Indonesia's anticorruption campaign: Civil society versus the political cartel

Indonesia established a strong anticorruption commission (Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi or KPK) in 2003 that has successfully punished a large number of corrupt perpetrators, including high-level politicians. However, the success of the KPK has become a threat to the country's political cartel. As a form of revenge, the political cartel has built a wide political coalition to weaken the KPK, particularly to abolish KPK's prosecution and wiretapping authority. The political cartel has also supported the police to criminalize the KPK's commissioners to stop investigations.However, the KPK still exists due to strong support from civil society. Indonesia's civil society has proven to be quite effective in building a social movement to defend KPK and continue its anticorruption reforms. Nevertheless, corruption eradication is a constant conflict between civil society and the political cartel. The future of anticorruption reform will depend on the ability and the endurance of civil society to consolidate this social movement and to build wider support in the country.