Azifah Astrina – In early 2025, Indonesia enacted amendments to its National Armed Forces Law that expanded the domestic and bureaucratic roles of the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI), raising alarm among civil society actors, scholars, and democracy advocates. At first glance, the move appears technical – a response to evolving security challenges such as cyber threats and terrorism.

Rahel Narda Chaterine, Ardito Ramadhan, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has asked all parties to be objective in viewing demonstrations criticising government policies.

Jakarta – Indonesia wants a fair and equal relationship with the United States, and will pursue diplomacy to address a 32 per cent tariff rate imposed by the Trump administration, President Prabowo Subianto said on April 7, while his ministers are working to finalise its negotiation proposal.

Fuad Iqbal Abdullah, Penajam Paser Utara – Nusantara, Indonesia's future capital, is grappling with a rat infestation, prompting authorities to deploy hundreds of traps across the core government area to address the issue.

Agencies, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia said on Monday it would "intervene aggressively" in domestic foreign exchange markets when they re-open on Tuesday for the first time since new US tariffs were announced.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – The Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) confirmed there will be no troop reinforcements in response to the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organization (TPNPB-OPM) declaring nine regencies in Papua as war zones.

Jakarta – Global condemnation has descended on the United States for its accelerating shift toward protectionist policies on trade and investment, with a sweeping 10-percent "baseline" tariff slapped on all US imports except for select exceptions based on strategic considerations.

Hanif Musyaffa, Widy Wicaksono, Jakarta – Jakarta's post-Eid al-Fitr travel surge continues to climb sharply as of Saturday, six days after the holiday. Authorities report that approximately 2.2 million people have returned to the Greater Jakarta area via toll roads in Central Java alone.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto met with 7 journalists from 7 different media outlets in Hambalang, West Java on Sunday, April 6, 2025. The seven journalists interviewed Prabowo together.

M. Raihan Muzzaki, Amirullah, Jakarta – The Udayana University (Unud) in Bali has established cooperation with the Indonesian Army's (TNI AD) Udayana/IX Regional Military Command (Kodam). This cooperation is contained in agreement document number B/2134/UN14.IV/HK.07.00/2025.

Nandito Putra, Jakarta – The Head of the Cartenz Peace Task Force, Brigadier General Faizal Ramadhani, stated that the conflict between two factions supporting regional head candidates in the Puncak Jaya regional election in Central Papua has left 12 people dead. The fatalities occurred during several clashes over the past three months.

Alfi Dinilhaq, Jakarta – The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) has urged the government to thoroughly review and clarify five domestic policies that the United States claims are harmful to American interests, prompting Washington to impose a 32 percent tariff on Indonesian goods.

Agencies, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia said on Saturday it was committed to keeping the rupiah currency stable after US and Chinese tariff announcements resulted in market uncertainties.

The central bank said in a statement it would optimise interventions in the spot, domestic non-deliverable forward and bond markets to ensure adequate foreign exchange liquidity.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian Association of Motor and Auto Parts Industries (GIAMM) has urged the government to consider imposing reciprocal tariffs on the United States following Washington's recent decision to raise import duties on products from several countries, including Indonesia.

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – The Indonesian Trade Union Confederation (KSPI) recorded that 60,000 workers had experienced layoffs from January to early March 2025. The data is based on the Research and Development (Litbang) of KSPI and the Labor Party, which differs from the data released by the Ministry of Manpower (Kemnaker).

Dede Adhitama, Cirebon – The abrupt shutdown of Yihong Novatex Indonesia has left 1,126 workers jobless just days before Eid al-Fitr, highlighting a growing crisis in Indonesia's labor-intensive manufacturing sector.

Jakarta – For Erick Thohir, the chairman of the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI), the national team qualifying for the 2026 World Cup is nonnegotiable. This explains why under his watch, the PSSI has been relentless in its hunt for naturalized players who can make the country's long-held dream come true.

Vedro Imanuel Girsang, Jakarta – Spokesperson for the XVII/Cendrawasih Military Command, Candra Kurniawan, has stated that the institution will not designate a "war zone" in managing conflicts in Papua.

Mathias Hariyadi, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto personally attended the funeral of Mgr Petrus Turang, Archbishop Emeritus of Kupang, in Jakarta Cathedral. He died yesterday at the age of 78.

Marina Ika Sari – The establishment of a National Defence Council (NDC) is a significant development in the early months of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's administration. The NDC represents a good first step towards better defence policymaking, but Indonesia's broader defence strategy is in increasingly urgent need of revitalisation.

Jakarta – There has been a new trend in the House of Representatives (DPR) in the last three years: the Legislation Body has been gaining strength as a producer of laws. The DPR's auxiliary body is both an entrance and an exit for bills put forward by the government or on the initiative of the lawmakers.

Ahmad Rifqi Danwanus, Jakarta – Mount Semeru in Lumajang, East Java, erupted with volcanic ash reaching a height of 900 meters on Saturday. The Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation has urged people living around the slopes of the mountain to stay alert and maintain a safe distance.

Taranaki, New Zealand – Greenpeace Aotearoa activists have stopped an Indonesian ship offloading 30 thousand tonnes of palm kernel expeller (PKE), destined for use as animal feed by the country's biggest environmental polluter, dairy giant Fonterra.

Jakarta – The initiatives of a number of pesantren, or Islamic boarding schools, in implementing circular economy practices need to serve as an example for other educational institutions.

Tatang Guritno, Robertus Belarminus, Jakarta – Musician Baskara Putra has revealed the reasons behind the making of a song in collaboration with Maria Sumarsih, the mother of the Benardinus Realino Norma Irawan, or Wawan as he was known by friends, a student who was killed in the Semanggi I tragedy in 1998.

