Daniel A. Fajri, Jakarta – Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin urges people to maintain their health and immunity amid the spread of infection of several influenza variants in Indonesia, including Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) also known as Singapore Flu.

Jakarta (Agencies) – Multiple explosions ripped through an Indonesian Army's ammunition warehouse in Ciangsana, Bogor regency, West Java, on Saturday night, sending flames and smoke into the night sky. No casualties were immediately reported.

The first explosion was heard at around 6 p.m. at a depot used to store expired ammo inside a military complex.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Three Indonesian badminton players have been banned for life, and five others have been suspended for varying periods, after being found guilty of match-fixing, bribery, and/or betting by the sport's governing body.

Herman, Jakarta – The government will soon repay Rp 474.8 billion (nearly $30 million) debt it took from cooking oil producers who were asked to obey the ceiling price two years ago, Chief Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan confirmed on Saturday.

Novie Fauziah & Roy Adriansyah, Jakarta – Harvey Moeis, the husband of actress Sandra Dewi, has been identified as a suspect by the Attorney General's Office (AGO) in connection with corruption allegations related to tin trading permits issued to the state-owned company Timah.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – The government continues to push for mandatory biodiesel usage, which has now reached B-35 and is being tested for B-40. The domestic biodiesel sales in 2023 amounted to 12.2 million kiloliters (KL).

Jakarta – After 53 years, Christians in Indonesia can finally celebrate Good Friday consistent with their theology. Starting this year, the state no longer applies the term Isa Al-Masih (Messiah), which is borrowed from Islamic tradition, and has instead switched to using the words Jesus Christ when referring to Christianity's most central figure.

Jayapura – Papuan students in various cities around Indonesia along with humanitarian solidarity groups including the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) are demanding that the state be held accountable for cases of torture and violence against civilians by TNI (Indonesian military) and Polri (Indonesian police) officers against the people of the land of Papua.

Sella Rizky, Jakarta – President-elect Prabowo Subianto extended his appreciation to the Golkar Party, a crucial ally in the coalition supporting his presidential candidacy, during a visit to the party's headquarters in West Jakarta on Friday.

In Revolusi: Indonesia and the Birth of the Modern World, author David Van Reybrouck reveals a fascinating history of resistance in the southeast Asian country, writes Simon Basketter.

Fito Akhmad Erlangga, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, along with Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, invited the Ministers of the Indonesian Cabinet to break the fast together (iftar) at the State Palace on Thursday.

Jakarta – A number of senior members in the cabinet of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, including some ministers backed by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) failed to show up on Thursday during an iftar dinner held at the Presidential Palace.

Jakarta – Every five years, there is political horse-trading in Indonesia. The practice of bargaining for cabinet posts takes place between the parties and the presidential candidate that the General Election Commission (KPU) has declared the winner of the election.

Jakarta – The legal team of Indonesian president-elect Prabowo Subianto told the Constitutional Court on Thursday (March 28) that the state had not interfered in last month's election, and a case brought by his opponents to disqualify him should be thrown out.

Victoria Milko, Jakarta, Indonesia – Roads turned to murky brown rivers, homes were swept away by strong currents and bodies were pulled from mud during deadly flash floods and landslides after torrential rains hit West Sumatra in early March, marking one of the latest deadly natural disasters in Indonesia.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Australia sees enhancing people-to-people ties as crucial to forging stronger relations with Indonesia.

Resty Woro Yuniar – Indonesia is investigating human trafficking allegations involving more than a thousand university students ensnared in a bogus internship programme in Germany in a case that highlights the vulnerability of the country's youth to exploitation.

Zach Hope and Karuni Rompies – Indonesia has suspended live cattle imports from a Darwin export yard while authorities investigate how more than 150 animals died this month on a transport ship.

Monique Handa Shafira, Jakarta – The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) projects that the financial turnover during the 2024 Eid al-Fitr holiday period will reach Rp 157.3 trillion ($9.92 billion) with over 190 million people expected to travel for Eid homecoming.

Ronny Kareni – Since the atrocious footage of the suffering of an indigenous Papuan man reverberates in the heart of Puncak by the brute force of Indonesia's army in early February, shocking tactics deployed by those in power to silence critics has been unfolding.

Vinnilya, Jakarta – Senior economist Chatib Basri said that the ministries as well as sub-national governments need to work together when it comes to the Job Creation Law, arguing that many regulations are still overlapping with one another.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) has approved the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (DKJ) Bill, paving the way for Nusantara in East Kalimantan to become the new national capital. Jakarta will remain as the nation's capital until the President issues a decree for relocation to Nusantara in East Kalimantan.

Senator the Hon Penny Wong
PO Box 6100
Senate
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

28 March 2024

Dear Foreign Minister,

I am writing to you on behalf of the Australia West Papua Association in Sydney concerning the brutal torture of a West Papuan man, Defianus Kogoyaby Indonesian troops in West Papua in early February.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesia remains attractive for foreign investors to invest in government projects amid the government's leadership transition, Antara news agency cited a Grant Thornton Indonesia report on Indonesia's economic prospects in 2024.

