How Indonesia Lost the Battle Against the Coronavirus

Image courtesy of Marketwatch Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s response to the pandemic or lack thereof has sparked criticisms within and beyond Indonesia. The hashtag #lockdownordie is currently trending in Indonesia’s social media as Jokowi continues to resist experts’ advice to implement a nationwide lockdown. As of April 28, The Indonesian government has reported more… Read More How Indonesia Lost the Battle Against the Coronavirus

May 3, 2020October 5, 2021 Luthfi DhofierLeave a comment

Why Indonesia Needs More Than Just A Tougher Anti Terror Law

In the wake of terror attacks that rocked the city of Surabaya in May 2018, Indonesia’s parliament has unanimously passed an amendment to its antiterrorism law. Initially proposed in 2016, the law was put on hold after the parliament members could not agree on what constitutes terrorism. President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had threatened to issue… Read More Why Indonesia Needs More Than Just A Tougher Anti Terror Law

May 29, 2018January 3, 2021 Luthfi DhofierLeave a comment

Reflection on Fukuyama: the Unravelling of the Liberal World Order and the Rise of Populism

On January 24, 2018, Francis Fukuyama, a world-renowned political scientist, spoke to some few hundred students, faculty and public audience at the University of British Columbia (UBC). The talk was part of the Liu Institute’s Phil Lind Initiative. I had the opportunity to attend the event and here are highlights from the event. What is… Read More Reflection on Fukuyama: the Unravelling of the Liberal World Order and the Rise of Populism

March 3, 2018January 3, 2021 Luthfi DhofierLeave a comment

A Brief Look at Russia’s Economic Profile

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian Federation has implemented an array of economic reforms that transformed the country from a centrally planned economy to a market-based economy. With a population of over 144 million and a GDP per-capita of $24,026, Russia is a significant actor in the global economy (World… Read More A Brief Look at Russia’s Economic Profile

January 3, 2018January 3, 2021 Luthfi DhofierLeave a comment

The Underwhelming Canada-Indonesia Relationship

(Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met today with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on the margins of the G20 Summit in Turkey – source: Prime Minister’s Office of Canada archive) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to China is an important foreign policy move, but there is one country in the Asia Pacific that Canada should not ignore.… Read More The Underwhelming Canada-Indonesia Relationship

November 30, 2017January 3, 2021 Luthfi DhofierLeave a comment

Understanding China’s Foreign Aid

China is poised to become the world’s largest economy and foreign aid donor. As the Trump administration is planning to cut back its foreign aid budget, China is expanding its global development footprint. As a recipient of foreign aid just a few decades ago, China’s growing presence in other countries is astonishing. The latest report on … Read More Understanding China’s Foreign Aid

October 4, 2017January 3, 2021 Luthfi DhofierLeave a comment

ASEAN and the Myanmar Conundrum

What is the Rohingya Crisis? The ongoing violence that is taking place in Myanmar has turned into the world’s fastest-developing refugee crisis. More than 420,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh in the last three weeks, 240,000 of them are children. In his public statement, one UN official called this crisis “ethnic cleansing.” The situation… Read More ASEAN and the Myanmar Conundrum

October 1, 2017April 18, 2021 Luthfi DhofierLeave a comment

Luthfi Dhofier

Public Policy and Global Affairs

Category: Global Affairs