Global Unrest: Is Indonesia Next?
Egypt just witnessed the largest protests in human history, Turkey and Brazil continue to witness protests as their uprisings take on new, evolving forms. Protests are taking place all over the world, yet only a few are grabbing international headlines. Indonesia, the largest Muslim country on Earth, is home to 240 million people, half of whom live on less than $2 per day. The IMF praises Indonesia’s “emerging” economy, which has created enormous wealth for a small elite, and has led to widening divisions between the rich and poor, increased inequality, the growth of slums and poverty.
In recent years, the country has experienced rapidly increasing labor unrest against the exploitation of workers by global corporations, and in the countryside, new peasant organizations and indigenous groups are resisting the massive land grabs which are destroying the third largest rainforest on earth, threatening multiple endangered species and displacing thousands of indigenous and peasant communities. The country is set for a massive uprising; all it seems to lack is the spark that led to the uprisings in Turkey and Brazil. So the question remains: Is Indonesia next?
Listen to the podcast show here (Subscribers only):
This Podcast is available to BFP subscription members only. If you are a member, log in to listen. If you are not a member, you can subscribe by clicking on ‘Subscribe' below.
This site depends exclusively on readers’ support. Please help us continue by SUBSCRIBING, and by ordering our EXCLUSIVE BFP DVDs.