Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – A soldier from the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) of Kodim 1715/Yahukimo named Serka Seger Mulyana became the victim of a fatal attack carried out by the Free Papua Movement (OPM) on Monday, June 16, 2025. The military soldier was killed after being shot on the Kali Biru Bridge, Dekai District, Yahukimo Regency, Papua.

Nandito Putra, Jakarta – Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Association of Energy, Mineral, and Coal Suppliers (Aspebindo), Fathul Nugroho, views the conflict between Israel and Iran, which has triggered a surge in global oil prices, as a potential opportunity for Indonesia to accelerate its efforts towards energy self-sufficiency.

Jayapura – Nine United Nations Special Procedure Mechanism special rapporteurs have written a letter to the Indonesian government and the company PT Global Papua Abadi, which is involved in the Merauke National Strategic Project (PSN) in South Papua.

Hanin Marwah, Jakarta – The West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organization (TPNPB OPM) Kodap VIII Intan Jaya threatened to launch a military operation if the Indonesian government continues the construction of roads from Nabire to Ilaga and from Sugapa to Ugimba.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Iran wants Indonesia and other Muslim nations to stop buying Israeli goods in hopes of putting pressure on the Zionist regime, according to its diplomat.

As Parliamentarians, lawyers, and supporters of West Papua, we urge the leaders of the five Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) member groups to upgrade the membership status of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) at the upcoming MSG leaders' summit.

Deni Ghifari, Jakarta – The government plans to push up the poverty line in a move that would bring Indonesia's measure closer to that of the World Bank, even though that could be politically risky, as it would categorize more people as poor.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – President Prabowo has ruled that the four islands previously disputed between Aceh and North Sumatra fall under Aceh's jurisdiction. The decision was made based on a review of official government administrative documents.

Nandito Putra, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) asserts that the mass rape of Chinese-descent women during the May 1998 tragedy is a serious human rights violation acknowledged by the state.

Raden Putri Alpadillah Ginanjar, Jakarta – Minister of Culture Fadli Zon's recent remarks, in which he dismissed the mass rapes that occurred during the May 1998 riots as nothing more than rumors, have sparked widespread public outrage.

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – Indonesian Minister of Culture Fadli Zon has called on the public to interpret the dark history of human rights violations including the mass rapes of 1998 with maturity and a non-emotional approach.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – The Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, Usman Hamid, responded to a statement by Fadli Zon who considered the mass rape incident in May 1998 as a rumor. He assessed that the Minister of Culture had no authority whatsoever to draw conclusions about past violence against women.

Antara, Banjarbaru, S – Kalimantan. A navy sailor has been sentenced to life in prison and dishonorably discharged for the premeditated murder of 23-year-old female journalist Juwita in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan.

Elisa Valenta, Jakarta – The World Bank has approved two major investment packages worth a combined US$2.1 billion to support job creation, economic growth, and the expansion of clean energy access across Indonesia.

Andi Adam Faturahman, Jakarta – The Central Board of Women of the Nation, an organization under the National Awakening Party or PKB, criticized the statement made by the Minister of Culture Fadli Zon who claimed that the mass rape cases during the May 1998 riots did not have enough evidence to be included in Indonesia's official history.

Julianus Palermo, Surabaya, E – Java. Police in Surabaya in East Java, have arrested two men connected to a private Facebook group called "Gay Surabaya," accusing them of facilitating same-sex meetups through the platform. The admin, identified as MFK, 24, and a group member, GR, 36, were taken into custody by the Tanjung Perak Port Police.

Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Chairul Fikri, Jakarta – Indonesian officials and activists have pushed back against recent remarks by Culture Minister Fadli Zon suggesting the mass rapes during the May 1998 riots were merely "rumors," saying such comments risk erasing painful historical truths and marginalizing victims.

Max Lane – It was good to see the Teater Kecil so packed. Standing room only, so at least 400 people and a couple of hundred more outside. I later learned probably 5000 people watched the event on YouTube or on one of the sponsoring organisations' social media streams. In fact, bookings for the event had filled up within a few hours of the publicity going online.

Duncan Graham – P&I readers don't need to be told that Defence Minister Richard Marles is floundering when trying to make security links with Indonesia seem as though they've "never been in better shape".

Catholic-majority Timor-Leste has reversed its initial decision to abstain in a vote on a United Nations resolution concerning the protection of civilians in Gaza and voted in favor of it a day after the vote.

Jakarta – The government has many reasons to make it difficult, but not impossible, for foreigners to work in the country. One of these is to protect employment and limit foreign workers to jobs that Indonesians cannot fill. It is what most other countries do too. But this is no reason for the government to extort expatriates intending to work in Indonesia.

Erfan Maruf, Jakarta – The government defended its plan to introduce smaller subsidized housing units in urban areas, following public backlash over proposals for homes as small as 14 square meters, smaller than a typical hotel room. Officials say the concept is still in its early stages and aimed at addressing the specific needs of young, low-income urban dwellers.

Shinta Maharani, Yogyakarta – Ita Fatia Nadia, an advocate for the victims of mass rape against Chinese women during the May 1998 riots, began receiving a series of threats shortly after criticizing a statement made by Minister of Culture Fadli Zon, who claimed there was no evidence of the 1998 mass rape.

Antara, Jakarta – President of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto has set a target to build one million units of affordable vertical housing in the first year of his presidency.

He announced this commitment during a state address at Parliament House in Singapore on Monday, witnessed by Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and senior officials from both countries.

Surabaya – Police have again arrested two people suspected of being involved in a gay network on social media. They are being charged under the anti-pornography law.

