Duncan Graham is an Australian journalist living in Malang, East Java.
It must be galling for Indonesian historians to see outsiders like Canadian Geoffrey Robinson poaching in their paddock with splendid success. Many locals fear to hunt themselves. If they beat the undergrowth too vigorously to flush out the events of 1965, they’re likely to be accused of fomenting strife or being painted as sympathisers of […]
They’re idealists working out of the center of Javanese arts, culture and education. They want to promote harmony, but are bumping into difficulties with the acceptance philosophy of their guru. The fourth President of Indonesia, the late Abdurrahman Wahid, was better known as Gus Dur. So his followers have dubbed themselves Gusdurians. Asian Currents teased […]
Are there any Australians left ignorant of Judge Brett Kavanagh and his successful scramble for a US Supreme Court seat? Or research psychologist Dr Christine Blasey Ford, his accuser of sexual assault at a last century teenage party? But who knows of Ustadz Haji Ma’ruf Amin, 75, seeking to be a heartbeat from Indonesia’s top […]
The tourism industry in Indonesia needs a re-think, keeping the needs of a variety of potential tourists front of mind, writes Duncan Graham As President Joko Widodo took office three years ago he faced the predicament of too many plans and not enough cash. Taxation in Indonesia has long been low and patchily applied. The […]
Australia is failing to broadcast its best television into Southeast Asia, a serious missed opportunity, argues Duncan Graham Most nations strive to show their best sides to the world through international TV channels, seen as effective means of building rapport and dispelling distrust. On these platforms they serve documentaries, dramas and newscasts made […]
The smartphone election Joko Widodo’s (Jokowi’s) inauguration as Indonesia’s seventh president this month, after trouncing the swaggering former Kopassus (Special Forces) commander Prabowo Subianto by a margin of 6 per cent in July, is an event of seismic significance, not just for the Republic but for all of us. It proves what’s possible and gives […]
