Emergence of Political Islam Puts Indonesian President to Test

As the ranks of protesters thickened in central Jakarta on December 2, turning into Indonesia's biggest mass demonstration since the end of authoritarian rule in 1998, President Joko Widodo grappled with a dilemma: should he join the rally or stay away? Recounting what happened behind the scenes that day, two senior officials told Reuters Widodo chose to ignore warnings from security chiefs and went into the crowd, appearing alongside the firebrand leader of a hardline Islamic group....

© La Voix de l'Amérique - lundi 12 décembre 2016