Dr. Sameer Kumar – Indonesia sits atop the world's biggest nickel reserves – a metal essential for electric vehicle (EV) batteries and the renewable energy transition. In recent years, Jakarta has boldly wielded its resource might by banning exports of raw nickel ore to force global companies to invest in domestic processing.

Yovanda Noni, Nusantara – The number of visitors to Indonesia's future capital, Nusantara, has seen a significant uptick during the Eid al-Fitr holiday season. Daily visitor numbers rose from around 8,000 on the first day of Eid (April 1) to over 14,100 by April 3.

Jayawijaya, Highland Papua – The Education and Culture Office of Highland Papua ensured that the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program is operational across eight districts in the province.

The districts benefiting from this initiative include Jayawijaya, Lanny Jaya, Tolikara, Nduga, Central Mamberamo, Pegunungan Bintang, Yahukimo, and Yalimo.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – The Presidential Communication Office (PCO) announced that President Prabowo Subianto has formulated mitigation strategies in response to the import tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on Indonesia.

Daniel Ahmad Fajri, Jakarta – The Chairperson of the Press Council, Ninik Rahayu, regretted the issuance of Police Regulation No. 3 of 2025. The regulation required foreign journalists to have a police clearance (SKK).

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Calls are mounting for President Prabowo to pick his envoy for the US after US President Donald Trump slapped 32 percent retaliatory tariffs on imports coming from Indonesia.

Jakarta – Indonesian activists on Thursday (Apr 3) decried a new regulation allowing police to monitor foreign journalists and researchers working in the country, a move they say would limit press freedom.

Joseph Rachman – Students are protesting across Indonesia – chanting slogans; skirmishing with police; and in one city, even throwing Molotov cocktails. The protesters are demanding the repeal of a law passed on March 20 that they say threatens to bring Indonesia back to the days of the military dictatorship that lasted from 1965 to 1998.

James Pearson – Estrella Resources is about to make history in Timor-Leste with the arrival of the nation's first mineral exploration rig. The company is gearing up to kick off an exploration drilling campaign at its Ira Miri, Sica and Lalena manganese prospects in the country's northwest.

Zac Gillies-Palmer – In September 1974, socialists in Dili founded the Revolutionary Front for the Independence of Timor-Leste, better known as FRETILIN. Against the backdrop of the Cold War, FRETILIN grew from a small group of left-wing intellectuals into East Timor's main independence party and armed resistance movement.

The British government restated its commitment to a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights visit to West Papua on Tuesday 2nd April, after being questioned over its 2024 critical minerals agreement with Indonesia.

Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati visited former president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo at his residence in Surakarta, Central Java, on Thursday in celebration of Idul Fitri.

Abdil Mughis Mudhoffir and Rafiqa Qurrata A'yun – Fears of an authoritarian reversal in Indonesia have gained traction, especially after Prabowo Subianto, a former military general known for his record of alleged gross human rights violations, assumed the presidency in Indonesia.

Salsabilla Azzahra Octavia, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia (BI) noted that the rupiah has weakened against the US dollar recently. Previously, BI revealed that the rupiah closed at Rp16,575 per US dollar on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. Meanwhile, on Thursday's opening, March 27, 2025, the rupiah weakened again to Rp16,590 per US dollar.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – Senior journalist Najwa Shihab has denied claims that she was offered the position to lead the Indonesia's Head of Presidential Communication Office (PCO) as a replacement for Hasan Nasbi.

Secretly and in violation of internal procedures, the House of Representatives (DPR) passed the revisions to Law Number 34/2004 on the Indonesian National Armed Forces (UU TNI). The revisions to the TNI Law will give more power to the military.

Jakarta – There's only a thin line separating good communication strategy with bad public relations. When the government is backed up by a well-planned communication strategy, an effective messaging campaign and a team of professionals, even a crisis can be an opportunity to score a win.

Nur Janti, Jakarta – With the growing influence of food vloggers, many people have turned their love for food into careers, recommending dining spots, reviewing dishes and sharing their culinary experiences with the public through social media.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – A senior economist said Thursday that Indonesia should try to get much closer to the China-led BRICS trade-wise after US President Donald Trump launched sweeping tariffs on nearly all of Washington's trading partners.

Aditya Hadi, Jakarta – Shinta Kamdani, chairwoman of the Indonesian Employers' Association (Apindo), has said this year's Idul Fitri did not bring the usual surge in economic growth, despite the holiday traditionally driving a spike in spending as millions travel to their hometowns.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – US President Donald Trump has imposed a steep 32 percent tariff on imports from Indonesia, significantly higher than the baseline 10 percent levied on many other countries.

The White House cited several reasons for applying the elevated tariffs, primarily targeting countries with which the United States has the largest trade deficits.

Alif Ilham Fajriadi, Jakarta – The Chief of the Indonesian National Police, General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, has enacted Police Regulation No. 3 of 2025, which includes regulations for monitoring foreigners in Indonesia. One of the decree's articles even regulates journalistic activities requiring police clearance.

Timor-Leste has pledged humanitarian aid worth US$500,000 for Myanmar where a strong earthquake has left more than 3,000 dead, thousands more injured and tens of thousands displaced.

Aristyo Darmawan and Jeremia Humolong Prasetya – Much has been said about the controversial amendment of the 2004 Indonesian Military (TNI) Law. Critics say is meant to revive the dual function (dwifungsi) of the military that underpinned Soeharto's authoritarian regime.

Ilham Rian Pratama, Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) has criticised National Police Regulation (Perpol) Number 3/2025 on the Police's Functional Supervision of Foreigners which regulates the supervision of foreign journalists and researchers working in Indonesia.