The late 1990s marked a massive wave of change across Indonésie. The situation in 1998 was catastrophic. The Asian economic crisis, which triggered the collapse of the Indonesian rupiah, international economic pressure, and the thirty-three-year reign of Suharto mobilized the crowds.

The Return of Democracy to Indonésie

In May 1998, violent riots erupted in Jakarta and several Indonesian cities. The primary targets of these waves of interethnic and inter-religious violence were the Chinese community in Indonésie and Christians. They claimed more than 1,200 lives and ignited a powder keg.

Students and intellectuals took to the streets to protest against Suharto and demand his removal from power. The movement grew to such proportions that the dictator found no choice but to yield to the wishes of Indonesians. He ultimately resigned in favor of his vice-president B.J. Habibie, who took his place and set about restoring democracy to Indonésie.

He freed the press and invited political parties to present themselves to government. In 1999, the country saw the establishment of the first democratic elections since 1955. The transition was peaceful, and all parties were now able to express themselves.

The new assembly elected Gus Dur. However, he failed to meet his political commitments and became involved in several corruption cases. He was ultimately removed in favor of Megawati Sukarnoputri, daughter of the former president Sukarno and Indonésie's first female president.

Unfortunately, she failed to achieve her objectives, and in the 2004 elections, the people preferred the candidacy of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, nicknamed SBY.

Current Challenges for the Indonesian Government

The presidencies of Megawati and SBY suffered from numerous political and religious upheavals. Many separatist movements erupted in several regions of Indonésie. In particular, Aceh and West Papua demanded their independence and took up arms against Indonesian forces. In the Moluccas, numerous confrontations between Christians and Muslims broke out, and peaceful relations between the two religious communities began to deteriorate.

The rise of Islamist and extremist ideologies did not go without consequence. Thus, the terrorist attacks that struck Bali in 2002 and 2005 remain deeply etched in collective memory…. And were unfortunately followed by new attacks in other regions in the years to come.

Since 2014, the current president of Indonésie is Joko Widodo. Today, his government faces numerous social, economic, political, and environmental challenges. Reducing social inequality, fighting poverty, reviving a slowed economy, and educating Indonesian youth are just a few examples.

Ultimately, Indonésie still has a long way to go before it can achieve all its objectives and aspire to the title of model nation. This story is one to follow closely!