Prabowo and the UK

On the 20th October, Prabowo Subianto was sworn in as Indonesia’s 8th President. Having won a convincing majority in the presidential election earlier in the year, the transition from now-former president Joko Widodo to Prabowo attests to the apparent strength of the electoral process since Indonesia transitioned to a democracy in the late 90s. But the election of Prabowo – a former general who has been accused of numerous human rights violations – poses a series of questions over the direction of Indonesian democracy, development, and the protection of civic and religious freedoms. As Southeast Asia’s largest economy and most populous nation, these questions hold regional and international significance. To better understand what Prabowo’s presidency may mean, the LSE has invited a number of academics and experts to provide their insight as part of a blog series examining what Prabowo’s tenure may mean for Indonesia and the world. Here Chris Chaplin considers the challenges Prabowo holds for UK ambitions in the region.