Politics

What Happened: In January, Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo formally acknowledged 12 episodes of human rights violations committed by the government between 1965 and 2003, including the 1965-66 anti-communist purges, disappearances of democracy activists in 1997-98, and violence targeting ethnic Chinese in 1998. It was a rare move toward accountability in Southeast Asia, where governments are more likely to ignore past abuses. But rights activists argue Jokowi’s admission falls short of true justice – especially because there is no inclination to prosecute those responsible for the crimes.

Our Focus: “It’s not justice, but a pragmatic approach to provide some kind of so-called reconciliation with the victims, because Jokowi feels the judicial mechanism is not adequate,” Andreas Harsono of the advocacy group Human Rights Watch Indonesia said of the announcement. Notably, Jokowi did not address ongoing violations of rights in Papua, nor suggest penalizing those responsible for past and present rights abuses. Baskara Wardaya, director of the Center for History and Political Ethics at Sanata Dharma University in Yogyakarta, explained the need to tread cautiously: “Jokowi wants to make necessary reforms in Indonesian society in general, including the military. But he also knows the military is a very strong entity that cannot be dealt with carelessly. Any miscalculation could create disastrous repercussions.”

What Comes Next: The continued prominence of defense officials – including those implicated in past abuses – in Indonesian politics has rights activists skeptical about the potential for more progress. Jokowi’s long-time rival turned defense minister, Prabowo Subianto ­– an ex-special forces commander responsible for orchestrating the disappearances of pro-democracy activists in 1997-8 – is the frontrunner for the 2024 presidential election. Harsono warned that if Prabowo won the presidency, it would represent “another landmark for impunity in Indonesia.”

INTERVIEW

Robert Einhorn, a senior fellow in the Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Initiative and the Strobe Talbot Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology at the Brookings Institution, on the ramifications of a nuclear-armed South Korea for its alliance with the United States: “South Korea's acquisition of nuclear weapons would not necessarily mean the end of the U.S.-Republic of Korea mutual defense treaty. But the nature of the alliance would fundamentally change.”

Northeast Asia

Beijing and Washington continued to clash over the U.S. military’s downing of what the United States says was a surveillance balloon, and what China claims was a civilian weather balloon. The U.S. secretary of state canceled a trip to China to protest the incident, while Beijing is suggesting it may seek compensation for the destroyed balloon. The spat highlighted the lack of crisis management mechanisms in the tumultuous relationship.

South Asia

India’s largest conglomerate, Adani Group, lost over $110 billion in value last week after a report by a U.S. research firm alleged stock manipulation and other financial crimes. Adani has responded by accusing its critics of neocolonialism, suggesting than any criticism of the Indian giant is tantamount to an attack on India itself.

Southeast Asia

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) plans to bolster its patrols in the South China Sea in order to counter a steady stream of Chinese incursions into areas claimed by Manila. PCG chief Admiral Artemio Abu said this week that his force would deploy additional vessels and conduct more sorties and overflights of these areas in a bid to protect the nation’s maritime territory. The announcement comes after the Philippines agreed to grant the U.S. military access to four additional bases under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, in the latest sign of warming relations under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Central Asia

From well-known independent outlets to bloggers, Kyrgyzstan’s vibrant media are under increasing threat. RFE/RL has several court battles at hand as the government tries to shut them out entirely, and local outlets like Kloop have also come under pressure. Meanwhile, the country’s lawmakers mull additional laws to control the media space.

Satellite images of the Aral Sea from 1989 (left) and 2014 (right) drive home the extent of the ecological crisis still unfolding in the area.

Society

Vietnamese for “self-evolution,” meaning attempts to reform the Communist Party of Vietnam from within.

Video

Check out “This Week in Asia,” a short video recap of the week’s biggest Asia-Pacific news stories, every Friday. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for “This Week in Asia” and more Asia news video content.