By Max Lane

Executive summary

• After months of speculation about what a Prabowo government would be like following the ten years of the Widodo presidency, speculation is starting to subside, and policies are becoming clearer.

Linda Lestari, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia Director Usman Hamid said that 15 Trisakti University students were still being held by the police this morning, Friday, May 23, 2025. Usman said that the 15 Trisakti students were still being held even though on Thursday afternoon, May 22, 2025, there was news that the investigation would be completed.

Danu Damarjati, Jakarta – Thousands of imitation skulls were scattered around a hotel in Jakarta on Saturday May 24 as a symbol of how dark and terrifying the New Order era of former president Suharto was. The imitation skulls were arranged by the committee organising a discussion by hundreds of '98 activists who overthrew the New Order in 1998.

The Labour Movement with the People (GEBRAK) strongly condemns the repressive actions by police in handling a peaceful demonstration to commemorate the 27th anniversary of reformasi held by Trisakti University students on Tuesday May 21 in front of the Jakarta City Hall.

Kuala Lumpur – ASEAN Foreign Ministers today reaffirmed their strong support for Timor-Leste's full membership in the regional bloc, acknowledging the country's significant progress in implementing the ASEAN Roadmap.

Alfitria Nefi P, Jakarta – Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI), or the Indonesian Environmental Forum, noted that approximately 9.1 million hectares out of a total of 15.4 million hectares of land in Central Kalimantan is controlled by large-scale corporations.

Antara, Jakarta – An 18-year-old high school student with the initials Mu or Am was arrested by Densus 88 Antiterror Squad and the South Sulawesi Regional Police in Gowa Regency on Saturday, May 24, 2025, on suspicion of involvement in terrorism. The arrest took place on SD Daeng Emba Street, Samata Village, Somba Opu District.

Dian Rahma Fika, Jakarta – The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Indonesia condemns the intimidation experienced by a Detikcom columnist for criticizing the placement of the military in civilian positions. AJI Indonesia urges the Chief of the Indonesian National Police to investigate the case.

Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – Indonesia's Ministry of Education, Elementary, and Secondary (Kemendikdasmen) has eliminated the reading, writing, and arithmetic or literacy test from the selection process for new students at the elementary school (SD) level. This decision is stipulated in Ministerial Regulation No.

Ricki Putra Harahap, Jakarta – Indonesia and China on Sunday agreed to promote the use of their respective national currencies in bilateral trade, marking a significant step toward reducing dependency on the US dollar.

Arlina Arshad, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has hailed Indonesia's deepening ties with China as a pillar of peace and prosperity in the South-east Asia region, as he welcomed Chinese Premier Li Qiang to Jakarta for a three-day working visit.

Jayapura – The struggle of the Papuan people to determine their own future as an independent and sovereign nation has been going on for a long time, since the Indonesian government unilaterally claimed the territory of West Papua through the manipulation of the UN sponsored Pepera referendum in 1969 which was full of intimidation and was legally and morally flawed.

Jan Hennop, Kuala Lumpur – Timor-Leste is a step closer to fulfilling its longstanding wish to join the Southeast Asian regional bloc and could become its 11th member state by October, Malaysia's foreign minister said on Sunday.

Mutia Yuantisya, Jakarta – The Indonesian Caucus for Academic Freedom (KIKA) has condemned the alleged intimidation against students critical of militarism. KIKA urges law enforcement to thoroughly investigate and find the perpetrators.

Jakarta – Despite only being unveiled to the public in March, President Prabowo Subianto's ambitious initiative to expand educational access for underprivileged children through hundreds of free boarding schools, called Sekolah Rakyat (community schools), is already set to launch in the upcoming school year.

Nandito Putra, Jakarta – The Association of Indonesian Energy, Mineral, and Coal Suppliers (Aspebindo) is confident that the demand for Indonesian coal will improve despite facing global market fluctuations and geopolitical dynamics.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – The Papua Peace Network urges President Prabowo Subianto to appoint a special envoy to establish a communication channel with the Free Papua Movement (OPM) and all conflicting parties in Papua.

