Crisis Chronology | Indonesia

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INDONESIA

12/13/2023

Indonesia’s first presidential debate between Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, former Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, and former governor of Jakarta Anies Baswedan. The election is 2/14/24.

11/16/2023

US and Indonesia expand defense cooperation, starting with cyber and space vulnerabilities.

01/10/2023

The Corruption Eradication Commission arrests Governor of Papua Lukas Enembe as part of an investigation into corruption in the region's infrastructure development.

12/06/2022

Legislature passes revised criminal code that, among other things, makes it a crime to have sex and cohabitation outside of marriage, and to “defame” the government or its leaders. It will come into force in three years. It also prohibits dissemination of ideas opposed to Indonesia's state ideology, known as "Pancasila," and restricts religious expression.

10/02/2022

More than 125 are killed after police fire tear gas to stop a riot after a soccer game. Most are trampled to death trying to leave the stadium. Widodo orders an investigation. It is the worst sports tragedy in history.

06/16/2022

Controversy over proposed revision, called Kitab Undang-undang Hukum Pidana or KUHP, of the criminal code. Some have said that it could be used against women and minorities. However, while revisions to the proposed code have been made, not all of them have been made public. The current criminal code, which dates back to 1918 during the Dutch colonial period, was codified and unified in 1946 following Indonesian independence. It is based on the civil law system and is a mix of Dutch law, customary law known as hukum adat, and modern Indonesian law.

04/22/2022

Government bans the export of palm oil, the most used oil in the world, after domestic prices skyrocket. The interdiction is expected to last only until the country restocks its own supplies.

04/12/2022

Widodo remains popular and has denied that he would delay the election, but skepticism remains. Indonesia limits presidents to two terms.

04/12/2022

Substantial student protests against rising food prices and rumors that Widodo will delay elections scheduled for 2024.

01/17/2022

Government says that the new name for the capital will be Nusantara (a word that means “outer islands,” that is, outer from Java), a term used to describe the Indonesian archipelago. In 4/17, Widodo proposed creating a new capital to replace Jakarta, on Java. In 4/19, a ten-year plan was announced for the move, and in 8/19, Widodo said the new capital would be in Kalimantan. Jakarta is rapidly sinking, primarily due to ground water extraction, and is predicted to be submerged by 2050.

07/01/2021

Government imposes new restrictions as delta variant of COVID-19 causes spike in new cases.

06/29/2021

Red Cross warns of a catastrophe coming as COVID-19 cases overwhelm hospitals. Little availability of vaccines.

12/09/2020

Local and regional elections, delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

11/15/2020

Fifteen Asia-Pacific nations sign the world's largest free-trade agreement, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership in Vietnam. It replaces the Trans-Pacific Partnership, from which the US withdrew the United States in early 2017. The countries are: Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.

11/05/2020

Indonesia falls into recession due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

10/08/2020

Protests continue. Hundreds are arrested.

10/08/2020

Indonesia reports a record number of new cases of COVID-19.

10/07/2020

Very large protests against the new economic law.

10/05/2020

Parliament passes a law that relaxes environmental and labor safety restrictions with the aim of making foreign investment easier.

09/28/2020

Vanuata PM Bob Loughman accuses Indonesia of ignoring human rights violations in West Papua. Indonesia says Vanuata should follow UN protocol of abstaining from interfering with another country’s internal affairs.

09/09/2020

Indonesia reports its highest number of COVID-19 cases in a single day. The Jakarta government has restricted movement except for essential workers.

08/20/2020

COVID-19 pandemic is rampant. Testing is minimal and accurate count of the infection and death rates is highly difficult.

07/19/2020

Indonesia reports its highest one-day increase in COVID-19 deaths. It has nearly 90,000 cases more than 4300 deaths.

06/17/2020

Court sentences Chairman of the National Committee for West Papua Buchtar Tabuni and six others to prison for treason. They were involved in protests against racism in West New Guinea (also called West Papua) in 8/20.

