Jokowi-Ma’ruf Administration's First Year Marred by Protests, a Recession, and a Pandemic

The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (KADIN) estimates that around 6 million Indonesians have been laid off or have their contract terminated.

Read also: Ranks of Jobless Expected to Swell to 11 Million in Indonesia

With the end of the pandemic nowhere in sight, more Indonesians will be out of work.

Indonesian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the country's economy and have often been the safety net during crises such as the 1998 Asian Financial Crisis and the 2007 Global Financial Crisis.

However, Indonesian SMEs were no match to the Covid-19 pandemic, and many employers forcibly slashed their employee numbers.

Read also: Sales of Indonesian SMEs Plunge by As Much As 60pct during Coronavirus Pandemic

Down goes democracy and freedom of expression

One of the main criticisms regularly mentioned is the rise of oligarchy during the Jokowi-Ma’ruf administration particularly concerning the dwindling down of democracy and respect to freedom of expression in Indonesia.

The Freedom House noted that there has been a decline in freedom of expression in the Southeast Asian nation.

The growing restrictions on speech have picked up steam and are evident in how officials react to people who criticize or protest the Indonesian government.

Read also: Indonesian Police Arrest 8 KAMI Activists for Role in Jobs Protests

Many experts find that democracy and freedom of speech have weakened during the first year of the Jokowi-Ma’ruf administration.

Moreover, individuals and groups critical of the government have been met with acts of terror, and authorities not only hack social media accounts, they openly arrest and withhold people under various charges.

The Commission for the Victims of Violence and Missing Persons reported nearly 157 incidents that violated democratic rights in the past year.

Most of the violations were on the right to gather (93 incidents), right to expression (60 incidents), and attacks on civil liberty (four incidents).