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1 1 (October 23, 2024)

handle is hein.crs/govercq0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Serv!c~ Infer ning the Ieg~sIat~ve debate since 1914 Updated October 23, 2024 Indonesia Overview With over 280 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 16thlargest economy-the 7th-largest when ranked by purchasing power parity. It straddles vital 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. Over the past 25 years, Indonesia has become a robust democracy, holding five direct presidential elections, each considered by international observers to have been largely free and fair. In the most recent, held in February 2024, Prabowo Subianto, a former Defense Minister who served as commander of the Indonesian military's special forces in the 1990s, was elected to succeed President Joko Widodo. Prabowo took office in October 2024, and is to serve a five-year term. The U.S.-Indonesia relationship has broadened over the past two decades, with closer military and counterterrorism cooperation and a range of new educational, environmental, and energy programs. Congress has played a key role in guiding the relationship, including by restricting interactions with security services accused of rights abuses, promoting cooperation on issues such as maritime security and counterterrorism, and conducting oversight of programs including Indonesia's Millennium Challenge Compact. Indonesia's foreign policy is guided by its historical role as a leader of the Non-Aligned Movement, and successive Indonesian governments have resisted aligning too closely with the United States or others, including the Peoples Republic of China (PRC or China). Indonesia is an active member in regional diplomatic institutions, and served as the 2022 chair of the Group of 20 (G-20) and the 2023 chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Some 87% of Indonesians are Muslim, with the vast majority subscribing to moderate, syncretic forms of Sunni Islam. Religious diversity is enshrined in the constitution. Some observers express concern about growing political influence of conservative religious groups. Non-Sunni Muslims and other religious minorities have been targets of violence, and some conservative groups have organized mass demonstrations against non-Muslim politicians. Indonesia also has a history of violent extremism: several bombings in Jakarta and Bali targeted Westerners in the 2000s, and smaller-scale attacks have occurred periodically. Poltcal Background On February 14, 2024, over 200 million Indonesians voted in presidential, parliamentary, and local elections-the world's largest one-day democratic exercise-and selected Defense Minister Prabowo as president. Prabowo, the ex- son-in-law of the country's former authoritarian president Suharto, is a former general who was removed from the military in 1998 for allegedly torturing political activists, and who was implicated in 1999 violence in Timor-Leste (East Timor). A scion of a wealthy Indonesian family who spent much of his youth overseas, Prabowo campaigned on promises to continue the economic policies of President Widodo, including prioritizing growth in underdeveloped regions and promoting the mining and processing of critical minerals important to clean-energy supply chains. He chose Widodo's eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as his Vice President, and announced a cabinet that included members of nearly every political party in Parliament. Prabowo has advocated a more active foreign policy for Indonesia, speaking among other things of playing a role in a post-conflict Gaza. As Defense Minister, he led the expansion of military exercises with the United States, although his first overseas trip after the election was to China. Many analysts say the overall tenor of Prabowo's foreign policy remains unclear, including his approach to U.S.-China tensions and trade and investment issues. Figure I. Indonesia President Widodo tacitly supported Prabowo s campaign, and analysts say he may play a behind the scenes role in the new government. 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,

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