03/22/2020

Bali confirms three cases of COVID-19, only one of which is a native to the island. Testing, however, has been minimal and results slow.

03/11/2020

Indonesia confirms its first case of COVID-19.

12/05/2019

Thirty-four people are arrested for treason for displaying the Morning Star flag, an insignia of West Papuan independence.

10/23/2019

Widodo appoints election opponent Prabowo Subianto to be Defense Minister. After student protests in recent past weeks about a new criminal law, Widodo re-appoints controversial Justice Minister Yasonna Laoly. Both moves are seen as Widodo’s willingness to backtrack on human rights policies in order to maintain his majority in parliament. He has also stripped the Anti-Corruption Commission of much of its power and supported legislation that would curtail human rights.

09/30/2019

Students protest always that would cripple anti-corruption Commission and limit abortion and prohibit sex outside of marriage, which would criminalize homosexuality. It would also strengthen laws on blasphemy and treason and criminalize criticizing the president.

09/30/2019

Widespread protests about legislative issues continue and grow. One measure that was put on hold in the recently ended parliament would outla abortion and prohibit sex outside of marriage (between a man and a woman). A law already passed limits the power of the Corruption Eradication Commission, which has been thought generally effective, but many lawmakers are afraid they will come under its investigations Widodo is being widely criticized for advocating these laws.

09/30/2019

Prime Minister Charlot Salwai at the UN calls for action on West Papua. Indonesia says there is no need for international action.

09/24/2019

Violent protests in Papua kill at least thirty people, protestors and some police, as protestors burn government buildings. The unrest, mainly by high school students, was provoked by allegations that a high school teacher made racist comments, but police dispute this. Many of the dead were economic migrants in service jobs. These migrants from Java, South Sulawesi and the Moluccas islands dominate the economy and provoke the native Papuans, who say they are discriminated against.

09/24/2019

Widespread fires in Indonesia causing toxic haze to blanket large regions of the country, especially in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

09/02/2019

Government cracks down separatists in Papua.

08/26/2019

Widodo announces a plan to build a new capital city on Borneo to replace Jakarta, which is overcrowded and sinking and considered one of the worst cities in the world.

08/21/2019

Government sends more troops to West Papua as protests by students in Surabaya in East Java become increasingly militant. They are calling for self-determination for the region.

05/21/2019

Widodo re-elected

In an early release of results, Widodo is declared the winner of the election with 55% of the vote. Prabowo rejects the results and says he will pursue legal options.

04/17/2019

General election. The campaign has largely been about religion, as Subianto has run on a strongly conservative Muslim advocacy, reflecting an increase in Salafist Indonesians.

04/16/2019

Early returns show Widodo in the lead.

04/14/2019

General elections

04/09/2019

Many Indonesians, disappointed in Widodo, unsure about whether they will vote. Widodo again faces General Subianto in 4/17 elections.

03/04/2019

Indonesia signs free trade agreement with Australia.

12/02/2018

Islamists organize large rally in opposition to Widodo. Former general and ultranationalist and Islamist Parabowo Subianto is running against Widodo in the 4/19 election. In general, conservative Muslims are gaining political strength in Indonesia.

08/21/2018

Matathir cancels two large projects with China.

08/09/2018

Widodo chooses Muslim leader Ma’ruf Amin as vice-presidential candidate. Amin is seen as a promoting discrimination against non-Sunni Muslims.

06/22/2018

Muslim leader Aman Aburrahman sentenced to death for 2016 terrorist attack.

01/25/2018

Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand agree to share information about terrorism, an unusual sign of mutual cooperation, in a program named “Our Eyes.”

12/05/2017

Despite stated agreements to negotiate access to islands in the South China Sea, China continues to build up its forces there.

10/29/2017

Two court rulings seemingly at odds with the facts presented roil Indonesia. One involves a Canadian teacher accused of sexual molestation, which is denied by the teacher and the school. The other cleared the speaker of the House of Representatives and chairman of Golkar, who had been accused of corruption by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) with substantive evidence.