Indonesia (Republic of Indonesia)

Indonesia Republic of Indonesia
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	125th best
Capital	Jakarta
Land Area	1 811 570km21
Location	Asia
Population	244.8m (2011)2
Life Expectancy	69.05yrs (2017)3
GNI	$10 053 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	ID, IDN, 3605
Internet Domain	.id6
Currency	Rupiah (IDR)7
Telephone	+628

1. Overview
2. Indonesia National and Social Development
3. Population and Demographics
4. Gender Equality
5. Religion and Beliefs
6. The Internet
7. Public Health Issues
8. Politics and Freedom
9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries
10. Links

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1. Overview

#australia #germany #indonesia #islam #japan #malaysia #netherlands #papua_new_guinea #UK

“The Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the early 17th century; Japan occupied the islands from 1942 to 1945. Indonesia declared its independence shortly before Japan's surrender, but it required four years of sometimes brutal fighting, intermittent negotiations, and UN mediation before the Netherlands agreed to transfer sovereignty in 1949. A period of sometimes unruly parliamentary democracy ended in 1957 when President SOEKARNO declared martial law and instituted "Guided Democracy." After an abortive coup in 1965 by alleged Communist sympathizers, SOEKARNO was removed from power. From 1966 until 1988, President SUHARTO ruled Indonesia with his "New Order" Government. After rioting toppled Suharto in 1998, free and fair legislative elections took place in 1999. Indonesia is now the world's third most populous democracy, the world's largest archipelagic state, and the world's largest Muslim-majority nation. Current issues include: alleviating poverty, improving education, preventing terrorism, consolidating democracy after four decades of authoritarianism, implementing economic and financial reforms, stemming corruption, reforming the criminal justice system, holding the military and police accountable for human rights violations, addressing climate change, and controlling infectious diseases, particularly those of global and regional importance. In 2005, Indonesia reached a historic peace agreement with armed separatists in Aceh, which led to democratic elections in Aceh in December 2006.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

Indonesia owns half of the large island, New Guinea.

The island of New Guinea is divided almost equally into two halves. The Eatern half is called Papua New Guinea, which has been an independent state since 1975, before which it was owned by Australia, Germany and the UK. The Western half is part of Indonesia. Humans have lived on the island of New Guinea for 40,000 years, whereupon they started cultivating and exploiting plants like yams and taro₁₀. "Indonesia continues to face low intensity armed resistance in Papua by the separatist Free Papua Movement"₉.

“From the western tip of Sumatra to the eastern edge of Papua, Indonesia offers endless exploration and infinite diversity. This unique land may well be the last great adventure on Earth. Indonesia defines adventure: the only limitation is how many of its 17,000 islands you can reach before your visa expires. Following the equator, Indonesia stretches between Malaysia and Australia in one long intoxicating sweep. The nation´s natural diversity is staggering, alluring and inspiring, from the snow-capped peaks in Papua, sandalwood forests in Sumba, dense jungle in Borneo and impossibly green rice paddies in Bali and Java. Indonesian reefs are a diver´s fantasy while the surf breaks above are the best anywhere.

But even as the diversity on land and sea run like a traveller´s fantasy playlist, it´s the mash-up of people and cultures that´s the most appealing. Bali justifiably leads off, but there are also Papua´s stone-age folk, the many cultures of Flores, the artisans of Java, mall-rats of Jakarta and much more. Whether it´s a dreamy remote beach, an orang-utan encounter or a Bali all-nighter, Indonesia scores.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₁

2. Indonesia National and Social Development

UN HDI (2016)12
Pos.		Lower is better Rank12
1	Norway	1
2	Australia	2
3	Switzerland	2
	...
110	Paraguay	110
111	Egypt	111
112	Turkmenistan	111
113	Indonesia	113
114	Palestine	114
115	Vietnam	115
116	Philippines	116
117	El Salvador	117
	World Avg	94.3
q=188.

