Mr Max Walden



Wilson_Ian

Indonesia’s Transition to Democracy, Civil Society and Islam

Max Walden is a PhD Candidate with the Asian Law Centre at Melbourne Law School, under the supervision of Professor Susan Kneebone, Professor Tim Lindsey and Dr Antje Missbach. His thesis analyses the role of civil society organisations in bridging a gap in rights and services for refugees and asylum seekers in Indonesia. Max also works as a journalist with ABC News and is the editor of the Melbourne School of Government’s Election Watch blog.

Indonesia’s Transition to Democracy, Civil Society and Islam

This paper provides a brief history of Indonesia’s transition to democracy from the authoritarian New Order regime of Soeharto to the present, with an emphasis on the role of civil society in this process. Indonesia’s dramatic transition from a highly centralised authoritarian regime to become the strongest electoral democracy in its region means it “occupies a special place in Southeast Asian studies” (Mundayat et al, 2009). Islamic civil society groups had played a significant role in the fall of Soeharto and the push for democratisation, however since 1998 scholars have observed the emergence of ‘uncivil’ society – namely hardline Muslim groups – and their growing influence over mainstream politics. Optimism about Indonesia’s democratic progress has faded in recent years, with many observing stagnation and even regression under President Joko Widodo.