Reformasi Dispatch
Independent and lucid analysis of Indonesian politics, policymaking, justice, and economics featuring Kevin O’Rourke and Erin Cook. The podcasts incorporate exclusive interviews with experts and draws on content from the Reformasi Weekly reports, produced for subscribers since 2003.
Episodes
208 episodes
Episode 203
Reformasi Dispatch discusses: the Nadiem Makarim verdict and its effects on sentiment as well as procurement; the VP sweepstakes ahead of the 2029 scheduled election; the increasing urgency of kickstarting deliberations on a National Elections ...
Episode 202 (with Dédé Oetomo)
In this special Pride month episode of Reformasi Dispatch, Kevin and Erin talk to legendary LGBTQ activist Dédé Oetomo to talk about his activism work, the recent rise of homophobic attacks and his words for future activists.Watch the vi...
Episode 201
The students are back! And so is Reformasi Dispatch co-founder Jeff Hutton, who rejoins Erin and Kevin after his academic sojourn. He shares his impressions of Indonesia's latest generation of campus youth -- their views, changes ov...
Episode 200
After a precipitous drop in both the rupiah and the Indonesian Stock Index, Kevin and Erin round up the assorted moves implemented by the government to bolster confidence and restore stability (spoiler: there were none). Next, do a sudden...
Season 6 Episode 14
As the rupiah continues to slide, the government is exacerbating business sentiment by imposing an export marketing board for palm oil, coal and ferroalloys. Kevin and Erin discuss the background, implications, and outlook in the latest e...
Season 6 Episode 13
Manila awaits the fate of the Dutertes. Prabowo makes an impression in Cebu for Asean's Summit, militarily and sartorially. Amien Rais's claims of an "offside" relationship between Prabowo and Teddy sparks a backlash. The Police Reform Co...
Season 6 Episode 12
Indonesian politics this week featured mini-reshuffle of three cabinet & cabinet-level posts -- Kevin and Erin discuss the motives, consequences and who gained an advantage (spoiler: the Army). Also: a rail disaster, the start of the ...
Season 6 Episode 11 (with Wahyu Dyatmika)
Amid pressure on the freedom of expression in Indonesia, Reformasi Dispatch examines the dynamics with Wahyu Dyatmika, a director of the Tempo Media Group. Wahyu joins the pod to discuss attitudes in civil society and the media in the wak...
Season 6 Episode 10
An interruption in shipments of LPG, the ubiquitous cooking fuel in Indonesia, will likely cause shortages soon, with consequences for the image of the administration. And to safeguard petrol and diesel, Indonesia is moving towards ration...
Season 6 Episode 9
In this week's episode of the Reformasi Dispatch podcast on Indonesia - with an energy crunch looming, will the government hike fuel prices or ration subsidized petrol?Will LPG supplies hold out? And will discomforts prove particularly a...
Season 6 Episode 8
A military critic from the human rights group Kontras suffered a harrowing attack with acid that burned him badly. What does this portend for expression? In turn, police examined over 80 CCTV cameras and identified the suspected perpetrators - ...
Season 6 Episode 7
President Prabowo reacts to the US-Israel invasion of Iran -- offer to mediate, assembles luminaries including former presidents, and then sets 'ready alert' (siaga satu) status for the military. An array of groups and figures speak out a...
Season 6 Episode 6
This week in Indonesia - Erin & Kevin examine Indonesia's reciprocal trade agreement (ART) with the US; a slander case brewing against the popular satirist Pandji Pragiwaksono; and, further afield, Thailand's election and the growing popula...
Season 6 Episode 5 (with Iqbal Kholidin of Perludem)
Electoral changes and a possible move to amend the Constitution are topics that Iqbal Kholidin of the Center for Democracy (Perludem) discusses in this week's edition of the Reformasi Dispatch podcast on Indonesian politics. Erin and Kevi...
Season 6 Episode 4 (with Uday Bakhshi)
To examine Thailand's upcoming election, Uday Bakhshi of Apac Assistance joins the Reformasi Dispatch podcast and outlines the players, prospects and scenarios -- including the 8 February referendum on yet another Constitution. Also: Myan...
Season 6 Episode 3 (with Brandon Possin)
Kevin and Erin talk to former US diplomat Brandon Possin on Trump's invasion of Venezuela and what to expect of the administration. Also: Stand up comic and government critic Pandji Pragiwaksono could face a blasphemy charge for his...
Season 6 Episode 2 (with Iskandarsyah Bakri)
Joining the pod is Isanksarsyah Bakri, senior advisor to the Aceh governor, for a discussion of the livelihoods crisis facing the province after the 23 November Senyar Cyclone devastated half of Aceh's districts. Also: Erin and Kevin look...
Season 6 Episode 1 (with Burhanuddin Muhtadi and Maria Monica Wihardja)
Burhanuddin Muhtadi of the polling firm Indikator politik, together with Monica Wihardja of ISEAS, join the pod to discuss their empirical analysis of disinformation mesaging in the 2024 Presidential contest. Spoiler: Beware of TikTok. Pak Burh...
Season 5 Episode 40 (with Dr. Chris Chaplin)
Dr Chris Chaplin joins the pod to discuss the latest in politics, and the background to his new analytical endeavor, www.cearta.co. Also: police appointments, electoral law revisions and international cyclone aid.
Season 5 Episode 39 (with Garda Ramadhito)
Kevin and Erin talk with researcher Garda Ramadhito on Prabowo's Palestine peace-keeping plans and political Islam in his term. Also, the political and environmental reckoning in Sumatra's devastating flooding and the KPK takes a look at its ow...
Season 5 Episode 38
A week of superlatives for Indonesia - the tragic Senyar cyclone is the largest on record to hit Indonesia; a tax bribery case is affecting a key owner of the most profitable bank, BCA; a leadership struggle has incapacitated the largest Islami...
Season 5 Episode 37 (with Matt Busch)
Kevin talks to Matt Busch on his new book "The Contested State: The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency during the Asian Financial Crisis."
Season 5 Episode 36
Joining the pod is Dr Seth Soderborg to discuss polling trends in Indonesia. Also discussed: Soeharto's annointment as hero, the outlook for the new Police Reform Commission, improved BI foreign reserves, an Australian Defence Treaty and ...