Indonesia and Indonesian News

Country Profile

Indonesia officially Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania(a region centered on Pacific Ocean)

Indonesia is spread across a chain of thousands of islands(approximately 17508 Islands) between Asia and Australia
Indonesia is the Largest Country in Southeast Asia(Land Area 1,811,569 Sq km - 699,451 sq miles) and largest Country Wholly on Islands.

The name Indonesia derives from the Latin and Greek Indus, and the Greek nèsos, meaning "island"

Indonesia has the world's largest Muslim population(86% of Population) and the country is the 4th most populous country in the world.(23.75 Crores as per 2011 Estimate)

Ethnically it is highly diverse, with more than 300 local languages.

Indonesia consists of 33 provinces, five of which have special status. Each province has its own political legislature and governor.

Capital                                   Jakarta
Currency                               Rupiah
Population                             23.75 Crores(2011 Estimate)
Official Language                   Indonesian(a form of Malay)

History
 After Japan's wartime occupation ended, independence was proclaimed in 1945 by Sukarno, the independence movement's leader. The Dutch transferred sovereignty in 1949 after an armed struggle. The Dutch recognise Indonesian independence after four years of guerrilla warfare.The Dutch agree to transfer West Papua to Indonesia after a period of UN administration.West Papua formally incorporated into Indonesia, becoming Irian Jaya Province in 1969.

Sukarno hands over emergency powers to General Suharto, who becomes president in March 1967.

Long-term leader General Suharto came to power in the wake of an abortive coup in 1965. He imposed authoritarian rule while allowing technocrats to run the economy with considerable success.
But his policy of allowing army involvement in all levels of government, down to village level, fostered corruption.

Portugal grants East Timor independence in 1975.In 1976,Indonesia invades East Timor and incorporates it as a province.

Suharto fell from power after riots in 1998 and escaped efforts to bring him to justice for decades of dictatorship. Protests and rioting topple Suharto; B J Habibie becomes president in 1998.

Indonesia faces demands for independence in several provinces, where secessionists have been encouraged by East Timor's 1999 success in breaking away after a traumatic 25 years of occupation.
 In 1999,East Timor votes for independence in UN-sponsored referendum, after which anti-independence militia go on the rampage. East Timor comes under UN administration. Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) becomes president.


Post-Suharto Indonesia has made the transition to democracy. Power has been devolved away from the central government and the first direct presidential elections were held in 2004.
Former army general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono won Indonesia's first-ever direct presidential elections in September 2004, in what was hailed as the first peaceful transition of power in Indonesia's history.

A powerful undersea quake in late 2004 sent massive waves crashing into coastal areas of Sumatra, and into coastal communities across south and east Asia. The disaster left more than 220,000 Indonesians dead or missing.


Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono  was re-elected in July 2009 in a landslide victory over incumbent Megawati Sukarnoputri.



Politics and Government
Indonesia is a Presidential Representative Democratic Republic where the President is both Head of State and Head of Govt and of a Multiparty system.
Executive Power is exercised by the government.
Legislative Power is vested in both the Govt and the 2 People's Representative Councils.
The Judiciary is independent of the Executive and the Legislature.

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Indonesia Factories Shut as Workers Strike -  Oct 03,2012
It is estimated that some two million factory workers will go on strike nationwide on Wednesday Oct 03,2012 protesting against their working conditions and over the work contacts that they have.

Yoris Raweyai, chairman of the Confederation of Indonesian Workers’ Union, says workers want the government to revise a law allowing companies to hire temporary workers on one-year contracts without benefits. 

Indonesia’s Constitutional Court ruled in January that the hiring practice is unconstitutional and violates workers’ rights.