Alfitria Nefi P, Jakarta – The Directorate General of Corrections confirmed that dozens of inmates escaped from the Class II B Correctional Institution in Kutacane, Southeast Aceh, on Monday, March 10, 2025. Following the incident, the prison is now under control, with security reinforced by the police, military, and local authorities.

Ricki Putra Harahap, Jakarta – The Indonesian government plans to construct oil refineries with a capacity of 1 million barrels per day (bpd) each in multiple locations, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia announced on Monday.

Agencies, Jakarta – The United Nations' migration agency has reinstated its humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees in Indonesia, its chief of mission in Jakarta told Reuters on Tuesday.

Chief of mission, Jeff Labovitz, said there is no current planned reduction in services.

Jakarta – Women workers from a variety of sectors have come together to urge the government to implement stronger legal protections against oppression, discrimination and violence in conjunction with International Women's Day on March 8.

Vedro Imanuel Girsang, Jakarta – Indonesia's Human Rights Minister, Natalius Pigai, responded to findings from The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), which reported a decline in Indonesia's Democracy Index. He emphasized that the EIU's assessment reflects governance under former President Joko Widodo, not the current administration of President Prabowo Subianto.

Intan Setiawanty, Jakarta – The National Police Commission (Kompolnas) is urging the Indonesian National Police (Polri) to accelerate both criminal and ethical proceedings against Ngada Police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Pol. (AKBP) Fajar Widhyadharma Lukman Sumaatmaja, who is under investigation for alleged drug abuse and sexual abuse against three minors.

Portugal's National Energy and Geology Laboratory (known by its Portuguese initials LNEG) is cooperating with its local counterpart in Timor-Leste to assess the mineral potential of the Southeast Asian country, the Lusa news agency reports.

Jakarta – Indonesia's government on Tuesday introduced in a parliamentary committee a watered-down version of contentious legislation that would enable President Prabowo Subianto to appoint military personnel to civilian posts, officials said.

Annisa Febiola, Jakarta – Thomas Trikasih Lembong, also known as Tom Lembong, has objected to the public prosecutor's (JPU) response to his exception plea. He pointed out inconsistencies in the timeline between the indictment and the investigation order (sprindik) in the alleged sugar import corruption case against him.

Jaya Barends, Gebe Island, Indonesia – Abdul Manan Magtiblo watched the excavator dump a piece of Gebe Island into the back of a truck. Barely a thicket remained on the buzz-cut upland above Umera village as the vehicle drove off to the nearby port.

"That's the PT Bartra Putra Mulia [BPM] nickel mine," Manan, the village chief, told Mongabay Indonesia.

BeritaSatu, Jakarta – Indonesian Armed Forces Commander General Agus Subiyanto reiterated on Monday that active military officers occupying civilian positions must resign or take early retirement from the military.

Jakarta – Indonesia and Vietnam agreed on Monday to upgrade ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership as the Southeast Asian allies' leaders met in Jakarta to mark 70 years of diplomatic relations.

Vietnamese Communist Party general secretary To Lam held talks with President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta to boost economic and defence cooperation.

Stefani Wijaya, Jakarta – The National Police have arrested a factory manager and confiscated hundreds of cartons and crates of Minyakita cooking oil during a raid at a packaging facility in Depok, a senior officer said on Tuesday.

Jauhari Mahardhika, Jakarta – Capital outflows from Indonesia's equity market accelerated as foreign investors extended their selling spree, dragging the Jakarta Composite Index (JCI) further into the red. Shares of state lender Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BBRI) and tech company GoTo Gojek Tokopedia (GOTO) bore the brunt of the sell-off.

Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Jakarta – A group of environmental activists called the Pandawara Group visited the Presidential Palace in Jakarta to meet with President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday.

Aep, Bandung – Former West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil confirmed that his residence was searched by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in connection with an alleged markup in advertising funds at Bank Jabar Banten (BJB).

The Vatican has appointed an Augustinian priest, known as a human rights activist, as bishop of a diocese in Indonesia's conflict-ridden Christian-majority Papua region.

Father Bernardus Bowitwos Baru, 56, was named the new bishop of Timika Diocese in Papua on March 8.

Heru Yustanto, Jakarta – The central government has shut down four villas in the Puncak resort area of Bogor, West Java, for violating land use regulations and occupying protected forest areas.

Chairul Fikri, Jakarta – American pop icon Lady Gaga is set to perform in Singapore in May 2025 as part of her world tour promoting her latest album, Mayhem.

The Bad Romance singer announced on Instagram on Monday that she will hold a four-day concert at the National Stadium on May 18, 19, 21, and 24.

The following is a translation of a speech given by Sunarno, the president of the Indonesian Trade Union Congress Alliance (KASBI), at a meeting of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) Presidential Council in Hanoi, Vietnam, on March 4-5, 2025.

Greetings to all comrades.

Alfitria Nefi P, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) assesses that there are imperfections in the Free Nutritious Meal program (MGB) that have the potential to open the floodgates for fraud in its implementation.

Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto is urging ride-hailing companies such as Gojek and Grab to give their drivers the much-awaited Eid bonuses.

Hendrik Khoirul Muhid, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has drawn attention for inviting a number of domestic tycoons to the State Palace in Jakarta on Thursday, March 6, 2025.

Juan Ardya Guardiola, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto's goal of setting up tens of thousands of village-level cooperatives aims to stabilize food prices by cutting the middlemen out in its distribution, according to Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman.

Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – Singapore-based airline Calypte Holding Pte. Ltd., through its subsidiary PT Indonesia Airlines Group (INA), has officially received approval to operate as of March 7, 2025.

Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Jakarta – The Indonesian government is set to launch 50 community schools with a total budget of up to Rp 5 trillion ($306 million), aiming to provide free education for children from poor families.