Pizaro Gozali Idrus for BenarNews, Jakarta, Indonesia – For the second time in three months, a belligerent and resentful crowd of locals in Indonesia's Aceh province made authorities move dozens of newly arrived Rohingya refugees from their shelter by storming the facility, officials said Wednesday.

Anisa Fauziah, Jakarta – A member of the task force that is in charge of promoting the Job Creation Law recently claimed that domestic workers were actually the ones who benefited the most from the so-called omnibus law.

The Papuan Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua) has raised concerns over the denial of legal assistance to Melianus Baye and Benny Elopere, two minors detained by the Papua Regional Police (Polda Papua) on suspicion of involvement in an aircraft shooting incident in the Yahukimo Regency.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The General Election Commission (KPU) argued on Thursday that while presidential candidate Anies Baswedan is demanding a revote and the disqualification of president-elect Prabowo Subianto, he does not essentially dispute the election results.

Jakarta – President-elect Prabowo Subianto said on Wednesday that once he is in office he will make an effort to display paintings by former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the new presidential palace.

Andreas Harsono – The Indonesian military apologized to "all Papuan people" and detained 13 soldiers from an elite battalion in West Java who had tortured a Papuan man in Gome, Central Papua.

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo revealed on Thursday the government's plan to increase its stake in mining giant Freeport Indonesia to 61 percent.

The Indonesian government currently holds a 51 percent stake in Freeport following years of negotiations initiated by the Jokowi government in order to get a fair deal with the gold and copper miner.

Nina A. Loasana, Jakarta – Indonesia has seen a significant increase in cases of dengue fever and deaths from the illness as the El Nino weather phenomenon causes a warmer rainy season across the country.

The Health Ministry recorded some 35,500 dengue cases nationwide from the beginning of January to March 18, with 290 deaths.

Singapore – Investor interest in Indonesia's proposed new capital Nusantara has been renewed, following official results that confirmed Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto will be the country's next president.

Geneva – The U.N. Human Rights Committee said on Thursday it was concerned by extrajudicial killings in Indonesia's Papua province, where separatists and Indonesian troops have been fighting for decades.

Daniel A. Fajri, Jakarta – The Presidential Palace emphasized that the government of President Joko Widodo or Jokowi is not a party involved in the ongoing presidential election dispute at the Constitutional Court (MK). The President's Special Staff for Legal Affairs, Dini Purwono, suggested that the public follow the legal process.

Kafil Yamin – Concerned about election irregularities, academics are stepping up criticism of last month's poll which saw Minister of Defence Prabowo Subianto declared the country's president-elect on 20 March. Prabowo is to take over from outgoing President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, in October, after a transition period.

Jakarta – As many as 303 academics have submitted an amicus curiae or friends of the court brief with the Constitutional Court (MK) so that it will rule fairly and justly on election disputes in the 2024 presidential election.

Jakarta – On Wednesday, the Constitutional Court began the hearing for the Feb. 14 presidential election dispute filed by losing candidates Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo.

Jakarta – Seven members of the Kuala Lumpur PPLN are proven to have inflated the number of voters for the 2024 elections. This should open the door to investigating other frauds.

Jakarta – Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno recently called for an adaptive and responsive tourism bill.

Stanley Widianto, Jakarta – Indonesia's losing presidential candidate Anies Baswedan on Wednesday laid out his challenge in court to last month's presidential election, calling it unjust and fraught with interference to sway the ballot in favor of one candidate.

Prisma Ardianto, Jakarta – The Secretary General of the Indonesia Workers' Organization (OPSI), Timboel Siregar, forecasts that overall Eid al-Fitr bonuses (THR) for this year will range from approximately Rp 129.2 trillion ($8.14 billion) to Rp 165 trillion.

Antara, Jakarta – The Jakarta Transportation Agency has set aside a massive Rp 6.3 billion ($396,281) to purchase five electric patrol motorcycles for escorting Very Very Important Persons (VVIPs) and the incoming governor-deputy governor.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – The financially troubled Indonesian Export Financing Agency (LPEI), known as Indonesia Eximbank, has suffered from another round of bad debts, resulting from fraud.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – A prominent economist said on Wednesday that the full implementation of the job creation law could potentially elevate investments and drive economic growth to reach 7 percent.

Djibril Muhammad, Jakarta – According to a recent survey conducted by pollster Lingkaran Survei Indonesia (LSI) Denny Januar Ali, the majority of voters from the losing presidential candidates Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo have embraced the outcome of the 2024 Presidential Election.

Jakarta – It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers.

Jakarta – Unsuccessful presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has said that he will reject any offer of a cabinet position in the administration of president-elect Prabowo Subianto.

Jakarta – A clash broke out on Wednesday March 27 when two groups of demonstrators were protesting at the Horse Statue in Central Jakarta as the Constitutional Court (MK) was holding a hearing challenging the results of the 2024 elections.

Ichsan Ali, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo inaugurated the Wani Port and Pantoloan Port in Teluk Palu, Donggala Regency, Central Sulawesi, on Wednesday. The ports were destroyed by liquefaction and a tsunami in 2018.