Indonesia’s Democratic Reform: Challenges and Achievements 13 Years Later
As Egypt and other countries begin a momentous transition to democracy, analysts and policymakers have suggested that Indonesia, with the world’s largest Muslim population and the third largest democracy in the world, might offer some lessons learned from their own reform process. Indonesian reform began in 1998 with the unseating of its own 30 year authoritarian regime, and has since gone on to implement a wide range of constitutional and institutional reforms. Activists and intellectuals in Indonesia are concerned, 13 years later, that some of those reforms might have stagnated or even regressed. Our speakers will address the state of reform in Indonesia with special attention to the role of Muslim organizations in the reform process. Mr. Bayuni will present an Indonesian Reform Report Card while Dr. Bush will describe Indonesia’s Muslim Mass-Based Organizations’ Role in Reform – Then and Now.
Speakers:
Dr. Robin Bush
Country Representative for Indonesia, Asia Foundation
Mr. Endy Bayuni
Senior Editor, The Jakarta Post and Visiting Fellow at the East-West Center in Washington
Moderator:
Ambassador J. Stapleton Roy
Former US Ambassador to Indonesia and Asia Foundation Trustee
Dr. Robin Bush is The Asia Foundation’s Country Representative in Indonesia, where she directs the Foundation’s governance, civil society, democracy, economic and business policy reform programs. Previously, Dr. Bush was the Foundation’s Deputy Country Representative in Indonesia and Regional Director for Islam and Development, responsible for assisting Foundation offices Asia-wide in developing a range of programs, implemented in collaboration with Muslim organizations. Dr. Bush has been with the Foundation since 1998 and has lived in Indonesia for over 20 years. She is the author of the book Nahdlatul Ulama and the Struggle for Power within Islam and Politics in Indonesia, recently published by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies press. She holds an MA in International Studies from Ohio University and a PhD in political science from the University of Washington.
Mr. Endy Bayuni is a Visiting Fellow at the East-West Center in Washington and formerly Editor-in-Chief of The Jakarta Post. Mr. Bayuni writes regular and widely read columns in the newspaper commenting on the Indonesian domestic politics, including political Islam and foreign policy conduct. He has been with the Jakarta Post since 1991 and served in various positions, including production manager/night editor, national editor, managing editor and deputy chief editor. Mr. Bayuni was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University in 2003/4 and a Jefferson Fellow at the East West Center in the fall of 1999. He has a B.A. in economics which he received from Kingston University in Surrey, UK.
Ambassador J. Stapleton Roy is Director, Kissinger Institute on China and the United States at the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars. He is a three-time ambassador, serving as the top U.S. envoy in Singapore, the People’s Republic of China, and Indonesia and is an Asia Foundation Trustee Emeritus.
A light breakfast will be served.
As seating is limited, please RSVP by Thursday March 31st, to Norris Thigpen at nthigpen@asiafound-dc.org or call at 202-588-9420. Please include your name, title, affiliation, and contact details.