Chandra Asmara, Soraya Permatasari and Adrian Kennedy – It took little more than 24 hours for Indonesian protesters to end a power grab by the nation's elite, showing the depth of anger at dynastic politics and democratic backsliding in Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

Resty Woro Yuniar – Indonesia's outgoing president Joko Widodo has found himself at the centre of a lawsuit after dozens of students were forced to remove their hijabs during Independence Day ceremonies to maintain uniformity of the country's prestigious flag-raising squad.

Ronny Kareni & Dennis Kuiai – West Papua, arguably a trust-territory, has been embroiled in a prolonged struggle for freedom from colonial oppression. Its indigenous right to self-determination has been denied and undermined by international inaction, negligence and complicity.

Jakarta – Protesters from a number of different social organisations held demonstrations in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Jakarta on Thursday August 22 to protest proposed revisions to the Regional Elections Law (UU Pilkada).

Antara, Jakarta – State logistics company Bulog recently reported that it had absorbed 800,000 tons of rice from local farmers so far this year as of Aug. 20.

Bulog's president director Bayu Krisnamurthi recently said that his agency could absorb over 900,000 tons of rice throughout 2024.

Indah Handayani, Jakarta 00 The Jakarta Composite Index (JCI) closed higher on Friday, gaining 55.62 points, or 0.74 percent, to end at 7,544.2, as investor sentiment improved following the easing of domestic political concerns. This upward movement marked a recovery from the previous day's decline.

Antara, Yogyakarta 00 The Agriculture Ministry is preparing 1.5 million hectares of land for dairy farming to back President-elect Prabowo Subianto's Free Meal Program, aimed at providing lunch and milk to students across Indonesia. This land allocation will support the import of 1.5 million dairy cows and ensure adequate milk production.

Thomas Rizal, Jakarta – The Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) officially nominated former high-ranking police officer Ahmad Luthfi for the Central Java governorship on Friday, with Taj Yasin Maimoen as his running mate, putting to rest speculations that the president's son, Kaesang Pangarep, would be running in the provincial election.

Ichsan Ali, Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has dismissed rumors suggesting that the government might issue a Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) regarding regional elections.

Jakarta – The Jakarta Police have arrested 301 protesters involved in a rally against the Regional Elections Law amendment outside the House of Representatives compound, which ended in chaos on Thursday.

Among those arrested were Lokataru director Delpedro Marhaen and Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH) legal assistant Iqbal Ramadhan.

Jakarta – The son of outgoing President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and chairman of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), Kaesang Pangarep, has secured three letters of recommendation from the South Jakarta District Court, which he would have submitted as an administrative requirement to register his deputy gubernatorial candidate position in Central Java province.

The case of Papuan journalist Victor Mambor, who was the victim of a Molotov bomb attack in early 2023, continues to be a source of controversy and concern. Despite multiple attempts to seek justice, the perpetrators of the attack remain at large.

The advocacy groups of the Catholic Church in Papua have urged the Indonesian government to protect civilians from violence in the predominantly Christian region.

Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – A total of 301 individuals were arrested during a protest at the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Thursday, according to the Jakarta Metro Police. The demonstration, which involved damage to public facilities and acts of violence, led to widespread arrests across Central and West Jakarta by local police forces.

Jakarta (Agencies) – The House of Representatives postponed ratifying changes to an elections law on Thursday amid protests in multiple cities, following outcry over legislation seen to strengthen the political influence of outgoing President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

Amy Sood – A plan by Indonesia's parliament to override new election rules set by the top court has sparked outrage across the country as protesters gather in Jakarta and other cities to rally against what they perceive as President Joko Widodo's attempt to undermine democracy.

Jamal Abdun Nashr, Jakarta – Police deploy tear gas at protestors in the Governor's Office and Central Java Legislative Council (DPRD) in Semarang City on Thursday, August 22, 2024. The protest in Semarang demands the Indonesian government and the House of Representatives (DPR) abide by the Constitutional Court's regional election ruling.

Muh. Syaifullah, Yogyakarta – The Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta issued a statement regarding the ongoing political conflicts that disregard the current constitution. The university's lecturers agree that Indonesian democracy is facing significant challenges.

Jakarta – Thousands of Indonesians flocked to key locations in Jakarta on Thursday (Aug 22) to protest a parliamentary decision that could have far-reaching impact on November's local elections and, observers have noted, the country's democracy.

Jakarta – Indonesia's Parliament postponed ratifying changes to an elections law on Aug 22 amid protests in multiple cities, following outcry over legislation seen to strengthen the political influence of outgoing President Joko Widodo.

Bella Evanglista Mikaputri, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo donned a yellow outfit as he attended the closing of the Golkar Party's national congress in Jakarta on Wednesday evening, explaining that he wanted to blend in with the host.

Aisyah Amira Wakang, Jakarta – The Council of Professors of the University of Indonesia (DGB UI) has assessed that a constitutional crisis has arisen in the Republic of Indonesia after the House of Representatives (DPR) Legislative Body completed the bill on regional head elections, which nullified the Constitutional Court's ruling on regional election nominations.

Pribadi Wicaksono (Contributor), Yogyakarta – Activists and students in Yogyakarta are ready to take to the streets in a protest action titled "Jogja Memanggil" (Yogyakarta is Calling) today, August 22, 2024.

