Indonesia’s Reform era (Reformasi) commenced in 1998 with the resignation of President Soeharto, ending more than three decades of authoritarian rule. His resignation followed a week of widespread civil unrest amid the economic turmoil caused by the Asian financial crisis. More than two decades after the Reform era began, Indonesia still struggles with familiar political pathologies: excessive centralisation, uneven development, strained centre-periphery relations, entrenched oligarchic power and weak mechanisms of accountability.
Category: Politics
Singapore’s Lawrence Wong Visits Indonesia for Leaders’ Retreat
Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong paid an official visit to Indonesia’s capital on July 6 for the Indonesia-Singapore Leaders’ Retreat, meeting Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at Merdeka Palace.
Cambodia Lodges Protest over Thai Border Encroachment
The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) issued a formal protest directed against the commander of the Royal Thai Army, who heads the Thailand contingent of the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT), on July 2.
Separatists Burn Plane, Kill US Pilot in Indonesia’s Papua Highland
The US Associated Mission Aviation (AMA) pilot was murdered by a Papuan separatist group on July 2. Indonesian authorities confirmed that an armed criminal group (KKB) connected to the separatist movement was responsible for burning a missionary aircraft and fatally killing its American pilot in Yahukimo district, Papua Highlands.
Myanmar’s President Tours Laos for New Deals amid Growing ASEAN Scepticism
Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing paid a state visit to Vientiane from July 3 to 5, commencing his first series of official visits to an ASEAN member state. The visit was made at the invitation of Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith and coincided with the commemoration of 70 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Belarus and Indonesia Launch 5‑year Cooperation Roadmap
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko commenced his two-day visit to Jakarta on July 1 to meet his Indonesian counterpart, President Prabowo Subianto. The trip was a return call following President Prabowo’s trip to Minsk in July 2025 and marked the first Belarusian presidential visit to the archipelago in 13 years.
Myanmar Shuts Door on ASEAN Envoy Visiting Aung San Suu Kyi
The Myanmar government has rejected the request made by ASEAN’s special envoy and Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro to meet with detained former leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, on June 30. Myanmar presidential spokeswoman Dauw Khaing Khaing Soe stated that San Suu Kyi is currently serving a sentence. Access, she maintained, will only be granted by the government once Suu Kyi has “finished serving her sentence.”
Men in Uniform: How Indonesia’s Security Apparatus Creep Back into Civilian Life
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Timor‑Leste Parliament Ratifies ASEAN Resolutions
The National Parliament of Timor-Leste ratified two new draft resolutions on June 29, aiming to ease the standardised domestic regulations to those of ASEAN. The new legislation was introduced during an ordinary plenary session witnessed by Vice Minister for ASEAN Affairs, Milena Rangel.
Philippine President Pours Millions into Aid for Conflict‑Prone South
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited Maimbung in Sulu province on June 29 to inaugurate the new Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) 9B headquarters and witness the ceremonial surrender of former militia members.