Jakarta – Indonesia has moved a step closer to its goal of becoming a vaccine production hub, as a series of locally developed COVID-19 vaccine candidates enter the advanced stages of clinical trials.
This is a crucial move, considering the prolonged pandemic and the potential for future outbreaks.
Aisyah Llewellyn, Medan, Indonesia – Indonesia is once again facing a potential legal crisis as the passage of its controversial draft criminal code – a complete overhaul of the current criminal code – looks imminent.
Don't do the crime if you can't do the time. Or in this case, don't have sex on a public beach in Bali – opening yourself up (no pun intended) to being recorded by creeps and seeing your XXX clip posted online – if you don't want the authorities to catch more than just a glimpse of your butt.
Jakarta – Police will have to do a better job in explaining why they have arrested 23 people these last two weeks in connection with the Khilafatul Muslimin, a hitherto a little-known group that the authorities say aspires to turn Indonesia into an Islamic state.
M Zulfikar, Fadhli Ruhman, Jakarta – The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) has communicated the fundamental developments related to the advancement and enforcement of human rights in Indonesia to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, in Geneva, Switzerland.
Jakarta – The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) has discussed the plan to hold a peaceful dialogue to resolve the problems in Papua during its visit to the United Nation's headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
A story about an alleged marriage con has become a hot topic in Indonesia as it involves a woman who said she only discovered her husband is actually a woman 10 months after their wedding.
Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian government is planning to formulate fiscal and non-fiscal incentive schemes that are hoped to attract funding for the infrastructure developments of the new capital city project set to be located at East Kalimantan.
Parker Novak – China and Australia's duelling Pacific tours make final stops. East Timor deals cap Chinese foreign minister's 10-day Pacific blitz. Anthony Albanese talks with Timor-Leste leadership as he flies to Indonesia.
Probolinggo, East Java – Thousands of Hindu worshippers climbed Mount Bromo volcano in East Java on Thursday to throw offerings from crops to livestock down its smouldering crater in a centuries-old religious ceremony.
M Rosseno Aji, Jakarta – Chairperson of the University of Indonesia Law Faculty (UI) Student Executive Board (BEM) Adam Putra Firdaus criticized the latest draft of the penal code law (RKUHP) which criminalizes the act of contempt against the government. Adam believed that criminalizing someone for criticizing the government is a dangerous maneuver by lawmakers.
Manokwari, Jubi – A team of investigators from the Fakfak District Attorney (DA), West Papua, searched a number of documents in the Fakfak General Election Commission (KPU) Treasurer's room on Thursday, June 16, 2022.
The DA managed to confiscate 50 documents related to the accountability report of the Regional Grant Fund to the KPU in the 2020 Regional Head Election.
Thousands of Timor-Leste Catholics lined the streets of capital Dili to observe the feast of Corpus Christi in a solemn procession of the Blessed Sacrament.
The annual celebration was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid pandemic restrictions.
Jayapura, Jubi – The Papua Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua) has asked the Jayapura City Police to punish their members who fired rubber bullets to disperse the rally commemorating the death of West Papua National Committee (KNPB) leader Mako Tabuni on Tuesday, June 14, 2022.
Stefani Wijaya, Jakarta – The police and the anti-money laundering agency have frozen at least 21 bank accounts belonging to suspected leaders of Muslim group Khilafatul Muslimin, which authorities said seeks to establish an Islamic state in Indonesia.
It appears that it takes a viral video for road laws to apply equally to all Indonesians, after sanctions are finally being handed out for a clear traffic violation involving a ministry vehicle.
Supriatin – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD has refuted news that the United Nations Human Rights Council recently highlighted human rights violations in Indonesia, including the current situation in Papua.
Evarianus S, Mecca Yumna, Manokwari – Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia has urged regional governments in West Papua Province to implement a healthy bureaucracy and offer security guarantees to attract entrepreneurs to invest in the region.
Radityo Dharmaputra – Almost 120 days have passed since Russia invaded Ukraine, and the war continues to have ripple effects across the world. While western countries have been united in their support for Ukraine (to different degrees), many others have appeared reluctant to punish Russia for its actions. Some have even seemed supportive.
Agatha Olivia, Raka Adji, Jakarta – The number of recipients of the Pre-Employment Card Program has, until now, reached 12.8 million since being launched in April 2020, an official from the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs stated.
Vitorio Mantalean, Jakarta – The State Intelligence Agency (BIN) has finally spoken out over allegations that mortars it imported from Serbia were dropped on villages in Papua in 2021.
The allegations were reported by the London based arms monitoring group Conflict Armament Research (CAR) which was quoted in a report by Reuters.
Jakarta – The media, social media and the public at large have made a big fuss over the Cabinet reshuffle, especially after President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo summoned numerous political bigwigs Tuesday evening, only to see just two substitutions in the lineup. We cannot therefore expect the small reshuffle to generate a big impact on the country that is poised to recover stronger.
Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Authorities in Indonesia's Papua province have recommended the revocation of licenses for 35 out of the 54 oil palm concessions operating there.
The move follows an evaluation of the licenses carried out by the provincial government since 2019, and mirrors a similar spate of revocations in neighboring West Papua province.
Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) believes that the Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) could be an obstacle to the resolution of gross human rights violations.
Katharina Reny Lestari – A court in Indonesia's Lampung province has sentenced a religious teacher to 10 years in prison for raping a 15-year-old student at a state-run school.
Hafidz Mulky, 28, was convicted on June 15 at Tanjung Karang District Court, which also ordered him to pay a fine of 100 million rupiah (US$6,780) or risk another six months in prison.
