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PODCAST

Reformasi Dispatch

On The Level Media

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.

news politics

All Episodes

36:50

Season 6 Episode 11 (with Wahyu Dyatmika)

Reformasi Dispatch ·

2026/04/17

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 wake of the acid attack on Andrie Yunus, including whether self-censorship is becoming more prevalent in the media. Wahyu, Erin and Kevin also discuss institutional rivalries that the acid attack exposed, as well as potential fallout ahead from the g...

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43:27

Season 6 Episode 10

Reformasi Dispatch ·

2026/04/08

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 rationing and even greater use of biodiesel. Meanwhile, Tempo has produced revelations about how the acid attack on Andrie Yunus unfolded -- with signs of an institutional approach and broad targets. And Kevin and Erin discuss a consortium poll on...

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38:15

Season 6 Episode 9

Reformasi Dispatch ·

2026/03/29

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 awkward politically, given Prabowo's membership on the Board of Peace? Also: How energy shortages are manifesting in regional neighbours. In policy developments, a draft decree in lieu of law (Perppu) would focus on economic crimes. And the military ousted the...

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38:46

Season 6 Episode 8

Reformasi Dispatch ·

2026/03/21

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 - officers from military intelligence. Does this reflect rivalries between elements of the state apparatus? Also: How ASEAN states are reacting and adapting to the war on Iran, including geopolitics as well as energy disruptions. Prabowo called for 100 Gi...

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47:50

Season 6 Episode 7

Reformasi Dispatch ·

2026/03/11

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 against Prabowo's alignment with the US in the Board of Peace and concessions in the Recriprocal Trade Agreement. Likelihood of a prolonged conflict in Iran point to economic impacts for Indonesia. A court acquits Delpedro Marhaen, an activis...

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38:22

Season 6 Episode 6

Reformasi Dispatch ·

2026/02/28

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 popularity in the Philippines of VP Sarah Duterte. It takes a lot of money to run a podcast. You need subscription fees for hosting, audio recording services, editor's salary and music licensing. Luckily, you, estemeed listeners of Reformasi Dispatch podcast ...

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65:56

Season 6 Episode 5 (with Iqbal Kholidin of Perludem)

Reformasi Dispatch ·

2026/02/10

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 Kevin also discuss the stock market sell-off, the abrupt resignation of the chief financial regulator Mahendra Siregar, and the president's cancellation of Jardine Matheson's Martabe gold mine in North Sumatra. Also: a tragic youth suicide case has gr...

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66:14

Season 6 Episode 4 (with Uday Bakhshi)

Reformasi Dispatch ·

2026/02/01

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: Myanmar conducts a sham election; Indonesia joins Trump's Board of Peace -- generating backlash; rumors abound of an imminent change in the foreign affairs portfolio; and the tragedy of the collapse of a mountainside in Cisarua. It takes a lot of money to r...

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79:00

Season 6 Episode 3 (with Brandon Possin)

Reformasi Dispatch ·

2026/01/26

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 Netflix special Mens Rea after he was reported by a youth group. And Thomas Djiwandono, the President's nephew is named as a candidate for Deputy Governor of Bank Indonesia, a move that shows administration's reach on monetary policy. It takes a lot of...

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95:24

Season 6 Episode 2 (with Iskandarsyah Bakri)

Reformasi Dispatch ·

2026/01/18

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 at the Information Ministry's ban of the Grok AI nudify function on Elon Musk's X; Prabowo's travel plans; and Megawati's emphatic denunciation of Trump's neo-colonial folly. And a spelling correction for last week's blurb: our interview guest wa...

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87:31

Season 6 Episode 1 *with Burhanuddin Muhtadi and...

Reformasi Dispatch ·

2026/01/05

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 Burhan also comments on Presidential support ratings. Also; Kevin and Erin discuss disaster relief, a regional head election bill and KPK scrutiny of Ridwan Kamil. You can read Burhanuddin and Monica's research here: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcgl...

