Mass protests and unrest in Indonesia are once again shaking Southeast Asia’s largest democracy. Rooted in economic inequality, misgovernance, and official indifference, today’s turmoil echoes the country’s turbulent history going back to 1965.
In this episode, Human Rights Watch senior researcher Andreas Harsono explains how severe economic hardships — including the “disappearance” of 10 million members of the middle class — fueled public anger that in recent days bubbled into the surface especially after the death of a gig driver in the hands of the police. The violence that erupted has resulted in death and mayhem and threatens to upend Indonesian society.
Andreas, also a longtime journalist, warns that what is happening in Indonesia is a cautionary tale for the Philippines, where similar problems of inequality, corruption, and weak governance persist. He offers three pieces of advice to Filipinos: learn from the mistakes of their past, repeal repressive laws, and improve media and journalism.
Carlos and Andreas unpack:
-- Why corruption and economic collapse triggered unrest in Indonesia
-- The historical parallels to Indonesia’s bloody past and the Philippines' own turbulent history
-- The human cost of losing a middle class
-- Why Filipinos should pay close attention
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