Ratih Hardjono

Ratih Hardjono (born 6 December 1960) is an Indonesian journalist for Kompas, an author, and a public affairs consultant. Her first book, White Tribe of Asia, a discussion of Australia's culture, history and politics, was published in 1993. She was Presidential Secretary to Abdurrahman Wahid, and in 2000, she served as Programme Coordinator Information and Publication for United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Indonesia. Two years later, she co-edited a book, The Poor Speak Up, 17 Stories of Corruption, for the World Bank. Hardjono married Fajrul Falaakh, vice dean of law at Gadjah Mada University.

Biography Early years Hardjono is from Kramat Jati, East Jakarta Hardjono studied at the University of Sydney, Australia. it was announced that she had received a Nieman Fellowship (1994) from Harvard University, Boston. She was the third Indonesian to receive such a scholarship, after the journalist Sabam Siagian and poet Goenawan Mohamad.

Press career Harjono worked with the Indonesian daily Kompas for several years. She was one of their correspondents in Australia As State Secretary, she worked to promote freedom of the press and is noted as having built the first civilian Presidential office since the fall of Sukarno 35 years prior. Greg Sheridan, foreign editor of The Australian, has dismissed the spying accusations as having no shred of evidence, and attributes it to internal government politicking against Kim Beazley.

Hardjono resigned in mid-March 2000 with effect from 1 April to prepare for her wedding and to "avoid corruption, collusion, and nepotism". She was replaced by Djoko Mulyono.

After politics After her resignation, Hardjono became Programme Coordinator, Information and Publication for the United Nations Development Programme, representing Indonesia. She also coedited The Poor Speak Up, 17 Stories of Corruption in 2002. She still writes as a freelancer.

Ratih has been Secretary General for the NGO Indonesian Community for Demokrasi (KID) since 2005, which is an NGO working in adult education in democracy by establishing Schools of Democracy at the District levels across Indonesia.

She also is a Senior Advisor at Albright Stonebridge Group.

Personal life Hardjono is married to Fajrul Falakh, vice dean of law at Gadjah Mada University, a politician and once deputy chair of the Nahdlatul Ulama with whom she resides in Jakarta and by whom she has twin sons. Her first husband was Australian journalist Bruce Grant.

Selected publications 1992, Suku putihnya Asia : perjalanan Australia mencari jati dirinya 1993, White tribe of Asia : an Indonesian view of Australia 1995, Australian business people in Asia 2001, Women and Journalism – Reporting on War, Listening to Women 2002, The poor speak up : 17 stories of corruption