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.

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.

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.

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.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – Presidential Communication Office Head Hasan Nasbi responded to the protest against the free nutritious meal program in Papua. According to him, every individual has the right to reject the program and refuse to enjoy nutritious food.

Marjorie Preston – In an 11 February filing, Asia-Pacific Strategic Investments Ltd (APS) announced it would establish a $60 million (#47.5 million/Euro 57.2 million) casino and a $20 million bank in the Southeast Asian country.

The agreements were "formalised" with Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, Timor-Leste's vice-prime minister and economic affairs and tourism minister.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Indonesia's president has drafted the military to lead the reclamation of illegally occupied forest areas throughout the country, while the Ministry of Forestry has partnered with it to protect and rehabilitate forest areas.

Bandung – Hundreds of students held a demonstration in front of the West Java Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) building located on Jalan Diponegoro in Bandung City on Monday February 17.

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.

Surabaya – Around 1,000 students held a "Dark Indonesia" (Indonesia Gelap) action in front of the East Java (Jatim) Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) offices in the provincial capital of Surabaya on Monday February 17. They were rejecting the government's budget efficiency policy.

Makassar – A "Dark Indonesia" (Indonesia Gelap) demonstration by the Islamic Student Association (HMI) in Makassar, the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, blockaded the Trans-Sulawesi highway causing a long traffic jam on Monday February 17.

Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – The Indonesian government will reduce the number of potential amnesty or legal pardon prisoner candidates. Minister of Law Supratman Andi Agtas revealed that only 19,000 prisoners will receive amnesty, decreased from the previous number of 44,000 people.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – The Alliance of the Executive Board of the All-Indonesia Students or BEM SI along with the Civil Society Coalition have consolidated in preparation for the demonstration scheduled for today, Monday, February 17.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Union of online motorcycle taxi drivers today are protesting the partnership work system with the provider company of online transportation services. Drivers from online motorcycle taxi (ojol), online taxi (taksol), and couriers go on a strike and do the mass 'bid off' application on Monday today, February 17, 2025.

Roger Peet – I recently spent two weeks in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, collaborating with the artists of Taring Padi on a new artist book about the legacy of the political genocide of 1965.

Juan Ardya Guardiola, Bogor – The newly established sovereign wealth fund Danantara will finance 35 large-scale national projects throughout this year, a close ally of President Prabowo Subianto said on Saturday.

Hendro D Situmorang, Ricki Putra Harahap, Bogor – President Prabowo Subianto welcomed his predecessor, Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, as a special guest during the 17th anniversary celebration of his Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) on Saturday evening. He thanked Jokowi for his support during last year's elections, saying it played a significant role in his victory.

Jakarta – The Judicial Commission introduced on Feb. 14 a work from home (WFH) policy for its employees in an effort to cut costs amid President Prabowo Subianto's budget efficiency drive across various government institutions, both central and regional.

Iwan Kurniawan – In 1979, shortly after being released from Buru Island in the Maluku Islands, Pramoedya Ananta Toer, a writer and member of the People's Cultural Institute (Lekra), together with Hasjim Rachman and Joesoef Isak, founded the Hasta Mitra publishing house.

Iwan Kurniawan – Maxwell Ronald Lane is still very active and gutsy at the age of 74. A researcher at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, he is known as the translator of the works of Indonesia's foremost author Pramoedya Ananta Toer and other books he has written about Indonesia.

Linda Yulisman, Jakarta – Ms Rinda (not her real name to protect her identity) and around 30 of her colleagues have worked for the past week with most of the lights in the office switched off, after President Prabowo Subianto ordered budget cuts for ministries and government agencies.

Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto stated that not all political parties need to join the government to contribute to effective governance. He suggested that parties can offer valuable assistance from outside the cabinet by providing constructive criticism and oversight of the Red and White Cabinet's performance.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – Former President Joko Widodo or Jokowi said that President Prabowo Subianto is so powerful that no one dares to criticize him. Jokowi made this remark during his speech at the 17th anniversary of Gerindra in Sentul, Bogor, West Java.

Yovanda Noni, East Kutai – The Dayak Wehea Indigenous Community in East Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan, shares a very close relationship with the nature and forests around them. They not only protect the forest as part of their cultural heritage but also as a vital source of life.

Ricki Putra Harahap, Bogor – President Prabowo Subianto addressed criticism of his 109-member "Red and White Cabinet," which has been labeled as "bloated." Prabowo's cabinet is the largest since 1966, when Indonesia's first president, Sukarno, formed an administration with 132 ministers.

Ricki Putra Harahap, Bogor – President Prabowo Subianto announced that Indonesia's budget efficiency measures will continue in three phases, targeting total savings of Rp 750 trillion (approximately $44 billion).

