Prof Tim Lindsey

'Gecko-gate', not asylum seekers, the big issue in Indonesia

20 Nov 2009, 1.41 PM
'Gecko-gate', not asylum seekers, the big issue in Indonesia

The Oceanic Viking asylum seeker issue has barely caused a ripple of interest in Indonesia, where all the eyes are focussed on the biggest government corruption scandal in years, says Professor Tim Lindsey.  "It’s a little bit like America's Watergate scandal."

Re-election of Indonesian President Yudhoyono sadly hasn't changed old attitudes

13 Jul 2009, 12.41 PM
Re-election of Indonesian President Yudhoyono sadly hasn't changed old attitudes

Professor Tim Lindsey says the re-election of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has, somewhat surprisingly, barely rated a mention in one of it's biggest trading and diplomatic partners: Australia. 

"Perhaps this was because it was expected, but I suspect it's more likely that Australian's have barely noticed Indonesia's extremely successful transition to democracy.  Of all the countries that have gone through the economic crisis, Indonesia is one of the few in which democracy has taken hold and increased."