Social & Moral Development Index13
Pos.		Higher is better Points13
1	Iceland	83.5
2	Denmark	82.2
3	Sweden	81.9
	...
122	Lebanon	49.2
123	Botswana	49.1
124	Kenya	48.8
125	Indonesia	48.8
126	Puerto Rico	48.6
127	Laos	48.6
128	Micronesia	48.3
129	Ghana	48.0
	World Avg	53.7
q=198.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: What is the Best Country in the World? An Index of Morality, Conscience and Good Life.

3. Population and Demographics

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)14
Pos.		Lower is better Per 10014
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
83	Uzbekistan	11.9
84	Tonga	11.9
85	Kyrgyzstan	12.1
86	Indonesia	12.4
87	Myanmar (Burma)	12.5
88	India	12.5
89	Bolivia	12.7
90	Nicaragua	13.1
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Emigrants (2010)15
Pos.		%15
1	Dominica	104.8
2	Palestine	68.4
3	Samoa	67.3
	...
171	UAE	1.2
172	Mongolia	1.2
173	Kenya	1.1
174	Indonesia	1.1
175	Myanmar (Burma)	1.0
176	Solomon Islands	1.0
177	India	0.9
178	Papua New Guinea	0.9
	World Avg	11.5
q=192.

Fertility Rate (2013)16
Pos.		2.0 is best16
1	Korea, N.	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
7	Uruguay	2.05
8	Norway	1.95
9	Myanmar (Burma)	1.95
10	Indonesia	2.07
11	Sweden	1.93
12	Tunisia	1.93
13	St Lucia	1.93
14	USA	2.08
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Immigrants (2010)15
Pos.		%15
1	Qatar	86.5
2	Monaco	71.6
3	UAE	70.0
	...
185	Myanmar (Burma)	0.2
186	Korea, N.	0.2
187	Morocco	0.2
188	Cuba	0.1
189	Peru	0.1
190	Vietnam	0.1
191	Indonesia	0.1
192	China	0.1
	World Avg	9.2
q=192.

Life Expectancy (2015)17
Pos.		Higher is better Years17
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
125	Tajikistan	69.58
126	Uzbekistan	69.40
127	Micronesia	69.27
128	Indonesia	69.05
129	Cambodia	68.81
130	Bolivia	68.74
131	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	68.51
132	Philippines	68.34
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Population (2012)18
Pos.		The Overpopulation of the Earth18
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.3b
3	USA	315.8m
4	Indonesia	244.8m
5	Brazil	198.4m
6	Pakistan	180.0m
7	Nigeria	166.6m
8	Bangladesh	152.4m
9	Russia	142.7m
10	Japan	126.4m
11	Mexico	116.1m
12	Philippines	96.5m
	World Avg	36.0m
q=195.

Indonesia's population is predicted to rise to 279.66 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 2.07. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

• The Overpopulation of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

4. Gender Equality

Gender Inequality (2015)19
Pos.		Lower is better19
1	Switzerland	0.04
2	Denmark	0.04
3	Netherlands	0.04
	...
102	Venezuela	0.46
103	Nicaragua	0.46
104	Paraguay	0.46
105	Indonesia	0.47
106	Laos	0.47
107	Dominican Rep.	0.47
108	Namibia	0.47
109	Burundi	0.47
	World Avg	0.36
q=159.

Year Women Can Vote20
Pos.		Lower is better Year20
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
52	Croatia	1945
53	Italy	1945
54	Senegal	1945
55	Indonesia	1945
56	Japan	1945
57	Togo	1945
58	Korea, N.	1946
59	Liberia	1946
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchialism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

Indonesia is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

5. Religion and Beliefs

#afterlife #buddhism #christianity #heaven #hell #hinduism #islam #judaism #universalism

Religiosity (2009)21
Pos.		Lower is better %21
1	Estonia	16
2	Sweden	17
3	Denmark	19
	...
107	Somaliland	98
108	Burundi	98
109	Sri Lanka	99
110	Malawi	99
111	Yemen	99
112	Indonesia	99
113	Niger	99.5
114	Bangladesh	99.5
	World Avg	75.1
q=114.

