On behalf of the colonised people of West Papua, I am asking the UK government to cancel their reception of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. Prabowo is a blood-stained war criminal who is complicit in genocide in East Timor and West Papua.

David Wilson, Monique Handa Shafira, Jakarta – The eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki in East Flores, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), since Nov. 4 has claimed nine lives and displaced 13,116 people.

Maria Goreti Koten, one of the evacuees, described how she and her family fled to a temporary shelter, along with other residents, to escape the dangers of the eruption.

An exiled West Papuan leader has called on supporters globally to show their support by raising the Morning Star flag – banned by Indonesia – on December 1.

"Whether in your house, your workplace, the beach, the mountains or anywhere else, please raise our flag and send us a picture," said United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) interim president Benny Wenda.

Jakarta – A boycott of several global brands associated with Israel has impacted their sales in Indonesia, but that does not mean the boycott has "worked".

Herman, Jakarta – The government reported that it had busted smuggling operations with transactions totaling Rp 49 billion ($3 million) within just one week alone.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – Indonesia could be losing up to Rp 1.2 trillion ($75.5 million) monthly due to misdirected electricity subsidies, according to the National Strategy for Corruption Prevention (Stranas PK).

Riri Rahayu, Jakarta – Indonesia's Ministry of Transportation stated that the discontinuation of the autonomous rail transit (ART) project or autonomous train without tracks in the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) is not a problem.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – The Indonesian government is conducting a study on the underground economy, which encompasses tax evasion and other illegal activities. According to Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, there is significant untapped potential for state revenue from these underground activities.

Antara, Jakarta – National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo announced on Thursday that 181 terror suspects have been arrested during preemptive operations over the past two years.

The operations were conducted by the counter-terrorism squad Detachment 88, in collaboration with the Mobile Brigade Corps (Brimob), a police paramilitary unit.

Iman Rahman Cahyadi, Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati confirmed on Thursday that the new value-added tax (VAT) rate of 12 percent will be implemented on January 1, in line with the 2021 taxation law.

Keith Anthony S. Fabro – Authorities in Indonesia have rescued more than 6,500 wild birds being trafficked from the island of Sumatra and destined for Java, in what's been hailed as the single largest seizure of its kind in the country's modern history.

Aryo Putranto Saptohutomo, Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform has strongly condemned the attack by scores of TNI (Indonesian) soldiers from the Medan 2 Artillery Battalion/Kilap Sumagan (Armed-2/KS) on residents of the Selamat Village in Sibiru-Biru district, Deli Serdang, North Sumatra.

Dwi Bowo Raharjo and Alfian Winanto – Maria Katarina Sumarsih took part in a ceremony placing flowers on a symbolic grave during an action commemorating the 26th anniversary of the Semanggi Tragedy I at the Atma Jaya University in Jakarta on Wednesday November 13.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Wednesday reminded new cabinet members of the mandatory public disclosure of their wealth.

KPK Deputy Chairman Pahala Nainggolan said only around 10 new cabinet members have contacted the commission asking about the procedures to report their wealth.

Situbondo, East Java – More than 2,000 Indonesian and Australian troops held joint military drills Wednesday, after the allies signed a new defense agreement pledging closer cooperation to counter security threats in the Asia-Pacific region.

Jakarta – Two people died after a truck loaded with stones lost control as a result of brake failure while negotiating a downhill curve in Banjarsari village, Selorejo district, Blitar regency, East Java, on Monday.

The truck was carrying stones as well as five people in its cabin and fell into a 20-meter deep ravine. The two fatalities were identified only as MRF and HG.

Jakarta – National Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo made a pledge on Thursday before a hearing at the House of Representatives that he would resign from his position if he was found guilty of accepting money sourced from online gambling.

Jakarta – We join the chorus of praise for the government's plan to provide free annual health screenings for all citizens with an eye to reducing the country's disease burden.

Agencies, Denpasar – Several international airlines cancelled flights to and from Bali on Wednesday, after further eruptions of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki that has spewed ash clouds as high as 10 km (32,808 ft) and forced thousands to evacuate.

Basudiwa Supraja, Jakarta – The constantly changing curriculum in Indonesia is causing stress and confusion among students, particularly when changes occur too frequently, a child psychologist said on Tuesday.

Bella Evanglista, Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) has formed a task force to monitor and address the involvement of its personnel in online gambling, with approximately 4,000 members implicated.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – The government has collected Rp 1,517.5 trillion ($96 billion) in tax revenue as of Oct. 31, 2024, reflecting a 0.4 percent decrease compared to the same period in 2023, when tax revenue totaled Rp 1,523.9 trillion.

Monique Handa Shafira, Jakarta – Textile giant Sri Rejeki Isman (Sritex) has temporarily furloughed 2,500 employees due to a raw material shortage, but they remain on the payroll despite the company's bankruptcy status declared by the Semarang District Court.

Mita Amalia Hapsari, Jakarta – Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf, commonly known as Gus Ipul, has set a target to eliminate extreme poverty in Indonesia within the next two years. Currently, he said, the number of people classified as living in extreme poverty is 2.3 million.

Ricki Putra Harahap, Jakarta – The Indonesian Teachers' Association (PGRI) has called for a comprehensive evaluation of the Merdeka Curriculum, as the new government reshapes the education sector by creating separate ministries for elementary, middle, and high school education.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – US President Joe Biden recently told his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto that he wanted to work with Jakarta on energy transition.

