The recent election for the new governor of Jakarta was often potrayed as a religious and ethnic conflict between Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnamaand and Anies Baswedenwas. The reality is more complicated. During Ahok’s first term as mayor of Jakarta, he undertook major urban redevelopment projects. These had devastating effects on working class communities, many of whom voted for Anies, even though he is a part of the ruling class. A new development in these elections was the role of the far right Islamic Defenders Front. Given Indonesia’s history and the role of military backed militias in the massacres of 1965-67, this is a very worrying trend for workers in Indonesia, and requires a serious workers’ response.
The recent election for the new governor of Jakarta was often potrayed as a religious and ethnic conflict between Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnamaand and Anies Baswedenwas. The reality is more complicated. During Ahok’s first term as mayor of Jakarta, he undertook major urban redevelopment projects. These had devastating effects on working class communities, many of whom voted for Anies, even though he is a part of the ruling class. A new development in these elections was the role of the far right Islamic Defenders Front. Given Indonesia’s history and the role of military backed militias in the massacres of 1965-67, this is a very worrying trend for workers in Indonesia, and requires a serious workers’ response.