Disbelief In God (2007)22
Pos.		Higher is better22
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
69	Central African Rep.	2
70	Tajikistan	2
71	Turkmenistan	2
72	Indonesia	2
73	Paraguay	1
74	Nicaragua	1
75	Bolivia	1
76	Colombia	1
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₂₃:

Christian	9.9%
Muslim	87.2%
Hindu	1.7%
Buddhist	0.7%
Folk Religion	0.3%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Muslim 86.1%, Protestant 5.7%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 1.8%, other or unspecified 3.4% (2000 census)₂₄.

The Afterlife: Ipsos-NA in 2011 gathered some statistics on Indonesia₂₅. Despite the large numbers of Muslims, not many have traditional beliefs in the afterlife - just 62%. Some people don't know what to believe (4%). Some believe that upon death, you simply cease to exist (2%). Also, 1% specifically believe in heaven but not in hell (which is nice - making them possible "universalists"). 6% believe in reincarnation.

Freedom of Thought: The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)₂₆, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for Indonesia states:

“Indonesia recognizes only six official religions - Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Hinduism - and requires its citizens to adhere to one of these. The country's blasphemy law makes it illegal to promote other faiths, or atheism. Article 156(a) of the country's criminal code also punishes "disseminating information aimed at inciting religious hatred or hostility" with up to five years in prison. Persons who do not identify with one of the six official religions, including people with no religion, continue to experience official discrimination. This discrimination occurs often in the context of civil registration of marriages and births and other situation involving family law.₂₇

Official ID cards must list one of the six official religions₂₇; therefore "atheism" or "Humanism" or "no religion" are not permitted options. Applicants for government jobs must also identify as belonging to one of the six official religions. To register an organization in Indonesia, the organizers must declare their allegiance to the Basic Ideology of the State (called Pancasila); the first principle of Pancasila is 'Belief in the one and only God'. That means no atheist group can legally register itself.

Cases of discrimination:

"In January 2012, Alexander Aan, an Indonesian civil servant in the province of West Sumatra, was arrested after being attacked by a mob of Muslim militants. The mob was reacting to statements Aan made on Facebook which criticized Islam and said he had left Islam and become an atheist. The police charged Aan on three separate counts: insulting religion (which has a maximum sentence of five years jail), the electronic transmission of defamatory comments (six years jail), and false reporting on an official form (six years jail). The charges of blasphemy and defamation related to his criticism of Islam on Facebook. The final charge [... was] based on the conflict between his atheist Facebook posts and his official registration as a Muslim - a registration he had to submit because Indonesians must identify with one of the six officially permitted religions. [...]

On June 14, 2012, a district court sentenced atheist Alexander Aan to two years and six months in prison for "spreading information inciting religious hatred and animosity." Aan was also reportedly fined 100 million rupiah (US $10,600)."

”

"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)₂₈

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?

6. The Internet

#internet

Freedom On The Internet (2012)29
Pos.		Lower is better29
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
	...
18	Kyrgyzstan	35
19	Mexico	37
20	India	39
21	Indonesia	42
22	Libya	43
23	Malaysia	43
24	Jordan	45
25	Turkey	46
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

Internet Users (2016)30
Pos.		Higher is better30
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
148	Zimbabwe	21%
149	Equatorial Guinea	21%
150	Lesotho	21%
151	Indonesia	20%
152	Marshall Islands	20%
153	Algeria	20%
154	Nicaragua	19%
155	Uganda	19%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)31
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio31
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
64	UAE	0.3
65	Seychelles	0.2
66	Puerto Rico	0.2
67	Indonesia	0.2
68	S. Africa	0.1
69	Jersey	0.1
70	Sudan	0.1
71	Ukraine	0.1
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

IT Security (2013)32
Pos.		Lower is better32
1	Ireland	0.11
2	Luxembourg	0.11
3	Belize	0.11
	...
43	Canada	0.96
44	Tajikistan	1.01
45	Brazil	1.02
46	Indonesia	1.05
47	British Virgin Islands	1.08
48	Mali	1.12
49	France	1.13
50	Italy	1.15
	World Avg	0.98
q=81.

