INDONESIA

Scholars and government differ on Marxism
Amid intimidation from the Islamic Defenders Front against scholarly discussions on Marxism, the country’s intellectuals and the government are still arguing about whether the leftist ideology is an acceptable subject for discussion, write Bambang Muryanto and Jon Afrizal for The Jakarta Post.Several academics called on the government to protect freedom of expression at universities following a series of crackdowns on discussions on Marxism in Bandung and Sumedang, West Java, by the Islamic Defenders Front or FPI.
Despite the crackdown and coercion, the Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry has washed its hands of the matter, proclaiming Marxism illegal in all universities in the world’s fourth largest democracy.
Full report on The Jakarta Post site