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – The Rp10.28 trillion budget reduction for the Ministry of Agriculture may hinder efforts to achieve national food self-sufficiency, Minister Amran Sulaiman stated during a working meeting with the House of Representatives' (DPR) Commission IV on Thursday night, February 13.

Alfitria Nefi P, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is among the institutions affected by Prabowo's budget efficiency directive. As a result, the anti-corruption agency had to relinquish a budget of Rp201 billion due to the budget cut.

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has guaranteed that ongoing government scholarships will not be affected by the budget cuts being implemented by President Prabowo Subianto.

It is known that ministries and agencies are implementing budget cuts based on Presidential Instruction.

Indonesia, West Papua – On 12 February 2025, students from the Puncak Regency, along with an investigative team probing the murder and mutilation of Tarina Murib, attempted to hold a peaceful demonstration at the local parliament Office in Nabire, Papua Tengah Province.

Indonesia, West Papua – On 8 February 2025, five Papuan students were arbitrarily arrested without an arrest warrant by plainclothes officers in Jayapura. The students were identified as Mr Frengky Anouw, Mr Nataniel Pigai, Mr Fransiskus Petege, Mr Esau Kogoya, and Mr Yosua Mote.

Indonesia, West Papua – On 7 February 2025, members of the Pumako Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) special unit reportedly opened fire at a Papuan farmer, Mr Marten Anouw, in the Kapiraya District, Deiyai Regency, Papua Tengah Province.

Indonesia, West Papua – The Papua representative office of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) has urged the Manokwari Municipal Police (Polresta) to arrest OU immediately, the alleged perpetrator responsible for the shooting of senior advocate and human rights defender Yan Christian Warinussy with an airrifle.

Dian Rahma Fika, Jakarta – The Minister of Industry, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, says the number of car owners in Indonesia is far behind its neighboring countries.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) has highlighted the culture of land ownership in Asia which has changed significantly and fundamentally in the last 70 years. Walhi Executive Director Zenzi Suhadi said the communal ownership systems for waters and land is heading towards privatisation.

Nusantara – The National Capital Nusantara Authority is offering free land to foreign governments that establish their embassies in the new capital before 2028.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Denpasar – Climate change is putting the future of palm oil production at risk, as extreme heat threatens the survival of Elaeidobius kamerunicus, the primary pollinating beetle for oil palm.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto recently told the World Governments Summit that his government had saved up to $20 billion in state spending amid mixed reactions towards his cost-cutting measures.

Giffar Rivana, Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has indicated that Indonesia's 2026 state budget (APBN) will follow the efficiency measures implemented in 2025, with significant spending cuts across ministries and government agencies.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Denpasar – The palm oil industry faces mounting challenges from climate change, with prolonged droughts and rising temperatures threatening yields in major producing countries.

Effendi Rusli, Pekanbaru – Corruption fugitive Nader Thaher has been arrested after 19 years on the run, finally facing justice for a Rp 35.9 billion graft scandal that caused losses to state-owned Bank Mandiri, a prosecutor in Pekanbaru confirmed on Friday.

Aep, Jakarta – Government budget cuts are dealing a severe blow to Bandung's hotel industry, with businesses reporting significant revenue losses due to cancellations of government meetings and events.

Jakarta – It has been unsettling to see the latest developments in the House of Representatives.

Jakarta – A court in Banten has handed lengthy prison terms to poachers who killed dozens of rare Javan rhinos, court rulings seen by AFP Friday showed, drawing praise from conservationists who said it would help deter lucrative wildlife crime.

New analysis indicates that Timor-Leste is at a critical juncture in its development, with the need for economic diversification increasing as the Petroleum Fund that finances much of the economy is expected to dry up by 2035. That's according to a press release from the World Bank.

Riandy Laksono – The Prabowo Subianto administration begins 2025 with a massive Rp 306 trillion fiscal spending cut, representing over 8% of this year's state budget, delivered by Presidential Instruction 1/2025.

Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, said his agency would address the Rp200.2 billion budget cut by borrowing land from various government institutions. He explained that this land will be used to build the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) for the free nutritious meal program.

Alif Ilham Fajriadi, Jakarta – Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) of Indonesian National Police (Polri) is investigating a report from the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) regarding the seawall in the waters of Bekasi.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – The Gerindra Party openly announced that newly appointed Chair of Gerindra Party, Prabowo Subianto, will once again run for president in the 2029 general elections.

M. Raihan Muzzaki, Jakarta – Army Chief of Staff (KSAD) General Maruli Simanjuntak has denied claims that the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) are exercising a dual function (dwifungsi) within President Prabowo Subianto's administration. He emphasized that the concept of TNI's dual function was a feature of Soeharto's era and no longer applies today.