Foreign Liaison ─ author
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Cross Border
Democratic Transitions and the Might of the State
It has been almost two months since the 14th general elections that saw a change of government in Malaysia. The Pakatan Harapan coalition swept...
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Indonesia’s crackdown on LBGT rights is fueling an HIV epidemic, Human Rights group warns
(Originally published in Time) A new report by Human Rights Watch has found that persecution against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities in Indonesia -...
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Indonesia local elections sound warning for Widodo
(Originally published in Nikkei Asian Review) Unofficial results from Indonesia’s regional elections hint at declining support for President Joko Widodo, raising the prospect that he...
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Crowdsourcing Terror in Indonesia
(Originally published in East Asia Forum) In the wake of high-profile terrorist activities in Indonesia, social media’s role in violent extremism is once again under...
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Why Indonesia is so bad at lawmaking
(Originally published in The Economist) To mark the start of Ramadan, Sharp Indonesia, an offshoot of a Japanese electronics giant, hosted a press conference to...
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Will Indonesia bring Rohingya to Security Council?
(Original piece published in Jakarta Post) Observers and critics are hoping for Indonesia to maximize its position as a non-permanent member of the UN Security...
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Indonesia’s chance to advocate maritime security issues on the security council
(Original piece published in The Diplomat) Indonesia won its bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) by 144 votes from...
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Economic Pledges and Performance: Tracking Jokowi’s promises
I have the firmest convictions that that confidence cannot be secured by any other course than that of a frank and explicit declaration of...
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Indonesia’s “Third Generation” Terrorists: Jamaah Ansharut Daulah Networks and Mindanao
As Indonesia continues introspection on the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) bombings in Surabaya, it must not lose sight of the regional context in which...
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Indonesia assumes leadership in the pursuit of the Indo-Pacific dream
When a person having a meal bites off more than he can chew and swallows it, the upshot can be a bad case of...
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Let’s not lose sight of true victory
The momentous events of 9 May 2018 will be etched in the annals of history as one of those “where were you when it...
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Indonesia’s fuel price controls: Fueling concerns
One of the Jokowi administration’s major reform policies was the discontinuation of budget transfers to subsidise RON (Research Octane Number) 88 fuel consumption in...