Savero Aristia Wienanto, Jakarta – Several international media outlets have reported on the mass protest movement 'Indonesia Gelap' (Dark Indonesia) held on Monday, February 17, 2025. The protests, led by Indonesian students, voiced criticism of President Prabowo Subianto's administration for straying from reformist ideals.

1. The Star, Malaysia

M. Rizki Yusrial, Jakarta – The Association of Parents of Advanced Indonesia Scholarship (BIM) or BIM Batch 4 staged a rally in front of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology in Jakarta on Wednesday, February 19, 2025. The rally demanded the government provide clarity regarding the continuity of the scholarship.

Antara, Jakarta – Immigration and Corrections Minister Agus Andrianto has dismissed 71 immigration officers at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (SHIA) for extorting Chinese nationals, following a diplomatic complaint from the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia.

Jakarta – The revision to House of Representatives (DPR) Regulation No. 1/2020 on Code of Conduct is a brutal way for the body to increase its authority. With these extensive powers, the DPR has the potential to damage the Constitution because it takes away authority from the executive branch by placing state institutions under its control.

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – The discourse of appointing former presidents as supervisors in the Daya Anagata Nusantara Investment Management Agency (Danantara) has sparked sharp criticism. Researcher from Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) Yassar Aulia considers that the step would be a disaster for the professionalism and meritocracy within the state-owned superholding company.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia kept its benchmark interest rate at 5.75 percent in a bid to control inflation and support the rupiah amid global economic uncertainty. The deposit facility rate remains at 5 percent, while the lending facility rate is unchanged at 6.5 percent.

Ichsan Ali, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto revealed on Wednesday that many judges assigned across Indonesia are forced to live in rented accommodations due to a lack of state-provided housing.

Addressing the issue, Prabowo pledged quick action while urging judges to uphold integrity and professionalism despite these challenging conditions.

Yovanda Noni, East Kutai – From January to February, the Conservation and Natural Resources Center of East Kalimantan rescued 37 orangutans in East Kutai and Kutai Kartanegara districts.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) officially passed the revised Mineral and Coal Mining Law during a plenary session on Tuesday.

Hendro D Situmorang, Jakarta – Village and Underdeveloped Region Development Minister Yandri Susanto confirmed that the Rp 71 trillion ($4.36 billion) allocated for 75,000 villages this year will not be impacted by government budget cuts.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia kicked off 2025 with a considerable drop in the export of its top commodity palm oil, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).

Hendrik Khoirul Muhid, Jakarta – The presence of sea fences in Tangerang and Bekasi waters have stirred public interest recently, as the two sea fences were erected without proper permits.

Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto is taking a significant risk with the establishment of the Daya Anagata Nusantara Investment Management Agency, or Danantara. More than merely a privatization of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), this new body is a realization of the guided economy concept with the president's militaristic style.

European Union, Indonesia, West Papua – Over 120 civil society organisations from Europe and Indonesia, including Human Rights Monitor, have called on the European Union and Indonesia to end negotiations on a proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Han Revanda, Jakarta – Tommy Andana, Expert Staff of Business Climate and Market Security at the Ministry of Trade, revealed that importers have yet to realize the import quota for garlic. He suspects the lack of import realization has caused the garlic prices to increase in anticipation of Ramadan.

Michelle Gabriela, Jakarta – Prabowo's government budget cuts policy has forced a number of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to terminate the contracts of honorary employees, despite Finance Minister Sri Mulyani's vow about no layoffs for workers. In several regions across Indonesia, reality paints a contrasting picture.

Stefani Wijaya, Jakarta – A village head in Tangerang Regency, along with his secretary and two other individuals, has been named a suspect in the ongoing investigation into the construction of over 30 kilometers of illegal sea barriers off the northern coast of Banten Province.

Anwar Siswadi (Kontributor), Jakarta – Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) responds to the government and the People's Representative Council (DPR)'s decision to not grant mining management permits to higher education institutions.

Jakarta – Dissatisfaction with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's new policies has turned into street demonstrations by thousands of students.

Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) officially approves the Draft Law on the Amendment of Law Number 34 of 2004 concerning the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) Law revisions as a priority national legislation program (Prolegnas) 2025.

Ricki Putra Harahap, Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – A growing number of Indonesians are considering leaving the country in search of better job opportunities, as frustration over limited prospects and low wages fuels the viral hashtag #KaburAjaDulu (just run away first) on social media.

Jakarta – Thick, foul-smelling smoke reportedly rose from a newly built refuse-derived fuel (RDF) plant in Rorotan, West Jakarta, last week during a test run of the facility, which is slated to process thousands of tonnes of waste every day when it begins full operations.

Lestareno S Basariasis, Jakarta – The government is currently trying to cut the state budget to improve efficiency in financial management. Speaking at the Labour Party's 2nd National Working Meeting (Rakernas) at the Tavia Hotel in Jakarta on Monday February 17, Labour Party President Said Iqbal highlighted the budget efficiency measures taken by President Prabowo Subianto.

Jakarta – The demonstration titled "Dark Indonesia" (Indonesia Gelap) in front of the Malang city Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) in East Java descended into chaos on Tuesday February 18 when protesters managed to break down the parliament's front gate

Jayapura – The West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation or TPNPB-OPM has announced that all schools in Papua, especially in armed conflict areas, should go on strike for as long as the Indonesian Military (TNI) and Indonesian Police (Polri) use them as military posts.

Kiki Safitri, Novianti Setuningsih, Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) has highlighted the increase in human rights violations in National Strategic Project (PSN) areas over the last three years.

