Indonesia and a Marginality Trap

Indonesia has a huge population over 270 million people. The Republic of Indonesia is the largest Muslim state in the world. Its steady economic growth faces a deep challenge due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Indonesian education and medicine systems are insufficient whereas the country nowadays has no high-tech or knowledge-intensive technologies. Indonesia looks a bit marginal facing current challenges, especially in comparison with the developed countries. The poverty rate is high in Indonesia. The country also faces a rise of radical Muslim communities. The COVID-19 pandemic does help the Indonesian military to strengthen again. Many challenges — demographic, economic, social, political and cultural — imply that any Indonesian government has to maneuver between the Armed Forces, Muslim groups, and the poor.