Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – The Composite Stock Price Index (IHSG) plunged by 6.12 percent at the close of the first trading session on Tuesday, March 18, 2025.

Rizki Dewi Ayu, Jakarta – Indonesian Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas stated that active Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) soldiers could take office in approved 14 ministries/agencies according to the TNI Bill revision. He said that 16 ministries/agencies were initially proposed in the drafting of the bill to amend Law No. 34 of 2004 on the TNI.

Harry Suhartono and Ameya Karve – An Indonesian state-owned lender scrapped a planned sale of dollar bonds after a stock market rout in the country quickly spread to other asset classes.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Stock trading on the Indonesia Stock Exchange on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 experienced a temporary suspension or trading halt due to a drastic point decline.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Nearly 200,000 people have signed a petition calling on U.K. multinational Jardine Matheson to cancel its plan to expand deeper into Indonesia's Batang Toru Forest, the only known habitat of the world's most threatened great ape, the Tapanuli orangutan.

Agencies, Jakarta – Human rights groups on Wednesday urged the House of Representatives to reject contentious revisions of military laws, saying they would take the country to an era of military domination and create legal uncertainty.

Yustinus Paat, Putu Ayu Pratama Sugiyo, Jakarta – A viral aerial video allegedly showing a marijuana plantation on the slopes of Mount Semeru in East Java has sparked public concern, but the government clarified on Tuesday that the footage is not recent and that authorities had already dismantled the illegal crops.

Yogi Eka Sahputra, Batam – The construction of houses to relocate the residents affected by the National Strategic Project (PSN) Rempang Eco City in Tanjung Banon Village is in jeopardy due to the Prabowo government's budget cut policy. Around 500 houses have yet to be built.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – Deputy of Emergency Response at the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), Major General Lukmansyah, revealed that budget constraints have been a hindrance in regional disaster response.

Fuad Iqbal Abdullah, Nusantara – The Nusantara Capital Authority signed a cooperation agreement with five private investors on Tuesday, securing a total investment of Rp 2.42 trillion ($146.5 million).

Andi Adam Faturahman, Jakarta – The discussion on the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) Law revision continues to attract attention from civil society groups and students. Demonstrations were held to express opposition to the draft TNI Law that was approved by the House of Representatives Defense and Security Commission.

Aditya Hadi, Jakarta – The Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) Composite index tumbled 3.84 percent to 6,223 points on Tuesday, recovering only slightly from a plunge of more than 5 percent in the morning trading session that triggered a 30-minute trading halt.

Intan Setiawanty, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has urged the House of Representatives (DPR) to halt the discussion of the revision of Law Number 34 of 2004 concerning the Indonesian National Military (TNI Bill) which is deemed closed and problematic.

Ananda Teresia, Jakarta – Rights groups in Indonesia on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, urged parliament to reject contentious revisions of military laws, saying they would take the archipelago back to an era of military domination and create legal uncertainty.

Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – Vice Chairperson of Commission I of the House of Representatives Dave Akbarshah Fikarno Laksono stated that the revision of the TNI Law or TNI bill is set to be discussed in the level II plenary meeting on Thursday, March 20, 2025.

Rizki Dewi Ayu, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), under Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, initially opposed the revision of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI) Law in mid-2024.

However, the party, symbolized by a bull, now backs the discussion of the bill.

Jakarta – The government has insisted on resuming President Prabowo Subianto's flagship free nutritious meal program during the fasting month of Ramadan by making some adjustments to the menu including by providing ultra-processed foods for school children, drawing criticism from nutritionists.

Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) and the government have continued discussions on revisions to Law Number 34/2004 on the Indonesian Military (UU TNI) in the midst of public criticism.

Indonesia, West Papua – The indigenous Marind Anim people of South Papua, alongside hundreds of indigenous activists from across Indonesia, have issued a powerful rejection of the National Strategic Projects (PSN) that threaten their land, culture, and livelihoods.

Antara, Aceh – One of the residents from Gampong Ateun Geulinggang, Dewantara District, North Aceh, Hasfiani also known as Imam, became a victim of a shooting allegedly carried out by a member of the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL). The alleged perpetrator has been arrested.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – Sebby Sambom, spokesperson for the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM), has denied the establishment of a new Defense Command (Kodap) III D Dulla in Intan Jaya, Central Papua.

Yolanda Agne, Jakarta – On March 14, 2025, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) announced its official management team for the 2024-2029 term, revealing that Hashim Djojohadikusumo, the brother of President Prabowo Subianto, along with his two children, Aryo Djojohadikusumo and Rahayu Saraswati Djojohadikusumo, have been appointed to strategic positions.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – The Norwegian government is monitoring growing concerns over Indonesia's decision to appoint political figures with little climate expertise to oversee a climate forestry program largely financed by Norway.

Alfitria Nefi P, Jakarta – The Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) scrutinized the budget used by the House of Representatives (DPR) to debate the amendment on the Law concerning the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI Law) at the Fairmont Hotel, Jakarta.

Herman, Jakarta – Ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, several civic organizations, commonly known as ormas, often cause unrest among business owners by demanding holiday allowances.

The pressure doesn't come from ormas alone – local governments and even criminal gangs also exert influence during this period.

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – The Composite Stock Price Index (IHSG) tumbled over 4 percent on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at 11:11 AM WIB, before plunging 5 percent, prompting the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) to impose a temporary trading halt.

Jakarta – The recent developments surrounding the extradition order for fugitive businessman Paulus Tannos have cast a spotlight on the efficacy of the Indonesia-Singapore Extradition Treaty.

Tannos, implicated in a massive graft scandal involving Indonesia's electronic identification (e-ID) card project, is currently contesting his extradition from Singapore.

