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{
  "authors": [
    "James Castle",
    "Vikram Nehru"
  ],
  "type": "event",
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  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
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  "programs": [
    "Asia",
    "Democracy, Conflict, and Governance"
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    "Southeast Asia",
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Event

Indonesia: There’s a New Sheriff in Town

Thu, March 26th, 2015

Washington, DC

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Program

Asia

The Asia Program in Washington studies disruptive security, governance, and technological risks that threaten peace, growth, and opportunity in the Asia-Pacific region, including a focus on China, Japan, and the Korean peninsula.

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Program

Democracy, Conflict, and Governance

The Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program is a leading source of independent policy research, writing, and outreach on global democracy, conflict, and governance. It analyzes and seeks to improve international efforts to reduce democratic backsliding, mitigate conflict and violence, overcome political polarization, promote gender equality, and advance pro-democratic uses of new technologies.

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President Joko Widodo’s early months in office have been anything but uneventful. At home, he has had to confront a series of political challenges from the opposition coalition, the police, his own party, and even his mentor, former president Megawati Sukarnoputri. Abroad, he has come under fire for his determination to proceed with the execution of foreign nationals convicted under Indonesia’s tough drug laws. 

James Castle described how Widodo has dealt with these challenges and what it portends for the rest of his five-year term in office. Carnegie’s Vikram Nehru moderated.

James Castle

James Castle is founder and CEO of CastleAsia, the largest CEO forum in Indonesia. In over thirty years of work in Southeast Asia, Castle has advised in the establishment of numerous foreign direct investment projects and has acted as a consultant to regional governments and many of the world’s largest corporations.

Vikram Nehru

Vikram Nehru is a senior associate in the Carnegie Asia Program. An expert on development economics, growth, poverty reduction, debt sustainability, governance, and the performance and prospects of East Asia, his research focuses on the economic, political, and strategic issues confronting Asia, particularly Southeast Asia.

Southeast AsiaIndonesiaPolitical ReformDemocracyCivil Society

Event Speakers

James Castle

James Castle is founder and CEO of CastleAsia, the largest and most prestigious CEO forum in Indonesia. In over thirty years of work in Southeast Asia, Castle has advised in the establishment of numerous foreign direct investment projects and has acted as a consultant to regional governments and many of the world’s largest corporations.

Vikram Nehru
Former Nonresident Senior Fellow, Asia Program
Vikram Nehru

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

Event Speakers

James Castle

James Castle is founder and CEO of CastleAsia, the largest and most prestigious CEO forum in Indonesia. In over thirty years of work in Southeast Asia, Castle has advised in the establishment of numerous foreign direct investment projects and has acted as a consultant to regional governments and many of the world’s largest corporations.

Vikram Nehru

Former Nonresident Senior Fellow, Asia Program

Nehru was a nonresident senior fellow in the Carnegie Asia Program. An expert on development economics, growth, poverty reduction, debt sustainability, governance, and the performance and prospects of East Asia, his research focuses on the economic, political, and strategic issues confronting Asia, particularly Southeast Asia.

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