Beritasatu Team, Jakarta – Ramadan and Eid have traditionally served as strategic periods for boosting Indonesia's national economy, as consumer spending typically surges. However, this year's festive season is expected to see a weaker-than-usual rise in consumption due to ongoing economic uncertainty.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia kept its benchmark interest rate at 5.75 percent on Wednesday in a bid to keep inflation in check – a move that analysts had expected.

Deni Ghifari, Jakarta – Two coconut processing companies based in Riau have laid off a total of 3,500 workers as they struggle to maintain production in the face of a shortage of the fruit as a key raw material.

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's slew of populist programmes that require massive funding, declining tax revenues and questions over new sovereign wealth fund Danantara taking the reins at state-owned entities (SOEs) all converged to dent investor sentiment on March 18, sparking a market sell-off as Indonesian stocks tumbled to levels not seen

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.

Agencies, Jakarta – A politician from President Prabowo Subianto's party said on Wednesday that no active military personnel would be placed in state-owned companies, as the parliament is set to pass contentious revisions to a military law.

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.

A West Papuan liberation advocacy group has condemned the arrest of 12 activists by Indonesian police and demanded their immediate release.

The West Papuan activists from the West Papua People's Liberation Movement (GR-PWP) were arrested for handing out pamphlets supporting the new "Boycott Indonesia" campaign.

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.

The activists were arrested because they were handing out leaflets about the upcoming launch of a boycott Indonesian products campaign.

As the activists walked towards the Sentani old market they were stopped by the police and taken to the Jayapura district police station in Doyo Sentani.

Rizki Dewi Ayu, Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I held a first-level working meeting on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, to discuss revisions to the TNI Law with the government. During the meeting, all factions agreed that the amendment to Law Number 34 of 2004 could proceed to a plenary session.

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.

New York – Indonesia's parliament should drop proposed amendments to the 2004 armed forces law that will significantly expand the military's role in civilian governance and weaken legal checks on abusive officials, Human Rights Watch and six Indonesian human rights organizations said today.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Dozens of students blockaded the car carrying Justice Minister Supratman Andi Agtas at the entrance of the legislature compound on Wednesday, demanding he step out and join their protest against proposed amendments to the military law.

Jakarta – Law and Human Rights Minister Supratman Andi Agtas said on Tuesday that the initiative to amend the Indonesian Military (TNI) Law, which will allow the military to play a larger role in politics, did not come from President Prabowo Subianto or the executive branch of the government.

Jakarta – Coordinating Infrastructure and Regional Development Minister Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono said on Wednesday that he had received orders from President Prabowo Subianto to kick off the construction of a giant sea wall along the northern coast of Java.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I, Tubagus Hasanuddin, said that the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) could be involved in non-war military operations according to the revision of the TNI Law. One of them is in counter-terrorism.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – Indonesia's State Intelligence Agency (BIN) has launched official social media accounts across multiple platforms. BIN Deputy for Communication and Information Idham Malik stated that these accounts were created to foster closer engagement with the public.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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]

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

Indonesia, West Papua – The Pacific state of Vanuatu, in cooperation with the Federated State of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, and Samoa, delivered a joint statement on the situation of human rights defenders in West Papua during the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders on 6 March 2025 at the 18th Meeting of the 58th Session of the Hu

President Prabowo Subianto's goal of establishing between 70,000 and 80,000 new cooperatives using loans from state-run lenders is problematic and could pose a serious financial risk.

Deni Ghifari, Jakarta – Meta has been approving advertisements posing as news articles of legitimate local and international media outlets, which cybersecurity experts say could lead to cybercrime.