Salman Mardira, Jakarta – Indonesia has evacuated 400 of its citizens who were victims of human trafficking linked to online scams from Myawaddy, Myanmar, on Monday.

Director of Indonesian Citizens Protection at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Judha Nugraha, said the evacuees were transported across the border from Myanmar to Mae Sot, Thailand, via the 2nd Friendship Bridge.

We the undersigned organizations are concerned by the recent response from the Government of Indonesia to an October 2024 letter sent by the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food and eight other UN Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups regarding environmental and human rights violations by Indonesian palm oil company Astra Agro Lestari (AAL).[1]

Vedro Imanuel Girsang, Jakarta – Spokesperson of the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organization (TPNPB-OPM), Sebby Sambom, admits not to worry even though the Indonesian police have uncovered the weapons supplier network to their organization. He claims to still have other networks that can fulfill the need for weapons for their guerrilla warfare.

Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – Al Araf, Senior Researcher from Imparsial and Chairperson of the Centra Initiative, has disclosed several commitments made by the House of Representatives (DPR) during a hearing with the Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform concerning the revision of the Indonesian Military or TNI Law.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – A commissioner of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has proposed extreme measures against corruption convicts, including isolating them on a remote island without state-provided food supplies.

Johanis Tanak, a senior KPK official, also suggested imposing a minimum prison sentence of 10 years for those convicted of graft.

Jakarta – The Supreme Court is grappling with a significant shortage of judges, with nearly 2,000 more needed across high courts and district courts, the Supreme Court's General Judiciary Institution (Badilum) director general Bambang Myanto said on Thursday.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition has initiated an online petition to express their rejection of the return of military dual function in the revision of Law Number 34 Year 2004 concerning the Indonesian National Armed Forces or TNI Law. Since it was launched two days ago, more than 12 thousand people have signed the petition to reject the TNI Bill.

Antara, Jakarta – Heavy flooding has inundated 29 neighborhood units (RT) across East Jakarta, West Jakarta, and South Jakarta, with water levels reaching up to 2.5 meters, the Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) reported on Tuesday.

Nicholas Ryan Aditya, Robertus Belarminus, Jakarta – A number of national figures who are members of a civil society organisation called the National Conscious Movement (Gerakan Nurani Bangsa) have criticised the planned revisions to the law on the Indonesian Military (UU TNI) which now only needs to be ratified in a plenary session of the House of Representatives (DPR).

Indah Handayani, Rama Sukarta, Jakarta – Indonesia's benchmark stock index, the Jakarta Composite Index (JCI), falls 6.12 percent, shedding 395.8 points to close at 6,076.08 in the first trading session on Tuesday. The sharp decline triggered an automatic trading halt at 11:19 a.m. local time, lasting 30 minutes, as the index breached the 5 percent decline threshold.

Jakarta – There is a fitting Malay poem that portrays the chaotic response to the recent flooding in Bekasi, Bogor and Jakarta: "It's like a person searching for leaves, but not looking for the roots."

Bambang Ismoyo, Jakarta – The Trade Ministry has imposed sanctions on 66 businesses for various violations related to the sale and distribution of Minyakita, the government-subsidized cooking oil, Trade Minister Budi Santoso announced on Monday.

Andi Adam Faturahman, Jakarta – The House Defense Commission claims the three articles being discussed during the revision of the Law concerning the Indonesian Armed Forces or TNI Law, namely Articles 3, 47, and 53. Deputy Speaker of DPR Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said there are additional civilian posts that can be taken by active soldiers under Article 47.

Maulani Mulianingsih, Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition has launched a petition "Reject the Return of Dwi-Fungsi through Revisions to the TNI Law" in which it expressed its opposition to revisions to the Indonesian Military Law (UU TNI) that will allow active military officers to occupy civilian positions and will weaken the fight against militarism.

Jakarta – Civil society organizations strongly reject the proposed amendments to Law No. 34/2004 on the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI Law), which pose a serious threat to democracy, civilian supremacy over the military, and human rights in Indonesia.

Andi Adam Faturahman, Jakarta – Deputy House Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad suggested the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) report the alleged intimidation experienced by several of its members after disrupting a closed parliament meeting discussing the revision of Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) Law.

Mei Leandha, Medan – The prosecutors in the case of the murder of journalist Rico Sempurna Pasaribu and his family are seeking the death penalty for the alleged killers, namely Bebas Ginting alias Bulang, Yunus Tarigan and Rudi Sembiring. They were found to have violated Article 340 of the Criminal Code concerning premeditated murder.

Najla Nur Fauziyah, Jakarta – Civil society groups have rejected the government's push for the amendment of the Law on Indonesian Armed Forces, or TNI Law, citing its rushed process and flawed implementation. The groups include the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), Amensty International Indonesia, and the Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI).

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia had been enjoying a positive trade balance for 58 consecutive months, but the monthly surplus had weakened in February, official data showed on Monday.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – World's largest palm oil producer Indonesia announced Monday that exports of its top agricultural commodity had witnessed a double-digit increase in February.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – The Indonesian government and private sector owed foreign creditors $427.5 billion as of the end of January, up from $424.8 billion in the previous month, Bank Indonesia announced on Monday.

The latest foreign debt figures increased 5.1 percent compared to the same month last year.

Associated Press, Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi – Nearly seven months after a crocodile attack almost took her life, Munirpa walked to the estuary outside her home with her husband and her children, ready to brave a reenactment.

Vinnilya, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has announced the government's ambitious plans to boost industrial and investment sectors, with nearly 30 strategic projects set to launch this year.