Responding to the excessive actions by the police and the state civil servants (ASN) against protests by high school students rejecting the government's free nutritious meals (MBG) program in a number of cities in Papua, Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid, said:

Medan – The Medan Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) and the North Sumatra (Sumut) Committee for the Safety of Journalists (KKJ) have submitted electronic evidence with the Bukit Barisan I Regional Military Command Military Police (Pomdam I/BB) related to the involvement of First Corporal HB in the alleged pre-mediated murder of Tribrata TV journalist Rico Sempurna Pasaribu and three family

Erfan Maruf, Jakarta – Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Chairman of Indonesia's National Economic Council (DEN), has addressed growing concerns following a viral call on social media to withdraw savings from state-owned banks, in the wake of the government's announcement regarding the Danantara Investment Management Agency (BPI Danantara).

Amanda Puspita Sari, Jakarta – Earlier this month, Indonesian civil servant Kardiani (not her real name) found the supply of drinking water and toilet paper at her office restricted.

Most lights in the restrooms are now switched off, and use of the printer is tightly regulated.

Intan Setiawanty, Jakarta – The Indonesian Educational Monitoring Network (JPPI) has condemned the repressive actions by the police against students who held demonstrations rejecting the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program in Jayapura and Wamena, Papua. The peaceful demonstration was forcibly dispersed by the authorities, who were allegedly using physical violence and tear gas.

Najma Sambul – As blackouts crippled Timor-Leste, its leaders scrambled for a solution. It was 2010 and the newly independent country, still reeling from decades of occupation and destruction, was desperate to keep the lights on in its capital, Dili.

Rizki Dewi Ayu, Jakarta – Thousands of students in Wamena, Jayawijaya Regency, PapuaHighlands Province, staged a protest against the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program on Monday, February 17. The demonstration was attended by junior high school (SMP), senior high school (SMA), and university students.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia is planning to develop its very own version of DeepSeek, the Chinese low-cost artificial intelligence or AI that is taking the world by storm.

Jakarta – American social psychologist Jonathan Haidt begins his popular book The Anxious Generation with a graphic showing a sudden and very large upturn in major depressive episodes among adolescents after the 2010s, a period he refers to as "the great rewiring of childhood".

Denpasar – A number of student groups, including those affiliated with the All Indonesia Student Executive Council (BEM SI) Alliance, are holding a marathon of simultaneous actions in a number of regions in Indonesia between Monday February 17 and Wednesday February 19.

Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto's recent budget cut to save over Rp 306 trillion (US$18.9 billion) to fund his administration's priority programs is incomprehensible.

Being fiscally prudent amid these uncertainties is a good thing, but the manner and scale of these cuts raise serious questions about their urgency, rationale and long-term impact of such a decision.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Navy has finished taking down a controversial sea fence off the coast of Tangerang, Banten, after more than three weeks of work.

Navy Marine Force commander Brig. Gen. Hermanto said that as of Thursday morning, Navy personnel had dismantled more than 28 kilometers of the sea fence and expected to remove the remaining section by the end of the day.

Jakarta – Amid concerns of harmful content over social media and the platforms' impact on their children's development, some parents conveyed their support for the government's move to introduce age restrictions on social media users.

Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto on Monday signed a regulation requiring exporters of resources other than oil and gas to hold all proceeds locally for at least a year, which he said would add US$80 billion to the country's forex reserves.

Jakarta – Some members of Indonesia's parliament plan to propose the president remove the central bank governor because they think he was not properly backing the government's policy, investigative magazine Tempo reported on Monday (Feb 17), citing unnamed sources.

After a farewell from Timorese President Jose Ramos Horta, the inaugural direct air passenger service between Timor-Leste's capital Dili and the southern Chinese city of Xiamen touched down around 10 pm local time last Friday, reports Xinhua.

Yogi Eka Sahputra, Batam, Indonesia – Stress levels among the population of Batam reportedly spiked in January after extreme rainfall over a saltwater crocodile farm allowed more than 100 captive predators to explore the local area for the first time.

Sui Lee-Wee, Dili, East Timor – Three decades ago, he was a scrappy campaigner roaming the world's corridors of power with a dream to win independence for his tiny homeland. Today, at 75, Mr Jose Ramos-Horta is both the president and a relentless salesman for East Timor.

Adhyasta Dirgantara, Dani Prabowo, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto claims that the current state of the Indonesian economy is quite good. This was based on reports from economics ministers during a limited cabinet meeting at the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday February 17.

Jayapura – Today, on Monday February 17, students who are members of the West Papua High School Students Solidarity Front (FSPWP) held peaceful demonstrations against the government's free nutritious meals (MBG) program in a number of cities in the land of Papua.

M. Raihan Muzzaki, Jakarta – The Ministry of Manpower responded to the trending hashtag #KaburAjaDulu that has been widely discussed by the public on social media. Deputy Minister of Manpower Immanuel Ebenezer Gerungan did not see any issue with the hashtag.

Yvette Tanamal, Jakarta – In the past month, Aldo Simanjuntak's coffee shop in South Jakarta has only had about one third of its typical number of customers. His one-time regulars, mostly university students and employees of a nearby state-run bank, have been coming by less and less frequently.

Andi Adam Faturahman, Jakarta – The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) said the implementation of budget cuts to ministries and state agencies is discriminatory.

Jakarta – The All Indonesia Student Executive Council (BEM SI) is holding a marathon of simultaneous actions in different regions of Indonesia from Monday February 17 through to Wednesday February 19. The theme being taken up at the demonstrations is "Dark Indonesia" (Indonesia Gelap).