Indonesians have chosen Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo as their next president, despite his history as a general credibly accused of human rights abuses and war crimes and concerns he could hasten democratic erosion during his tenure.
It’s partly a function of the importance of social cohesion in the country, according to Parker Novak, a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council, but it also helps leaders “neutralize political opponents and progressively build a power base,” he told Vox.
As a general, he allegedly participated in massacres in East Timor; the kidnapping and “disappearing” of democracy activists; the targeting of ethnic Chinese Indonesians in campaigns of murder, arson, and rape; and the killings of civilians in the provinces of Aceh and West Papua.
This time, however, Prabowo has embraced the image of a jocular, grandfatherly figure during the present campaign — dancing awkwardly in TikTok videos and paying diplomatic visits to and complimenting his political rivals.
But even if Prabowo ends up hastening Indonesia’s democratic backsliding, that does not mean Indonesian society will put up with it; popular protests are part of what eventually brought down Suharto.
And a vibrant, vocal, and durable civil society has been protesting and pushing back against undemocratic legislation in recent years, such as the proposed law prohibiting premarital sex.
The original article contains 1,425 words, the summary contains 212 words. Saved 85%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!