Event｜Indonesian Elections: Democracy at the Crossroads After 25 Years of Reformasi

Event Date: February 21, 2024 

Event Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM 

Registration Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekgtuR36a4DQHxSr952d3k2UZ0V3n4IXDhqc3S7cLI1tSNgw/viewform?usp=sf_link 

The Asia Citizen Future Association (ACFA), in collaboration with the Taiwan Association for Human Rights and Judicial Reform Foundation, jointly formed Taiwan's civil society delegates (hereafter, the Delegates)and visited Jakarta, Indonesia in December 2023. During the visit, the ACFA collaborated with the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) to organize a report launch and forum titled ‘Exploring Taiwan’s Role Amid the Crisis of Closing Civic Space’. Furthermore, the Delegates enhanced the mutual understanding between Taiwan and Indonesia’s civil society, and fostered direct dialogues on how to tackle the crisis of closing civic space among Southeast Asia.

In February 2024, coinciding with the Indonesian general elections, the world's largest single-day election event, voters cast their ballots for the President, Vice President, members of the Parliament, and local representatives. One of the candidates in this election is the incumbent Minister of Defense, Prabowo Subianto, who was the son-in-law of the former Indonesian President Suharto. Prabowo has been implicated in numerous human rights violations during the authoritarian New Order era. Prabowo is running alongside Jokowi's (Joko Widodo) son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka. In October 2023, the Indonesian Constitutional Court, led by Jokowi's relative, Chief Justice Anwar Usman, ruled that individuals under 40 who had previously served as elected local leaders or representatives could run for President or Vice President. This decision was seen as facilitating Gibran's candidacy, aiming to continue Jokowi's political dynasty and sparked considerable controversy.

The Asia Citizen Future Association will host a forum on February 21, 2024 titled "Exploring the Indonesian Elections: Democracy at the Crossroads After 25 Years of Reformasi." Representatives from the Taiwan Association for Human Rights, Judicial Reform Foundation, Indonesian CSO, Human Rights Working Group, and an Indonesian scholar will collectively discuss the current state of Indonesia's civil society and the crucial impact of the 2024 Indonesian presidential election on the region, Indonesian civil society, and democracy in Indonesia