Most recent articles by Christina Schott
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Elections in IndonesiaWorld's third largest democracy at a crossroads
On 14 February 2024, some 205 million Indonesians are going to the polls to choose a new president as well as new national and regional parliaments. Over the past 25 years, the nation with the world's largest Muslim population has evolved into a stable democracy. Yet observers now fear autocratic tendencies
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Indonesia′s gubernatorial electionsThe tolerance litmus test
In future, Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia will be governed by a Muslim: during recent elections, the sitting Christian governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, was beaten by his Muslim opponent Anies Baswedan. Christina Schott reports from Jakarta
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Portrait of the Indonesian author Linda Christanty"I want to write until I die"
Linda Christanty is one of the most admired writers in Indonesia. In 1989, she became the youngest author to win the annual short story prize from "Kompas", Indonesia's largest daily newspaper. In 2013, she won the prestigious Southeast Asian Writers Award. Christina Schott met her in Jakarta
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"Artjog" art exhibition in IndonesiaPutting art before cinema
This year's eighth "Artjog" art exhibition in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta featured 103 works by 87 artists from 11 countries. Its theme, "Infinity in Flux", paid homage to the Fluxus movement of the 1960s, a movement dedicated to removing the boundaries between artistic disciplines, as well as those between works of art and their audiences. By Christina Schott
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Women's rights in the Indonesian province of Aceh"The population is being systematically silenced"
Azriana Rambe Manalu, 46, and Samsidar, 48, are two of the best-known women in Aceh. In this interview with Christina Schott, they talk about how the introduction of Sharia in Aceh in 2003 has affected society – and women in particular
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Indonesian presidential elections 2014Populist versus autocrat
The two candidates in the forthcoming presidential elections in Indonesia could hardly be more different. Prabowo Subianto, former son-in-law of the late dictator Suharto, has adopted a militaristic style, and likes to present himself as a strong leader, while social democrat candidate Joko Widodo is seen as a man of the people and establishment outsider. Christina Schott examines their chances
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Biennale Jogja XII Equator #2Indonesia's arts scene explores the Arab world
Thirty-five artists and artists' groups from Indonesia and a selection of Arab countries are presenting their work as part of the Equator series at this year's Biennale Jogja in Yogyakarta. Christina Schott took a look around
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Democracy and Human Rights in IndonesiaA Blocked Constitutional State
The country with the world's biggest Muslim population has now experienced 15 years of democracy. But the political euphoria of the Indonesian "Reformasi" movement has long since given way to disenchantment. Ex-dictator Suharto's old boy network is still very much in place, and radical Islam is on the rise. By Christina Schott