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1 1 (May 17, 2018)

handle is hein.crs/govzdn0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Inrmn tl Indonesia Updated May 17, 2018 Overview With 258 million citizens, Indonesia is the most populous country in Southeast Asia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation, and the world's third-largest democracy (after India and the United States). It has the world's 16th-largest economy and the 8th-largest when ranked by purchasing power parity. Indonesia is an active member in regional diplomatic institutions and a leader of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It straddles important sea lanes and borders the Strait of Malacca, one of the world's busiest trade routes, as well as the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. Indonesian leaders speak about the nation's central place in the Indo- Pacific region-an important strategic concept for the Trump Administration. Some 87% of Indonesians are Muslim, with the vast majority subscribing to moderate, syncretic forms of the religion. Religious diversity is enshrined in the constitution. Some observers, however, express concern about growing political influence of conservative religious groups who have, among other actions, organized mass demonstrations against non-Muslim politicians. Indonesia has also had a recent history of violent extremism: several bombings in Jakarta and tourist center Bali targeted Westerners in the 2000s, and the persistence of smaller-scale attacks raises concerns about the influence of the Islamic State and dangers posed by Indonesians returning from the Middle East. In May 2018, a set of suicide attacks in Surabaya killed 12 civilians, with at least one attack conducted by a family that had recently been deported from Syria. The U.S.-Indonesia relationship has broadened in recent years, with closer military and counterterrorism cooperation and a range of new educational, environmental, and energy initiatives. Some Indonesian trade and economic regulations are of concern to the United States. Corruption is widespread, and Indonesia is among the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters, due in part to extensive deforestation, both legal and illegal. Political Background Indonesia has undergone a significant transformation since the 1998 fall of its longtime authoritarian leader, President Suharto. The country has since become a robust democracy, holding three direct presidential elections, each considered by international observers to have been largely free and fair. The most recent, in July 2014, elevated Joko Widodo as president. Widodo, a former businessman and mayor, is Indonesia's first president not to have emerged from either the military or an elite business family. Widodo has struggled with a shifting political coalition, as rivalries between parties, and even within Widodo's PDI-P party, have complicated governance. His government has introduced several economic reform packages, largely aimed at streamlining bureaucratic processes to boost foreign and domestic investment. Widodo is expected to run again in 2019, and other prominent figures-notably Prabowo Subianto, former head of Indonesia's special forces unit, Kopassus, who finished second in the 2014 polls-are positioning themselves for presidential bids. U.S. Engagement with Indonesia The United States engages Indonesia across a wide range of issues, encouraging Indonesians to deepen their democratic institutions, promote religious tolerance and the rule of law, develop a more liberal trade and investment climate, combat terrorism and engage on international issues such as climate change and maritime security. In October 2015, the United States and Indonesia upgraded their bilateral Comprehensive Partnership to a Strategic Partnership, with an annual minister-level dialogue intended to address maritime cooperation, defense cooperation, economic growth and development, energy cooperation, cooperation on global and regional issues, and people-to-people ties. In January 2018, on a visit to Jakarta, Defense Secretary James Mattis said: We probably engage with the Indonesian military more than any other nation anywhere in terms of mil-to-mil engagements. U.S. assistance to Indonesia totaled $123 million in FY2017 compared with $128 million in FY2016. Most U.S. assistance supports health, environmental, and educational initiatives. Indonesia is part of the Southeast Asia Maritime ittps:/crsreports.congress.go

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