Nivell Rayda, Jakarta – An active military general previously convicted of kidnapping pro-democracy activists was appointed on Friday (May 23) to a key role in Indonesia's Finance Ministry, sparking what observers say is the fiercest criticism yet of President Prabowo Subianto's moves to place senior uniformed personnel in top civilian roles.

Ashoka Mukpo – Indonesia's environment ministry plans to curb deforestation and push for environmental rehabilitation in response to industrial nickel mining on Kabaena Island, where severe ecological damage and the cultural and economic collapse of the Indigenous Bajo people have been widely reported.

Jamal Abdun Nashr, Semarang – Flooding from the sea submerged areas of Tanjung Emas Port in Semarang, Central Java, after a section of the seawall collapsed on Friday afternoon, May 23, 2025, around 2:00 PM. Workers were subsequently evacuated from the affected port area.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – The government is set to reintroduce electricity bill discounts for low-power households starting June 5, as part of a broader stimulus package aimed at boosting purchasing power

Lia Hutasoit, Jakarta – A columnist on the detik.com news site with the initials YF was allegedly intimidated after writing an article titled "Generals in Civilian Positions: Where is the Merit of Civil Servants?". The article was published on Thursday morning, May 22, before being taken down for reasons of the author's safety.

Kate Abnett, Charlotte Van Campenhout and Bart H. Meijer, Brussels – Commodities from just four countries will face the strictest checks under the European Union's anti-deforestation law, with major forest nations including Brazil and Indonesia spared the toughest rules.

Jakarta – The government plans to announce economic stimulus measures on June 5 to revive activity and boost consumer purchasing power, hoping to push economic growth to around 5 percent this quarter, the Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister said on Saturday.

Nicholas Ryan Aditya, Robertus Belarminus, Jakarta – Hundreds of people from a number of 1998 activist groups gathered at a hotel in South Jakarta on Saturday May 24 to discuss and express their position of rejecting the proposal that the second President of the Republic of Indonesia, Suharto, be made a national hero.

Dani Aswara, Jakarta – YF, a columnist for the news site detik.com, reportedly faced intimidation following the publication of his article, "Jenderal di Jabatan Sipil: Di Mana Merit ASN?" (General in Civilian Positions: Where is the ASN Merit?), which addressed the issue of military generals holding civilian posts.

Alif Ilham Fajriadi, Jakarta – Former Minister of Communication and Informatics, Rudiantara, spoke about 5G network needs among internet users in Indonesia. He stated that currently the 5G market mostly targets corporations, while the general public have shown less interest due to the relatively high service cost.

Intan Setiawanty, Jakarta – The Jakarta Metropolitan Police have identified 15 students of Trisakti University as suspects following a skirmish during the 27th-anniversary demonstration of the reformation movement on Wednesday, May 21, in front of Jakarta City Hall.

Phesi Ester Julikawati, Bengkulu – Hundreds of houses in Bengkulu were severely and lightly damaged in the wake of a strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake that struck the region early Friday, May 23, 2025, at 2:52 a.m. local time.

Bengkulu Governor Helmi Hasan reported no casualties thus far, but some were injured.

Nicholas Ryan Aditya, Danu Damarjati, Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform is urging President Prabowo Subianto and the House of Representatives (DPR) to immediately review Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 66/2025 on State Protection for Prosecutors. They consider that the regulation is not subject to proper norms and legal order.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Indonesia's top judge, Chief Justice Sunarto, criticized judges flaunting luxury lifestyles far beyond their official salaries, warning that such behavior invites public suspicion and undermines trust in the judiciary.

The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has highlighted the government's plan through the Ministry of Culture to rewrite Indonesian history.

Jakarta – The Attorney General's Office (AGO) may believe it needs the added protection of the Indonesian Military (TNI) to go after high-profile criminal cases. That is a legitimate concern.