Biden hosted Prabowo at the White House on Tuesday local time. The latter is currently in Washington as part of a two-week-long overseas trip that includes stops in China, the UK, Brazil, and Peru.

Ichsan Ali, Heru Andriyanto, Tangerang – Education expert Darmaningtyas on Tuesday urged the government to discontinue the Merdeka Curriculum introduced by former Education Minister Nadiem Makarim.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – International Law Professor at the University of Indonesia, Hikmahanto Juwana, said the country's joint development with China potentially violates the law.

"Several laws in Indonesia are violated if the joint development truly comes to fruition," said Hikmahanto Juwana in a statement to Tempo on Wednesday, November 13, 2024.

Tempo.co, Jakarta – High-intensity rains caused the Batang Sumpur River to overflow, resulting in flash flooding in five "nagari" in Sijunjung Regency, West Sumatra, on Monday night, November 11, at around 11:30 p.m. A nagari is a customary community unit in West Sumatra Province that has its own territorial boundaries, assets, and authority to regulate its own budget.

Riri Rahayu, Jakarta – Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency (ATR/BPN), Nusron Wahid, announced that the ministry is preparing 564,957 hectares of abandoned land for the transmigration program.

Antara, Jakarta – The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) proposed processed or canned fish as one of the menu items to support the Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) initiated by President Prabowo Subianto.

Hendrik Khoirul Muhid, Jakarta – The Indonesian Army came under scrutiny after an attack incident by its members on civilian residents in Desa Selamat, Sibiru-biru, Deli Serdang, North Sumatra on Friday night, November 8, 2024. This incident resulted in the death of Raden Barus, a 61-year-old elderly, and injuries to several other residents.

Irsyan Hasyim (Kontributor), Jakarta – The Rainforest Action Network (RAN) and The Tree Map provided satellite image evidence of the widespread deforestation driven by palm oil plantations in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve, Aceh.

Max Walden and Erwin Renaldi – The Indonesian president was in Washington to meet US President Joe Biden, but it was a phone call with president-elect Donald Trump that has made headlines.

An effusive exchange shared across Prabowo Subianto's social media channels has raised eyebrows.

Stephen Wright – Indonesia's plan to convert more than two million hectares of conservation and indigenous lands into agriculture will cause long-term damage to the environment, create conflict and add to greenhouse gas emissions, according to a feasibility study document for the Papua region mega-project.

Vedro Imanuel G, Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said the poor population in Indonesia has grown in 2024, reaching 25.22 million across the country. This is higher than the pre-pandemic number of poor population in Indonesia, which amounted to 25.14 million people.

Mathias Hariyadi, Jakarta – In the Boyolali region of Central Java, a protest by Indonesian milk producers against the massive importation of the raw material has exploded, and the contours it has taken over the past few days have caused deep dismay among citizens and civil society.

Adhi Priamarizki & Muhamad Haripin – In the days following his inauguration on 20 October, President Prabowo Subianto moved quickly to appoint a total of 136 coordinating ministers, ministers and their deputies, agency chiefs and their deputies, and special envoy/advisor posts.

Rendy Pahrun Wadipalapa – Indonesia's regional elections, scheduled for 27 November, bear all the signs of a worsening democratic backsliding at the hands of "toxic alliances". These alliances – an unnatural coalition between opposing political forces – have become a defining feature of Indonesia's recent political landscape at the expense of genuine democratic representation.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has secured his American counterpart Joe Biden's support to speed up the feasibility study on the development of a small nuclear reactor in Indonesia.

Jakarta – The Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) announced on Monday that it would hold a meeting with the Chinese coast guard in what the agency chief described as a move to strengthen cooperation between the two institutions.

Alfida Rizky Febriana, Jakarta – Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono is ramping up efforts to promote the urban farming concept through the Sustainable Food House Area program.

Nur Janti, Jakarta – Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta has formed a team to investigate alleged plagiarism committed by its lecturers after the accusation went viral on social media.

Jakarta – Over the weekend, what appears to be a departure from Indonesia's foreign policy regarding the South China Sea has sparked heated debate.

Agencies, Washington, United States – President Prabowo Subianto congratulated Donald Trump on his election victory in a phone call after landing in Washington on an official visit that includes a meeting with President Joe Biden on Tuesday.

Jakarta – The police continue to update the number of victims in a pileup accident that occurred on Monday on the Cipularang toll road in Purwakarta, West Java, involving 17 vehicles.

Theo Kelen, Jayapura – On Monday November 11 the Papua Council of Churches (PCC) and Papuan indigenous priests held a press conference in Jayapura city, Papua, to address the current situation in the land of Papua.

Jakarta – Former trade minister and suspect in an alleged sugar import corruption case Thomas Lembong sent a handwritten letter from prison to the public on Saturday, saying that his legal team was managing his case.

Jakarta – The Nusantara International Airport in the planned new capital has received International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) registration code WALK and was granted public operational status as of Monday.

The airport is managed by a management unit (UPT) under the Transportation Ministry's Civil Aviation Directorate General.

Andreas Harsono – If you visit Indonesia's National Library – home to 7.7 million physical books – and do a search with the keywords "West Papua", "Irian Jaya" or even simply "Papua", you'll find a rather modest number of results in Dutch, English and Indonesian: just 1,192 titles.