16 April 2019
- RSIS
- Media Mentions
- The Big Read: Religion, Fake News Take Centre Stage as Divided Indonesia Goes to the Polls
The Big Read: Religion, Fake News Take Centre Stage as Divided Indonesia Goes to the Polls
Amid increasing religious polarisation, Indonesians are going to the voting booths more divided than ever, experts say. Dr Alexander Arifianto, a research fellow at the Singapore-based RSIS, who studies Indonesian politics, said that identity politics is coming to the fore in this year’s elections, deepening the polarisation and division. “What you have now are two camps – the conservative Muslims and the progressive Muslims as well as non-Muslims. There is an ‘us versus them mentality’.” He added that incumbent president Mr Joko Widodo’s messaging on economic issues such as cost of living does not seem to resonate with the poor, most of whom have little or no education at all.
IDSS / Online
Last updated on 16/04/2019