But what is far more troubling, and ultimately more corrosive to the fabric of democracy, is what this arrangement signals for the future of civilian supremacy in the country.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The Prabowo Subianto government had already spent Rp 3 trillion, or approximately $184.8 million, to carry out the nationwide free meal program as of May 21.

Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – The community organization United Indonesian People's Movement (Gerakan Rakyat Indonesia Bersatu/GRIB Jaya) denied ever asking the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) for Rp5 billion in exchange for ending their occupation of land in South Tangerang. GRIB Jaya claims the occupation is to protect the rights of heirs.

Paul Gregoire – Following his re-election as Australian PM Anthony Albanese paid a visit to relatively new Indonesia president Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta, with foreign minister Penny Wong and home affairs minister Tony Burke in tow.

T. Handoko, Sukoharjo, Indonesia – Sarmi recalls the unusual blight that fell over Gupit village around 2017, when doves and finches appeared to vanish from the sky.

"With pollution that acrid and poisonous, there weren't any birds or animals around – they all went away," she told Mongabay Indonesia.

Antara, Jakarta – Wildlife authorities in Central Kalimantan have released five rehabilitated orangutans back into their natural habitat, marking another milestone in Indonesia's ongoing efforts to protect its endangered wildlife and restore forest ecosystems.

Bambang Ismoyo, Jakarta – Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia dismissed claims that Shell's sale of its entire fuel retail network in Indonesia reflects a worsening investment climate in the country's energy sector.

Jakarta – Banten Deputy Governor Achmad Dimyati Natakusumah called on regional bus service Transjabodetabek to open a new bus route extending to Serang, while attending the launch of the new Transjabodetabek Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) 2 – Blok M line on Thursday.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has advised ministers in his Red and White Cabinet to refrain from making public comments that could incite controversy or discomfort. According to State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi, the President has urged the ministers to be careful in their public remarks.

Grace el Dora, Beijing – Indonesia's Chairman of the National Economic Council (DEN), Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, met with senior Chinese officials this week to discuss a potential $1 billion mutual investment between Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund Danantara and a Chinese counterpart.

Ni Made Tasyarani, Jakarta – The government plans to lower tax rates while still increasing tax revenue, as Indonesia's tax-to-gross domestic product ratio remains low compared to other countries.

Sharon Muller – Indonesian military operations have again been launched in Intan Jaya regency, Central Papua province. This is the umpteenth time operations have been launched by the TNI (Indonesian Military) on the pretext of pursuing the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation or TPNPB-OPM.

Ashoka Mukpo, Jakarta – Indonesia's push to meet its ambitious biofuel targets by expanding oil palm plantations could cost the country billions in environmental damage and social conflict, a new analysis by environmental NGO Madani Berkelanjutan warns.

Andrew Mathieson – The Indonesian military has claimed to have killed 18 West Papuan separatists and a further three civilians during its latest operation in the easternmost region of the Papua territory during an ongoing internal conflict.

Han Revanda, Jakarta – Zulkifli Hasan, head of the task force for accelerating the formation of Merah Putih Village Cooperatives, has revealed why the cooperatives are working with investment management body Daya Anagata Nusantara (Danantara).

Agencies, Jakarta – A5.7-magnitude earthquake hit near Sumatra on Friday, the United States Geological Survey said, damaging more than 100 houses with no reports of casualties.

The German Research Center on Geoscience said the magnitude 5.9 earthquake strikes Southern Sumatra.

The quake was at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.21 miles), GFZ said.

Servio Maranda, Bangka – The Indonesian National Construction Contractors Association (Gapensi) states that the government's budget efficiency policy has had the greatest impact on the construction services sector in the region.

Resty Woro Yuniar – A sweeping new ban on small plastic water bottles in Bali has triggered backlash from Indonesia's beverage and plastics industries, even as environmental advocates hail it as a bold step towards tackling the island's growing waste crisis and microplastic contamination.