Church officials in Indonesia have rejected Indonesian security forces' claims of normalcy in a conflict zone in Papua, expressing concerns about the situation of displaced people and their safety.
The Church leaders said the security situation in the five villages in Oksop district is not yet normal, according to reports from pastoral officers of the Church in the field.
Jayapura – The sudden occupation of forest areas and villages of indigenous peoples by the massive deployment of military units in the Indonesian region of Papua is becoming a constant that marks the life of an entire region with its human and natural heritage.
Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – The European Union (EU) announced plans to revise its biofuel policies after the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled that parts of its Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) unfairly discriminated against Indonesia's palm oil exports.
Jakarta – Indonesia welcomed a recent ruling by the World Trade Organization or WTO on a palm oil-based lawsuit against the European Union (EU).
Hanif Musyaffa, Tangerang – The Indonesian government aims to deploy 425,000 migrant workers to foreign countries in 2025, with plans to expand their destinations to European nations, a senior official announced on Friday.
Jakarta – The increase in value-added tax on luxury goods from 11 percent to 12 percent shows the arbitrary way that the administration of Prabowo Subianto produces policy. He and the Finance Ministry have improperly circumvented the provisions of the law for populist reasons.
Indonesia, West Papua – On 28 November 2024, a tragic incident unfolded in Parim Village, Serambakon District, Pegunungan Bintang Regency, when Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) personnel killed Mr Methodius Uropmabin, 28, and Mr Nerius Oktemka, 25.
Jakarta – Car sales have been plummeting in Indonesia lately, but maybe that is not all bad news.
Figures presented by the Indonesian Automotive Manufacturers Association (Gaikindo) earlier this week show that 14 percent fewer new cars were sold from factories to dealers in 2024 than in 2023, and 2023 had already marked a decline from 2022.
Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Jakarta – Anindya Novyan Bakrie, the president and CEO of the Bakrie Group, was officially inaugurated on Thursday as chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), the country's most influential business lobbying group. His appointment follows a brief internal dispute but ultimately emerged unopposed.
Theressia Sunday Silalahi, Jakarta – Firefighters recovered four bodies from Glodok Plaza shopping center in West Jakarta on Thursday after a massive fire engulfed the upper floors of the building the night before.
Initial reports indicated that at least eight people were missing following the incident.
Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto on Thursday called for stronger collaboration between businesses and the government to achieve an ambitious economic growth target of 8 percent, as he welcomed the new leadership of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin).
Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – Chair of the National Economic Council (DEN) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan was offended by the World Bank's statement saying that Indonesia was one of the worst countries in collecting taxes. This was conveyed by the World Bank to Luhut when he visited the DEN Office three weeks ago.
Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has officially adopted a global minimum tax rate of 15 percent to foster a healthier and more competitive investment climate, a senior official announced on Thursday.
Bangkok – Prabowo S. Djojohadikusumo took office as Indonesia's president in October 2024 after winning the February election, raising human rights concerns because of his abusive record in the military, Human Rights Watch said in its World Report 2025 (https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025).
Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto on Thursday called for increased private sector involvement in Indonesia's infrastructure development, signaling a shift from the state-owned enterprises' dominance under the previous administration of President Joko Widodo.
Sabrina Mutiara Fitri, Ihsanuddin, Semarang – Exactly 18 years since the first Kamisan (Thursday) action was held, dozens of activists have again taken to the streets to fight for justice for victims of human rights violations.
Salsabilla Azzahra Octavia, Nurhadi, Jakarta – This year, Kamisan (Thursday) actions have entered their 18th year. The actions, which are held every Thursday in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta, have consistently demanded that the state resolve cases of gross human rights violations in Indonesia.
Hanin Marwah, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) urges the government to consider the use of e-voting for the next election as part of the solution to address some persisting cases of human rights violations during the general elections.
Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo, a former Army general, won the presidential election in February 2024. Prabowo was implicated in grave rights violations while he was in military service that had led to his dismissal. His running mate, Gibran Raka, is the eldest son of outgoing President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.
Rachel Farahdiba Regar, Jakarta – A researcher at the Center for Law and Social Justice Studies (LSJ) of the Faculty of Law, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), and a member of the Collective for Critical Legal Studies (Colleges), Markus Togar Wijaya, believes that human rights enforcement in Indonesia under the Prabowo Subianto government is merely rhetorical.
Jakarta – Hundreds of islanders have been evacuated, with thousands more awaiting their turn following increased volcanic eruptions in North Maluku, officials said on Thursday.
Mount Ibu, located on the remote island of Halmahera, erupted on Wednesday, sending a column of smoke up to four kilometres (2.5 miles) into the sky.
Jakarta – The Mutual Assistance Consultative Organization (MKGR), one of the founding organizations of Golkar Party, has opened its membership doors to former president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and his eldest son Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, according to MKGR chair Adies Kadir.
Fika Nurul Ulya, Ardito Ramadhan, Jakarta – The Denny JA Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) is recommending that the nomination limit or threshold in the election of regional heads (Pilkada) also be abolished as it was for presidential elections (Pilpres).
Jakarta - The saying that there is no perfect crime is both a belief and the slogan of the police when investigating cases. But the National Police (Polri) headquarters is increasingly perfecting the chain of crimes committed by its own members.
