectively elicit environmental change. Palm oil companies found responsible for clearing land through illegal burning will now be prosecuted. After Korindo, a South Korean palm oil company,…
Full Article INDONESIA: PRESIDENT JOKOWI FEELS THE BURN
Asia Media International Founder Tom Plate writes in his syndicated column: History never comes to a halt but snakes its way into the future as it wishes – often in unexpected and sometimes tragic ways. Whether via revolution or counter-revolution, any abrupt change in citizen participation and political structure will…
Full Article SOUTHEAST ASIA: UPTICKS AND DOWNDRAFTS
ASIA MEDIA STAFF WRITES – Congratulations are in order for Joko Widodo, the governor of the massive metropolis of Jakarta. After an arduous nationwide campaign against a tough, determined and extremely well-financed opponent, this personally modest but overly reformist former furniture salesman won by a margin of four-to-five percentage points. In…
Full Article Congratulations to Indonesia
Editor’s Note: On 27 June, we published the following analysis of the very important nationwide elections in Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous nation – and a secular democracy with more Muslim citizens (by far) than any other country. Our analysis concluded with an endorsement for president in that contest.…
Full Article Asia Media and the Indonesian Presidential Election