Jayapura, Jubi – Papua Governor Lukas Enembe invites 29 regents and mayors in Papua Province to be of one mind in maintaining the unity of the Earth of Cenderawasih (Papua).
M Rosseno Aji, Jakarta – The University of Indonesia Students Executive Board (BEM UI) criticized the latest penal code law draft bill (RKUHP), which oversees public demonstrations, and argued that it would restrict freedom of expression and freedom of speech.
Pat Walsh – Pope Francis recently announced that on 27 August 2022 he would make the archbishop of Dili, Dom Virgilio do Carmo da Costa, a cardinal. The church in tiny East Timor, population 1.3 million, most of whom are Catholics, has come a long way in a short time.
Lenny Tristia Tambun, Jakarta – National Mandate Party (PAN) Chairman Zulkifli Hasan was appointed as the new trade minister in a surprise cabinet shakeup on Wednesday that also saw the return of former military chief Hadi Tjahjanto to public office.
Zulkifli, once considered an opposing figure to the current government, takes over the job from Muhammad Lutfi.
A'an Suryana – Khilafatul Muslimin, an Islamist organisation in Indonesia, has tried but failed to influence public opinion. But the government should keep it on a tight leash.
Jayapura, Jubi – Four protesters who took part in the commemoration of Mako Tabuni's death, which took place at Waena 3 Housing in Jayapura City on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, were injured when the police dispersed the protest. The four people were allegedly hit by rubber bullets.
Indonesia's House of Parliament (DPR) is pushing for the passage of a bill that would raise mandatory maternity leave from three months to six, speaker Puan Maharani said, who stressed the importance of expanding the rights of female workers.
Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo announced a cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday, appointing a new trade minister following controversy over a series of policy flip-flops on palm oil exports.
Jayapura, Jubi – Four activists of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), who were arrested during the protest commemorating the death of Mako Tabuni in Jayapura City on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, were released by the police at 9 p.m. local time. They were released after being questioned at the Jayapura Police Headquarters for several hours.
Jemma Purdey – When President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo invited new Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to join him on a leisurely bicycle ride through the grounds of the Bogor Presidential Palace on 6 June, the Australian media contingent couldn't reach for their social media accounts fast enough.
Jakarta – Indonesia's trade surplus widened to $2.90 billion last month from $2.70 billion in the same month a year ago, despite the country's palm oil export embargo, keeping the balance in the black for the 25th consecutive month.
Police in Indonesia have issued an advisory urging motorcyclists not to wear flip-flops when driving their two-wheelers, citing safety concerns.
Nadiyah Dzakirah, Td, Jakarta – Environmental activists on Wednesday, June 15, rallied in front of the Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE), calling for a halt to the production of plastic sachet packaging.
Katharina Reny Lestari – A so-called education minister of an Islamic extremist group in Indonesia has been arrested and named a suspect in the promotion of Islamic caliphate ideology in schools.
Jakarta (Antara) – The National Police have pressed charges against 23 members of Muslim organization Khilafatul Muslimin, which allegedly seeks to establish a caliphate.
Most of the suspects took part in coordinated motorcycle rallies across several provinces promoting a caliphate last month.
M Julnis Firmansyah, Jakarta – Presidential Chief of Staff Heru Budi Hartono confirmed that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo would not attend the opening ceremony of the 2024 general elections or Pemilu stage held by the General Elections Commission (KPU) today, June 14.
"The President will not be present," said Heru to Tempo on Tuesday.
Jakarta – Indonesia's trade surplus likely shrank significantly in May because of a drop in exports after the government banned shipments of palm oil products, while imports were seen rising more quickly, a Reuters poll showed on Tuesday.
Fajar Pebrianto, Jakarta – President Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, on Tuesday, withdrew the government's plan to substantially increase the entry fee to Central Java's Buddhist temple, Borobudur, from the current Rp50,000 (around US$3) to Rp750,000 (roughly US$50).
Jayapura, Jubi – Head of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation of the Synod of the Evangelical Christian Church in Papua Rev. Dora Balubun said the expansion of Papua would only divide Papuans and put them into boxes of tribes.
Jayapura, Jubi – Anthropology lecturer of the University of Papua I Ngurah Suryawan said a number of major universities in Indonesia have profited from the Papua expansion, as the process required studies prepared by universities. The government would then use the academic paper to endorse the expansion of Papua.
Eileen Ng, Singapore – Indonesia believes it can overcome the next Covid-19 wave, likely driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants, as most of its population have high levels of antibodies due to past infections and vaccination against the virus.
Luke Pachymuthu, Singapore – Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto called for a just and affordable transition to clean energy even as countries around the world scramble to secure energy resources in the short term amid a global oil and gas crunch.
Joao da Cruz Cardoso – On May 20, Timor-Leste commemorated the 20th anniversary of its independence and celebrated the inauguration of its newly elected president Jose Ramos-Horta, who was beginning his second term in the office.
Agus Pabika, Jayapura – – The West Papua National Committee (KNPB) commemorated the killing of Papua activist Musa Mako Tabuni today. Tabuni was shot dead by the Densus 88 anti-terror unit at 9.30 am on June 14, 2012, at the Perumnas III taxi roundabout in Waena, Jayapura city.
Lenny Tristia Tambun, Jakarta – Indonesian Sea Games medalists received up to Rp 500 million ($34,000) each in state bonuses although the country was ranked third overall behind host Vietnam and Thailand in the biennial event held last month.
The Indonesian contingent comprised 499 athletes, in comparison to 840 athletes the country sent to the previous Philippine Games.