Riri Rahayu, Jakarta – The Indonesian Capital Authority (OIKN) continues its investment target of Rp100 trillion in 2025 for the Nusantara Capital City (IKN). Previously, the Authority targeted Rp100 trillion in 2024, but the value realized at that time was only Rp58 trillion.
Pujud Andriastanto, Purbalingga – Sumanto, infamously known as the "Hannibal Lecter of Java," has turned into a rising social media content creator known for his unique and entertaining videos that often carry motivational messages.
Sally Brooks and Natasya Salim – A university student was getting ready for church on Christmas Eve in Indonesia when a man snuck into her apartment to carry out an attack that would scar her for life.
As she stepped out of the shower with a towel around her torso, the man allegedly poured acid over her face and body.
Vinnilya, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia's (BI) decision to cut the benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 5.75 percent has raised concerns among economists about its impact on the exchange rate of the rupiah.
Antara, Jakarta – The government is nudging more state-owned enterprises or SOEs to go public.
At present, there are dozens of SOEs, including the state-run bank BNI and telco giant Telkom, that already have their shares listed at the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). SOE Minister Erick Thohir recently nudged state-run enterprises to hold their initial public offering (IPO).
Bambang Ismoyo, Jakarta – Indonesia is gearing up to establish a special economic zone (SEZ) dedicated to semiconductor chip development in partnership with the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in West Java, senior economic advisor Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan announced on Wednesday.
Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) is reviewing complaints from online motorcycle taxi (ojol) drivers against application fees. The drivers claimed to have received deductions of up to 30 percent.
President Prabowo Subianto might not have thought his remarks would spark a controversy when he recently suggested that Indonesia expand oil palm plantations without worrying about deforestation.
Erfan Maruf, Jakarta – Chief Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto on Wednesday criticized the tendency of many wealthy Indonesians to shop abroad rather than spend their money locally, arguing that this behavior undermines the national economy.
Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has ordered the immediate removal of bamboo barriers illegally installed along 30 kilometers off the coasts of Tangerang Regency, Banten province, a close aide said on Wednesday.
Basudiwa Supraja, Erfan Maruf, Jakarta – Chief Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto said Wednesday that Bank Indonesia's decision to cut the key interest rate to 5.75 percent could boost the people's purchasing power.
Yogi Eka Sahputra, Zacharias Wuragil, Batam – The Riau chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) regrets the move by the Batam Free Trade Zone Authority (BP Batam) which is allegedly involving the TNI (Indonesian Military) in pushing through the Rempang Eco City National Strategic Project (PSN).
Fika Nurul Ulya, Robertus Belarminus, Jakarta – The Denny JA Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) has revealed that the discourse on the election of regional heads (Pilkada) by Regional Representative Councils (DPRD) has received a negative response from the public, with as many as 76.3 percent expressing a negative sentiment on the idea.
Wahroni, Jakarta – Housing Minister Maruarar Sirait announced plans to use land confiscated in corruption cases as a resource for the government's 3 Million Houses Program.
Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – Judge Rudi Suparmono has been accused of accepting bribes from the defense team of a defendant who fatally assaulted his girlfriend while serving as the chairman of the Surabaya District Court, a senior prosecutor revealed on Wednesday.
Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR), Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, has expressed concerns that abolishing the parliamentary threshold could disrupt legislative functions. He argues that an excessive number of political parties in parliament would hinder the effectiveness of both the legislature and the executive branches.
Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Indonesia recorded a trade surplus of $2.24 billion in December 2024, though the surplus decreased by 48.7 percent from the previous month and contracted by 31.9 percent compared to the same period in 2023, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).
Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – The percentage of Indonesia's population living in poverty decreased to 8.57 percent in September 2024, a decline of 0.46 percentage points compared to March 2024 and a 0.79 percentage point decrease from the same month in 2023.
Hendro Dahlan Situmorang, Jakarta – Anindya Novyan Bakrie, elected as Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) during a congress on Sept. 14, is set to be officially inaugurated for the 2024-2029 term, ending a leadership dispute with rival Arsjad Rasjid.
Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia (BI) lowered its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 5.75 percent during its January policy meeting, marking its first cut in four months.
Jakarta – A volcano located in Halmahera erupted on Wednesday morning spewing a four-km (2.5-mile) high ash cloud, forcing authorities to raise the alert level in surrounding areas to the highest, officials said.
Ali Mirin – In a concerted effort to stifle support for West Papua's aspiration for independence, Indonesia has embarked on diplomatic initiatives with Pacific nations and communities.
New vehicle sales in Indonesia declined by 6% to 79,806 units in December 2024 from 85,284 units a year earlier, according to wholesale data compiled by the local automotive industry association Gaikindo. Last month's sales came up against already weak year-earlier volumes, after the strong rebound from the pandemic lows had fizzled out last year.
Rania Teguh – On the eve of a long-anticipated increase in Indonesia's value added tax (VAT) rate from 11 to 12 per cent, President Prabowo Subianto abruptly decided to revise the hike, announcing that it would apply only to luxury goods.
Jakarta – Following the failure of its pilot project, the government is actually extending the food estate program in North Sumatra. Natural forests and customary lands are under threat.
Daniel Ahmad Fajri, Jakarta – Prabowo's spokesperson, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, said that President Prabowo Subianto and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) Chair Megawati Soekarnoputri are good friends.
When asked about whether Prabowo is open for PDIP to join the government, Dahnil said it has been Prabowo's stance "from the start."