government

	Since Indonesia felled its 32-year dictatorship in 1998, it has struggled along the fast-paced road to democracy. The complicated political spectrum is riddled with obstacles, making a political strategist's job a nightmare. A feudalist mentality still plays a large role in the minds and actions of many Indonesians; district and tribal affiliations are still considered one's primary identity; and ethnic tribes still exist in their traditional forms, respecting their traditional values, on every major island that makes up Indonesia. Nationalism exists, but over the past three decades the idea of 'Indonesian' has become almost synonymous with the embracement of Islam.
In its pledge to embrace democracy and the universal Human Rights that go with it, the Indonesian government ratified two International Human Rights Covenants on 31 September 2005 (The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights). However, it has yet to create a plan for the effective execution of these covenants. This is evidenced in the continuing existence and creation of new laws that continue to discredit the rights of minorities and the absence of any new laws meant to protect them.
In Indonesian Law 10, 2004 the legal method and regulations concerning the construction and passing of laws is outlined. In this law it is clearly stated that all laws, at the federal, provincial, district-level, or local levels, must respect the 1945 Constitution (Pancasila) and must uphold "religious freedom, justice, equality, harmony, and conformity" , "openness," and "human rights." The 1945 Constitution upholds the rights of all Indonesian citizens. In light of these restrictions, it has been challenged that the Perdas themselves are illegal and, as such, should never have been allowed to be passed as laws in the first place. In spite of this, these laws are still in effect, continue to be ratified in new districts, and are very difficult to overturn.