Reformasi Dispatch

Send us a textPresident Widodo and Prabowo Subianto need no longer contend with restiveness from Indonesia's second-largest party: Golkar Chair Airlangga Hartarto sensationally resigned and his replacement will be the Widodo-Prabowo loyalist Bahlil Lahadahlia. Kevin and Erin discuss the implications for democratization (spoiler: not good) and, specifically, regional-head races (not good either).  For Jakarta's race, the maneuvering will exclude incumbent Gov Anies Baswedan, ensuring the election of Ridwan Kamil as the only party-backed nominee on the ballot - and we examine comparable dynamics in several other provinces.  But, if Widodo emerges as chair of Golkar Advisory Board that has expanded powers, how will that function in practice?  Indonesia's attempt at a duumvirate inevitably entails inherent tensions.  Also: the attempted comeback of the Constitutional Court's former chief justice, Anwar Usman; the abrupt resignation of a key Information Ministry official; and, in Thailand, the ouster of Prime Minister Sretta and his replacement with Paetongtarn (Ung Ing) Shinawatra.  Finally: an interview on human trafficking with the Airlangga University PhD candidate in labor migration studies, Aniello Iannone.  We discuss the dimensions and dynamics of illegal trafficking (TPPO) in Indonesia, domestically and internationally, including the mechanisms of agents operating at the community level - and how certain civil-society organizations are striving to safeguard victims, including children.For a free trial of Reformasi newsletter, go to reformasi.infoRead Erin's newsletter Dari Mulut Ke Mulut here: https://darimulut.beehiiv.com/

Send us a textThis week, Southeast Asia's politics witnessed the dissolution of Thailand's most popular party (again), and strides in Indonesia's regional‑head elections to thwart the administration's rivals -- in which case, ballots in November may literally feature empty boxes for voters' only alternative to a nominee of a hegemonic alliance.  Also: Erin and Kevin discuss Sheikh Hasina's downfall in Dhaka, as well as a breakthrough Indonesian health reform and latest developments on the Nusantara capital project.For a free trial of Reformasi newsletter, go to reformasi.infoRead Erin's newsletter Dari Mulut Ke Mulut here: https://darimulut.beehiiv.com/

Send us a textIndonesia's president-elect set a distinctive tone by making visits to France, Serbia, Turkey and Russia.  Kevin and Erin examine some takeaways (more on the Kremlin call in the next pod.)  Meanwhile, President Widodo breaks in the Nusantara Palace and hosts influencers.  Also: the Asean foreign ministers' retreat in Laos and a grotesque verdict for a grotesque crime in Surabaya.For a free trial of Reformasi newsletter, go to reformasi.infoRead Erin's newsletter Dari Mulut Ke Mulut here: https://darimulut.beehiiv.com/

Send us a textThe passing of the Communist Party's general secretary has the makings of a watershed for modern Vietnam - yet the public domain is distinctly unruffled.  To talk through the reactions and implications of the unfolding transition, we reach out to the writer and podcaster of Vietnam Weekly, Mike Tatarski.  Spoiler: unknowns abound.  And in Indonesia: Erin and Kevin consider a bevy of Prabowo-oriented appointments, the military's yen for business and the pitfalls of zoomorphic forms in palace architecture.For a free trial of Reformasi newsletter, go to reformasi.infoRead Erin's newsletter Dari Mulut Ke Mulut here: https://darimulut.beehiiv.com/To read about Vietnam Weekly, go here: https://vietnamweekly.substack.com/

Send us a textIn a special 1-hr interview, Reformasi Dispatch consults the Indonesian polling expert, Dr Seth Soderberg, on a new batch of survey findings for gubernatorial contests in five major provinces.  With contests taking place in over 570 regions simultaneously, the 27 November elections pose a momentous juncture for shaping Indonesia's political future.  With new data from Indikator Politik and Kompas, we examine the context and conditions for the jockeying and campaigning that lies ahead.  This includes prospects for Anies Baswedan, Ridwan Kamil, Bobby Nasution, Airin Diany and the firebrand upstart Basuki Purnama ('Ahok') -- along with some of the possible permutations of party alliances.  And finally: weighing the prospects for the president's younger son Kaesang Pangarep.

Send us a textCurious circumstances surround June's hack of a national data center (PDNS II) and Nenden of Safenet, a premier CSO on online rights, joins the pod to help de-encrypt.  We discuss the safety protocols, the hackers' demands and where accountability lies.  Also: Erin and Kevin examine a momentous change at the top of the General Election Commission (KPU) and the implications for the president's younger son.  And finally: the president-elect's brother-in-law weighs in on building new capitals versus disbursing free lunches. For a free trial of Reformasi newsletter, go to reformasi.infoRead Erin's newsletter Dari Mulut Ke Mulut here: https://darimulut.beehiiv.com/

Send us a textFor a comprehensive overview of the dynamics unfolding in Myanmar, Erin and Kevin consult Apac Assistance analyst Ragyeshri Sudaroli, who underscores the imperative for expanding humanitarian assistance as violence displaces three million Myanmarese and counting.  On Indonesia, the pod examines the odd willingness of hackers to unlock ransomed government data - supposedly for free.  Also: a proposal for anti-dumping tariffs on consumer goods from China, Prabowo's leg surgery and the sinking of the Electoral Commission (KPU) to yet another new low.For a free trial of Reformasi newsletter, go to reformasi.infoRead Erin's newsletter Dari Mulut Ke Mulut here: https://darimulut.beehiiv.com/

Send us a textThai politics and contingencies across its Myanmar border are among the topics discussed in our latest podcast with Kasit Piromya, a longstanding activist with ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) and a former foreign minister of Thailand.  Khun Kasit has also served as Thailand's ambassador to over half-a-dozen countries, including the US, Germany, Japan and Russia.  He provides an update on the search for political consensus in Thailand and the implications for Thailand's stance on the ongoing Myanmar crisis.  He anticipates scenarios and issues a call for Indonesia to heed.  Also in this episode: Erin and Kevin discuss the political divide in Manila, the election maneuvering in Jakarta, and a Prabowo media overture in America.Read Erin's newsletter Dari Mulut Ke Mulut here: https://darimulut.beehiiv.com/For a free trial of Reformasi newsletter, go to reformasi.info

Send us a textThe health consequences of suspended particles in Jakarta's air -- and safeguards applicable indoors -- come under scrutiny in this episode's interview with Piotr Jakubowski of Nafas, a provider of indoor air-quality monitoring and purifying.  Piotr explains the terms, trends and dynamics of air pollution -- while disclosing the results of an air test done in a quintessentially smokey Senopati bar.  Also: Kevin and Erin delve into the workings of Jakarta's gubernatorial election, cases embroiling Megawati's top lieutenant and signs of complications arising in the Nusantara Capital (IKN) project.Read Erin's newsletter Dari Mulut Ke Mulut here: https://darimulut.beehiiv.com/For a free trial of Reformasi newsletter, go to reformasi.info

Send us a textThe Reformasi Dispatch podcast delves into turbulence in Thai politics with the director of the Regional Centre for Human Rights Studies at Isan's Ubon Ratchathani University.  Amid charges against Thaksin, a move to dissolve Move Forward and hunger strikes by political prisoners, Titipon estimates what might lie ahead, proximately and longer term.  And in Indonesian politics, Erin and Kevin review cabinet rumors and new policies on halal import certification and coal-mining licenses for religious organizations - as well as how the president and president-elect still remain 'in sync'.Read Erin's newsletter Dari Mulut Ke Mulut here: https://darimulut.beehiiv.com/