Internet access has become an essential research tool. It facilitates an endless list of life improvements, from the ability to network and socialize without constraint, to access to a seemingly infinite repository of technical and procedural information on pretty much any task. The universal availability of data has sped up industrial development and personal learning at the national and personal level. Individuals can read any topic they wish regardless of the locality of expert teachers, and, entire nations can develop their technology and understanding of the world simply because they are now exposed to advanced societies and moral discourses online. Like every communications medium, the Internet has issues and causes a small range of problems, but these are insignificant compared to the advantages of having an online populace.

The IHEU's Freedom of Thought publication notes that in countries like Pakistan and Indonesia, where "organized atheism is impossible if not directly illegal", atheists frequently organize themselves online. This is because in these heavily Muslim countries, any deviance from Islam is grimly punishable. It is their only possible avenue of expression. But those "who have been caught criticizing religion online have been arrested and harrassed on seemingly spurious thought-crime type offences"₃₃. The Internet is itself a tool of human rights, even in the dark corners of the world where the vested interests of powerful religionists seek to restrict basic freedoms.

7. Public Health Issues

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)19
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100019
1	Korea, N.	0.5
2	Korea, S.	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
106	Chile	47.8
107	Solomon Islands	48.4
108	Peru	49.1
109	Indonesia	49.6
110	Colombia	50.2
111	St Vincent & Grenadines	51.0
112	Cambodia	51.6
113	Egypt	51.9
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Alcohol Consumption (2010)34
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita34
1	Libya	0.1
2	Pakistan	0.1
3	Kuwait	0.1
	...
12	Somalia	0.5
13	Senegal	0.6
14	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	0.6
15	Indonesia	0.6
16	Guinea	0.7
17	Afghanistan	0.7
18	Jordan	0.7
19	Myanmar (Burma)	0.7
	World Avg	6.2
q=191.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)35
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %35
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
166	Ivory Coast	76.9
167	Congo, DR	76.5
168	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	76.5
169	Indonesia	76.4
170	Mali	76.0
171	India	75.1
172	Ethiopia	73.9
173	Pakistan	73.0
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Smoking Rates (2014)36
Pos.		Lower is better36
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
136	Spain	1 265
137	Malta	1 266
138	Philippines	1 291
139	Indonesia	1 322
140	Libya	1 333
141	Israel	1 346
142	Argentina	1 359
143	Denmark	1 378
	World Avg	819
q=182.

8. Politics and Freedom

Corruption (2012-2016)37
Pos.		Higher is better Avg Score37
1	Denmark	90.8
2	New Zealand	90.6
3	Finland	89.4
	...
104	Egypt	34.2
105	Argentina	34.2
106	Niger	34.2
107	Indonesia	34.2
108	Djibouti	34.0
109	Bolivia	34.0
110	Malawi	33.8
111	Kosovo	33.8
	World Avg	43.05
q=176.

Nominal Commitment to HR (2009)38
Pos.		Higher is better Treaties38
1	Argentina	24
2	Chile	23
3	Costa Rica	23
	...
173	USA	8
174	Somalia	8
175	Eritrea	8
176	Indonesia	7
177	Korea, N.	7
178	Sao Tome & Principe	7
179	Grenada	7
180	UAE	7
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom (2014)39
Pos.		Lower is better Rank39
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
69	Moldova	69
70	Namibia	69
71	Bolivia	71
72	Indonesia	72
73	Turkey	73
74	S. Africa	74
75	Papua New Guinea	74
76	Nicaragua	76
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Press Freedom (2013)40
Pos.		Lower is better40
1	Finland	638
2	Netherlands	648
3	Norway	652
	...
135	Morocco	3904
136	Ethiopia	3957
137	Tunisia	3993
138	Indonesia	4105
139	India	4122
140	Oman	4151
141	Congo, DR	4166
142	Cambodia	4181
	World Avg	3249
q=178.

9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries