Usman Hamid - 20 Years After Soeharto
Two decades after the fall of Suharto, the nature of Indonesian democracy and the trajectory of political reform remain a matter of animated debate in Indonesia and abroad. Undeniably, fundamental change has taken place since the end of Soeharto's authoritarian New Order regime. By the same token, the continued prominence of political and business figures who rose to the prominence during the New Order is just one reminder that the long shadow of the Suharto era has never entirely lifted. What have been the key achievements of the reform movement that toppled Suharto, what are the key obstacles to further reform, and what lies ahead for Indonesia over the next ten years? Dr Dave McRae explores these issues with Usman Hamid, Director of Amnesty International Indonesia and one of Indonesia's most senior human rights activists. Among his many previous roles, Usman has previously also served as coordinator of Kontras, the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, and in 2012 co-founded the Indonesian branch of online petition platform change.org In 2018, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne's Asia Institute, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Dr Charlotte Setijadi from the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore and Dr Dirk Tomsa from La Trobe University.