Victoria Gill – Stark images, captured from a drone by environmental campaigners and shared with the BBC, appear to show how nickel mining has stripped forests and polluted waters in one of the most biodiverse marine habitats on Earth.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has uncovered shocking details in its ongoing investigation into alleged embezzlement of Papua's gubernatorial operational funds between 2020 and 2022, including the suspected cash purchase of a private jet worth Rp 1.2 trillion (approximately $73 million).

Ananda Ridho Sulistya, Jakarta – Structural poverty is one of the forms of poverty that exists in Indonesia. Structural poverty is the poverty caused by the imbalance of access of a society to opportunities for a more decent life.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesia has officially removed import quotas on live cattle in a bid to secure long-term supplies of beef and dairy, the government announced over the weekend.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Mining activities in the regency of Raja Ampat, Southwest Papua, have garnered attention due to environmental damage. Out of five mining companies, the government has revoked the mining business permit, or IUP, for four of them. PT Gag Nikel, located on Gag Island, is the only company still holding their operating permit.

Anastasya Lavenia Y, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia's (BI) Consumer Survey for May 2025 shows that the Job Availability Index has fallen into the pessimistic zone, reaching a level of 95.7. This marks a drop from April 2025's figure of 101.6, which was still in the optimistic territory (above 100).

Ayu Cipta, Jakarta – The Directorate General of Corrections of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights sent 100 high-risk drug convicts to the Super Maximum Security Penitentiary on Nusakambangan Island, Cilacap, Central Java, Indonesia.

Taufiq Syarifudin, Jakarta – A group of people held a Defend Palestine solidarity action on Car Free Day (CFD) in Central Jakarta on Sunday June 15 in which they called for Palestinian independence.

Mita Amalia Hapsari, Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung reaffirmed on Sunday his administration's commitment to continue the construction of a giant seawall along the northern coast of Java, a long-delayed project aimed at protecting the capital from coastal erosion, tidal flooding, and land subsidence.

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – The National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan) has reminded the public that the state has officially acknowledged the mass rapes that occurred during the May 1998 Tragedy.

This reminder came in response to a recent statement by Minister of Culture Fadli Zon, who denied that sexual violence took place during the unrest.

Intan Setiawanty, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto's recent statement, which opened the possibility of reducing the budgets of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) to raise judges' salaries, is being interpreted as a pointed critique of the Polri's performance.

Annisa Febiola, Jakarta – Indonesia Clearing House (ICH) has been officially registered by Bank Indonesia (BI) as a Clearing House for Foreign Exchange and Money Market Derivatives (PUVA). This designation is formalized under BI Letter Number 27/301/DPPK/Str/B.

M. Raihan Muzzaki, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is investigating allegations of corruption linked to nickel mining activities in Raja Ampat Regency, Southwest Papua. KPK Chair Setyo Budiyanto said that the KPK's Deputy for Coordination and Supervision (Korsup) is conducting a thorough study into the matter.

Dian Rahma Fika, Jakarta – Indonesian Minister of Culture Fadli Zon has once again drawn sharp criticism for his statement dismissing the 1998 mass rapes as mere rumors. Fadli made these comments during an interview with senior IDN Times journalist, Uni Zulfiani Lubis, concerning the rewriting of Indonesian history.

Dian Rahma Fika, Jakarta – The Indonesian Women's Alliance has urged Minister of Culture Fadli Zon to apologize for his brisk dismissal of the legitimacy of the 1998 mass rape tragedy in Indonesia. The alliance slammed Fadli's remark as a denial of the grim truth that leaves longstanding trauma for the deceased victims of sexual violence and their families.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Barzan Holdings, the strategic investment arm of Qatar's Defense Ministry, considers Indonesia as a big market for arms producers.

Iil Askar Mondza, Banda Aceh – Former Chairperson of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), Otto Nur Abdullah, asserted that Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian's decision to include four islands near Singkil Regency, Aceh, into the territory of North Sumatra has the potential to ignite a new conflict in Tanah Rencong (Aceh).

In the midst of abundant natural resources and enchanting cultural diversity, the situation in Papua is not as good and beautiful as the natural beauty it has. In recent times, news reports about Papua have grabbed quite a lot of public attention.

Annisa Febiola, Jakarta – The Indonesian House Speaker Puan Maharani speaks up about the recent wave of layoffs in Bali, urging the central government to take anticipatory measures in the face of a larger wave of worker terminations.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – The Jakarta Provincial Government has announced a waiver of late payment penalties for Motor Vehicle Tax (PKB) and Motor Vehicle Ownership Transfer Fees (BBNKB). This tax exemption policy is effective from Saturday, June 14, until Sunday, August 31, 2025.

Fuad Iqbal Abdullah, Sepaku, East Kalimantan – Indonesia is introducing artificial intelligence (AI) and coding as elective subjects in 59,000 elementary, junior high, and senior high schools across the country starting in the 2025-2026 academic year.

Indonesia, West Papua – The humanitarian crisis in West Papua has reached a critical stage. As of June 2025, more than 97,648 people in West Papua [1] remain internally displaced as a result of armed conflict between Indonesian security forces and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB).

Andrian Supendi, Jakarta – Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq is calling on state-owned energy giant Pertamina to immediately adopt European-grade fuel standards as Jakarta reels from a surge in air pollution that has placed it among the most polluted cities globally.

Anisa Fauziah, Jakarta – Indonesia's free health screening (CKG) program has revealed that dental problems are the most prevalent health issue among participants, surpassing chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and obesity, according to Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – A stormy saga over nickel mining in one of the most biodiverse marine regions in the world appears to be far from over, even after the Indonesian government revoked the permits of most of the companies involved.