Indonesia at the Crossroads

By 2030 Indonesia’s population will be the world's fourth largest, with 295 million people, and by some estimates it will be the world’s fourth largest economy by 2040. The skyscrapers and glitzy shopping malls of Jakarta belie that city’s huge disparities, where a fifth of its people still live without power. In 2014 Joko Widodo won the Indonesian election on the popular vote, giving hope of fair and impartial leadership to an emerging democracy still beset with endemic corruption. He has since struggled to live up to these expectations, and his approval rating has predictably suffered. So where does Indonesia’s future lie? What role will a larger, wealthier Indonesia play in Southeast Asia and the world? How will Australia relate to a neighbour it struggles to get along with, and can the country’s political system match the aspirations of the people? This public forum brings three experts together to reflect on the future of Australia’s northern neighbour: - Dr Dirk Tomsa (Senior Lecturer, La Trobe University) - Dr Dave McRae (Senior Research Fellow, Asia Institute, University of Melbourne) - Dr Bec Strating (Lecturer, La Trobe University) - Chair: Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) Part of the Asia: The Next Chapter event series from La Trobe University. Recorded in front of a live audience on 7th July, 2016.