Responding to the 2-year-and-10-month prison sentence for hate speech against Christianity handed to a trans woman, Ratu Thalisa, in Indonesia's North Sumatra Province over comments made on her TikTok channel, Amnesty International Indonesia's Executive Director Usman Hamid said:

M. Rizki Yusrial, Jakarta – The Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) has issued a circular letter addressing budget efficiency for 2025 and the effectiveness of its operations. Signed by Secretary General Kamaruddin Amin, the letter instructs Kemenag employees to work from home (WFH) every Friday.

Jayapura – The Women's and People's Resistance Alliance, which is made of activists from the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP), the Malang Student Struggle Centre for National Liberation (Pembebasan) and the Malang Kamisan (Thursday) Action, held a peaceful demonstration to commemorate International Women's Day (IWD) on Saturday March 8.

Rajendra Jadhav, Bernadette Christina and Ashley Tang

Rajendra Jadhav, Bernadette Christina and Ashley Tang, Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta – Prices of cooking oil could be buoyed up for years by stagnating production and a biodiesel push in top producer Indonesia that are making traditionally cheap palm oil costlier, eliminating an advantage that also curbed prices of rival oils.

Iim Halimatusa'diyah and Panarat Anamwathana – Compared to young people in other Southeast Asian countries, Thai and Indonesian undergraduates are the most wary of potential military influence over their countries' politics and their own lives.

Jakarta – Indonesia is rightfully concerned about the domestic textile industry. The bankruptcy of Central Java-based garment maker PT Sri Rejeki Isman, better known as Sritex, is a particularly large case in point for a much wider problem.

Nandito Putra, Jakarta – The spokesperson of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB-OPM) Sebby Sambom stated that the firearms confiscated by the Papua Regional Police were ordered from the Indonesian military. Previously, the police seized six units of firearms produced by PT Pindad from Yuni Enumbi, 29, in Keerom Regency on Thursday, March 6, 2025.

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – The National Secretariat of the Indonesia Forum for Budget Transparency (Seknas Fitra) urges Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka to return the budget to the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (KemenPPPA) and the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) to the initia

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – The Central Leadership of Muhammadiyah urges Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to assert the national strategic project (PSN), that is the Rempang Eco City project, not to be continued by his government. Previously, Prabowo issued the latest PSN list through Presidential Regulation Number 12 of 2025 which was issued on February 10, 2025.

Despite being rained on since mid-day, protesters from various different civil society organisations continued hold an action commemorating International Women's Day (IWD) 2025 at the zero kilometre point in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Saturday March 8.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – Spokesperson of the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement or TPNPB-OPM, Sebby Sambom, said that their group buys weapons through the black market.

Alif Ilham Fajriadi, Jakarta – The Cartenz Peace Operation Task Force, together with the Papua Regional Police, arrested former TNI (Indonesian Military) soldier Yuni Enumbi (YE) while smuggling weapons and ammunition for the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB-OPM).

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesian Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman found that the content of MinyaKita cooking oil did not match the measurements listed on the packaging. The finding was made by Amran during a surprise inspection at Pasar Lenteng Agung, South Jakarta, on Saturday, March 8, 2025.

Yovanda Noni, East Kutai – The sound of coal mining machinery echoes along the Bengalon-Muara Wahau main road in East Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan. Few trees remain, providing limited shade for the workers.

Jakarta – Indonesia approved local certificates for more than a dozen Apple products on Friday, the Industry Ministry said, moving the tech giant a step closer to having a ban lifted on iPhone sales in Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

Riza, Sukabumi – Rescuers have recovered the body of one of five people who went missing in a landslide that struck Sukabumi, West Java, on Thursday, officials said on Saturday.

The victim, identified as 50-year-old Yayar, was found buried under the landslide debris in Kampung Cijangkar, Kertajaya village, Simpenan district.

Rumondang Naibaho, Jakarta – A number of civil society organisations under the Indonesian Women's Alliance (API) held a protest action in the Arjuna Wijaya or Horse Statue area of Central Jakarta on March 8. The action was to commemorate International Women's Day (IWD).

Wawan Kurniawan, Tangerang – Two major footwear factories in Tangerang, Banten, which supply global sportswear brands like Nike and Adidas, have been forced to lay off thousands of workers as they struggle to survive amid sharply declining orders, a government official confirmed on Friday.

Jakarta – We deplore President Prabowo Subianto's recent utterance of ndhasmu as much as the next Javanese guy. The Javanese phrase, literally meaning "your head" is highly derogatory as the head is considered sacred. For the Javanese people, it would be jarring to hear the phrase in any formal setting, let alone coming from a president.

Eka Jaya Saputra, Bekasi – President Prabowo Subianto on Saturday ordered his aides to improve the drainage system and landscape design in Bekasi following severe flooding that devastated the area earlier this week.

During a visit to flood-affected areas in Bekasi Regency, Prabowo spoke with residents and local officials to assess the situation firsthand.

Aida Ulim, Jayapura – The Women's Coalition for the Defence of Human Rights in the Land of Papua held a silent action at the Cenderawasih University Monument in Abepura, Jayapura city, Papua province, on March 8.

The action was held to commemorate International Women's Day (IWD) and took up the theme "Respect, Protect and Fulfil Women's Human Rights in the Land of Papua".

Andi Adam Faturahman, Jakarta – Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, confirmed that there were no budget cuts for the free nutritious meal (MBG) program. The differences in the price ceiling for raw materials are adjusted to the prices in different regions.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been a crucial source of funding for Indonesia's development programs, disbursing more than $800 million since 2020.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) announced on Friday that Indra Iskandar, Secretary-General of the House of Representatives, has been named a suspect in a year-long corruption investigation related to a housing project for lawmakers.