Bella Evanglista Mikaputri, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo let the public know on Wednesday that he has been following the ongoing social media conversations about alleged government interference in the upcoming gubernatorial elections.

A video showing a police officer assaulting an evangelist during his demonstration (individual speech) in front of the Biak Numfor Resort Police Office has gone viral and has caused significant public concern and led to immediate actions by the authorities.

Jakarta – A number of civil society groups and academics have urged the House of Representatives to hold off on passing the revision to the Regional Elections Law initially scheduled for Thursday, and instead abide by the Constitutional Court's previous rulings to save the country's democracy.

Jakarta – Social media users across different platforms on Wednesday shared a screen grab of an emergency warning sign traditionally used for natural disasters to express concerns over possible constitutional crisis following the House of Representatives' move to block a Constitutional Court ruling that lowers the electoral threshold for the November regional election.

Jakarta (Agencies) – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Wednesday said he respected decisions of the country's institutions, amid a move by his allies in the House of Representatives to try to reverse a court decision that changed qualification criteria for regional elections.

Jakarta – Independence Day is an occasion for reflecting on the people's struggle to break free from colonial rule and claim sovereignty as a nation. This year's commemoration on Aug. 17 was also special because the government instituted a nationwide ban on the practice of pasung, or shackling people with a mental illness.

Yustinus Patris Paat, Jakarta – Megawati Soekarnoputri, Chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said PDI-P might back Anies Baswedan for Jakarta governor in 2024, but only if he aligns with the party.

Ichsan Ali, Jakarta – PBNU – the executive board of Indonesia's largest Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama – is planning to invest in the country's planned future capital Nusantara.

Mita Amalia Hapsari, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo canceled his attendance at the National Financial Literacy Movement (Gencarkan) launch, organized by the Financial Services Authority (OJK) at Jiexpo Kemayoran, Jakarta, on Thursday, amid ongoing protests in the city.

Ichsan Ali, Jakarta – The government has granted the country's largest Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) the concession to manage 26,000 hectares of coal mine.

The government has allowed religious groups to manage mining concessions, and NU is among the organizations who already accepted the offer.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – The Jakarta Composite Index (JCI) fell by 43.3 points (0.57 percent) to 7,511.2 at the close of the first session on Thursday. The index fluctuated between 7,479 and 7,554, with most sectors showing declines, notably the transportation sector.

Some of the conflicts in Papua stem from illegal operations by companies that have failed to involve the customary land rights owners. A prominent example is the operation of PT Zoomlion in Kapiraya District, Central Papua Province. This issue urgently requires intervention from the Central Papua Provincial Government.

Harry Pearl, Brisbane – Papua New Guinea's media council has condemned as "concerning" and "shameful" the exclusion of a BenarNews journalist from media events during a visit by Indonesia's President-elect to the capital Port Moresby on Wednesday.

Jakarta – The Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) and the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) have called on the public to consolidate and prepare for civil disobedience.

Riang Karunianidi – On Monday August 20, the Constitutional Court found in favour of a lawsuit submitted by the Labour Party and the Indonesian People's Wave Party (Gelora) on the Regional Elections Law (UU Pilkada). The court made two important rulings on the same day.

Jakarta (Agencies) – Security forces fired water cannon outside the House of Representatives building in Jakarta on Thursday at protesters were demanding lawmakers drop their plan for a controversial revision of election rules, local television channels reported.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The House of Representatives on Thursday decided against revising the controversial local election law following nationwide student protests accusing political parties of attempting to manipulate the law to allow President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's son, Kaesang Pangarep, to run in the gubernatorial election.

Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – Habiburokhman, a lawmaker from the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), confirmed on Thursday that the House of Representatives will not challenge the recent Constitutional Court ruling on local elections, as hundreds of students stormed the House gates in a massive rally.

Deni Ghifari, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia (BI) has kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged and sees room for a cut opening up only in the fourth quarter, despite signals pointing to faster monetary policy easing in the United States.

Hundreds of Indonesian Catholics who would otherwise miss out on an audience with Pope Francis in their country will join him in neighboring Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste thanks to support from the government.

Recent findings highlight the ongoing use of treason charges to suppress peaceful activism in Papua, raising significant concerns over the infringement of fundamental human rights.

Another case of extrajudicial killing occurred in the town of Dekai, Yahukimo District, Papua Pegunungan Province, on 20 August 2024. Mr Tobias Silak,23, a staff member at the local Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu), was fatally shot by members of the Mobile Brigade Corps (Brimob) at a guard post near the airport entrance.

Jakarta – The 828th Kamisan action on Thursday August 22 this afternoon thundered. A sea of protesters consisting of activists, academics, students and human rights defenders were present in front of the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta.

Thomas Rizal, Jakarta – Ahmad Riza Patria of the Gerindra Party fully supports the Constitutional Court's recent decision to lower the threshold for regional elections, allowing individual parties to nominate their own candidates.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – The government has set a goal to collect Rp 2,189.3 trillion (around $141 billion) in tax revenue next year.

Thomas Rizal, Jakarta – Former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan could be considered the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's (PDI-P) candidate for the 2024 Jakarta gubernatorial election, provided he first joins PDIP as a member, according to PDI-P's Head of Honorary Affairs, Komarudin Watubun.

Djibril Muhammad, Jakarta – The National Awakening Party (PKB) has dismissed Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and two other prominent figures amid escalating tension between the party and the country's biggest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).