Maintaining Confidence in Democracy

A number of improvements have been made during the 20 years of the Reformation Era. One of the most urgent tasks still outstanding, however, is addressing the economic gap.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Once the site of mass riots in 1998 that thrust the country into the Reform Era, Jl. Samanhudi is enveloped in a serene atmosphere on Sunday (20/5/2018) in Jakarta.

KOMPAS/ARBAIN RAMBEY

People loot shops on Jl. Wahid Hasyim in Tanah Abang as a fire burns along Jl. Samanhudi in Pasar Baru during the May 14, 1998 riots in Jakarta.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — After two decades of the Reformation Era, a number of indicators show that Indonesia is generally improving in social, economic and political aspects. However, the income and wealth gap, which has remained high over the past two decades, has caused in Indonesia a latent threat of eroded trust in the community, which has the potential to destabilize social cohesion.