Articles by: "John McBeth"
Coronavirus: the grim view from Indonesia

Like the end-of-the-world scenario from Nevil Shute’s futuristic novel On the beach, a feeling of impending desolation seems to hang over Indonesia as it waits for what health experts fear may be a slowly-ticking coronavirus …

Can Widodo stop Indonesia’s increasing Islamisation?

Joko Widodo’s campaign to turn back the rising tide of Islamisation in Indonesia may become the dominant preoccupation of his second five-year term as president, overshadowing his far-reaching infrastructure program and perhaps even efforts to …

Massacre a sign of increased trouble in Papua

The Indonesian government’s long and difficult task of developing Papua just got a lot harder after Free Papua Movement (OPM) rebels slaughtered at least 16 construction workers who were building a 4,320-kilometre highway that will …

SBY’s dynastic ambitions

Rather than assuming the mantle of a distinguished elder statesman, former Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has done himself considerable harm by mixing religion and populism in an unsuccessful effort to create a political dynasty. …

Jokowi and the General

After the debacle over Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) commander General Gatot Nurmantyo’s short-lived unilateral suspension of military co-operation with Australia, can President Joko Widodo afford to let his military chief serve through until his mandatory …