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72:27

Season 5 Episode 40 (with Dr. Chris Chaplin)

Reformasi Dispatch ·

2025/12/22

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. It takes a lot of money to run a podcast. You need subscription fees for hosting, audio recording services, editor's salary and music licensing. Luckily, you, estemeed listeners of Reformasi Dispatch podcast can help us. You can donate to us on buymeacoffee.com/reformasi and ...

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65:58

Season 5 Episode 39 (with Garda Ramadhito)

Reformasi Dispatch ·

2025/12/08

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 own handling of a case involving Bobby Nasution. It takes a lot of money to run a podcast. You need subscription fees for hosting, audio recording services, editor's salary and music licensing. Luckily, you, estemeed listeners of Reformasi Dispatch podcas...

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45:45

Season 5 Episode 38

Reformasi Dispatch ·

2025/12/02

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 Islamic organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), at a time when Indonesia prepares for its largest-ever deployment of peacekeepers to Gaza; and Danantara seeks a role in a long-awaited potential GoTo-Grab merger that would constitute an on-demand behemoth with 90%...

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72:19

Season 5 Episode 37 (with Matt Busch)

Reformasi Dispatch ·

2025/11/25

Kevin talks to Matt Busch on his new book "The Contested State: The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency during the Asian Financial Crisis." It takes a lot of money to run a podcast. You need subscription fees for hosting, audio recording services, editor's salary and music licensing. Luckily, you, estemeed listeners of Reformasi Dispatch podcast can help us. You can donate to us on buymeacoffee.com/reformasi and help us grow!

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55:43

Season 5 Episode 36

Reformasi Dispatch ·

2025/11/18

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 a bombing by a youth at a school in Kelapa Gading. It takes a lot of money to run a podcast. You need subscription fees for hosting, audio recording services, editor's salary and music licensing. Luckily, you, estemeed listeners of Reformasi Dispatch po...

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42:40

Season 5 Episode 35

Reformasi Dispatch ·

2025/11/08

In this episode: plans for bestowing hero status on Soeharto, exonerating parliamentarians for August excesses, the president's message to police, and Myanmar's junta poses for polls. It takes a lot of money to run a podcast. You need subscription fees for hosting, audio recording services, editor's salary and music licensing. Luckily, you, estemeed listeners of Reformasi Dispatch podcast can help us.You can donate to us on buymeacoffee.com/reformasi and help us grow!

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39:11

Season 5 Episode 34

Reformasi Dispatch ·

2025/11/01

In this episode: the Golkar chair seeks criminal defamation charges for social-media users who distribute disagreeable memes; Prabowo proffers Gaza engagement, but with political pitfalls - as seen at Asean's summit attended by Trump; and Sjafrie seriously considers a purchase of yet more fighter jets, from China. It takes a lot of money to run a podcast. You need subscription fees for hosting, audio recording services, editor's salary and music licensing. Luckily, you, estemeed listeners of ...

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71:18

Acid Reign - Season 5 Episode 33 (with Krista Shennum)

Reformasi Dispatch ·

2025/10/23

Our pod guest Krista Shennum from Climate Rights International discussed CRI's extensive field research on nickel sector impacts on communities across a swathe of Eastern Indonesia -- from pollution such as acid rain, health adversities such as skin afflictions, disasters such as dam breaks and disputes over land rights and compensation. An interviewee asked, 'Does anyone care?', which is CRI's report title. Also in this episode: Erin & Kevin discuss the "Hari" referred to by ...

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51:10

Season 5 Episode 32

Reformasi Dispatch ·

2025/10/12

This week: Prabowo and Widodo together again; signs of sensitivity on free lunches; the new finance minister makes a rocky start; and the Al-Khoziny disaster in Sidoarjo. It takes a lot of money to run a podcast. You need subscription fees for hosting, audio recording services, editor's salary and music licensing. Luckily, you, estemeed listeners of Reformasi Dispatch podcast can help us.You can donate to us on buymeacoffee.com/reformasi and help us grow!

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201 results

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