Akmalal Hamdhi, Jakarta – The weakening rupiah, which fell beyond Rp 17,500 against the US dollar on Tuesday, is beginning to affect Indonesia's business sector, prompting companies to delay expansion plans and adopt more cautious financial strategies, according to a leading business association.

Hanaa Septiana, Jakarta – As many as 200 students from 12 schools in the Tembok Dukuh area of Surabaya region in Indonesia experienced mass food poisoning after eating the free nutritious meal (MBG) on Monday, May 11, 2026. The menu of meat is suspected to be the cause of the poisoning.

Bobby Bascomb – Agriculture is the biggest driver of peatland loss in Indonesia, Peru and the Democratic Republic of Congo, home to the largest expanses of tropical peatlands in the world, a recent study has found.

Rhett Ayers Butler – Stop telling people to protect wildlife. Start paying them instead. That's the idea in a new experiment in Kapuas Hulu district, in Indonesia's West Kalimantan province, which is testing whether conservation can be made to work with local incentives rather than against them.

Natasha Khairunisa, Jakarta – Rupiah weakened past Rp 17,500 against the US dollar on Tuesday morning as investors monitored stalled peace talks between the United States and Iran, while awaiting key US inflation data later this week.

Oyuk Ivani Siagian, Jakarta – The Indonesian Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has released the Wealth Report of State Officials (LHKPN) of President Prabowo Subianto. According to the report dated March 31, 2026, Prabowo's total wealth is recorded at Rp2,066,764,868,191.

Jakarta – An alliance of hundreds of Papuan students from the Front Against Militarism and Investment held a protest action in front of the Human Rights Ministry offices on Monday May 11. Starting at 10 am, they delivered loud speeches urging the Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai to meet them in person.

Akmalal Hamdhi, Jakarta – The continued slide of the rupiah, which has fallen beyond Rp 17,500 against the US dollar for the first time on Tuesday, should not be compared with the country's 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis because economic fundamentals are now significantly stronger, a senior economist said on Tuesday.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Indonesia's taxpayers must repatriate their offshore wealth within 6 months or miss a chance to invest that money in the country, as Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa maintains his no-tax-amnesty stance.

Jayapura – Voices of concern have come from Papuan students in the East Java student city of Malang, highlighting the ongoing state violence in the land of Papua. Military operations continue to target civilians, people have been killed and injured and there has been a massive displacement of civilians.

Vedro Imanuel Girsang, Jakarta – The legal team of Andrie Yunus, who is part of the Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD), has spoken out about the visit from the Military Prosecutor's Office II-07 Jakarta to RS Cipto Mangunkusumo (RSCM).

Simon Butt – On 2 January 2026, Indonesia's new Code of Criminal Procedure (Kitab Undang-undang Hukum Acara Pidana, or KUHAP) came into force. The government has presented it as a historic break with a colonial and authoritarian past.

Dian Rahma Fika Alnina, Jakarta – A coalition of Papuan students under the Front Against Militarism and Investment has accused Minister of Human Rights Natalius Pigai of failing to address a series of human rights violations in Papua.

Max Lane – This book tries to tell the story of the rise and fall of the Suharto New Order dictatorship and the vanguard role of the activists who organised to build mass action protests (aksi) that eventually forced Suharto from power. However the book's title UNFINISHED NATION provoked reflections on the nature of nations themselves and the history of Indonesia as a nation.

Jakarta – Former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) senior investigator Novel Baswedan has strongly criticised the legal proceedings in the case of the acid attack on Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) activist Andrie Yunus, which is currently underway at the Jakarta II-08 Military Court.

Indah Ayu Pujiastuti, Jakarta – Indonesia's automobile sales rose 12% in the first four months of 2026, supported by seasonal demand and new model launches, but this does not necessarily indicate a broad recovery in middle-class consumption, according to Josua Pardede, chief economist at Permata Bank.

Nina A. Loasana, Jakarta – The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has announced plans to establish free meal kitchens for schoolchildren in prisons nationwide, with inmates set to take part in operating the facilities.

Theresia Sufa, Jakarta – Sumatran and Kalimantan elephants are now critically endangered as their habitat areas have been reduced from 42 to 21, Forestry Ministry Raja Juli Antoni told a meeting with various nongovernmental organizations in Jakarta on Thursday.

Febryan Kevin Candra Kurniawan, Faieq Hidayat, Jakarta – Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Deputy Coordinator Andrie Yunus has refused to attend the trial of four soldiers at the Jakarta II-09 Military Court who are accused of dousing him with acid on March 13.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesia has postponed its royalty hike on mining commodities amid concerns over the policy potentially taking a toll on business profits.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – Indonesian Minister of Human Rights (HAM) Natalius Pigai said that resolving the conflict in Papua requires high-level political decisions and the involvement of multiple parties.

Alfitria Nefi Pratiwi, Jakarta – Deputy Industry Minister Faisol Riza called for the acceleration of industrial cooperation between Indonesia and Russia, saying both countries should fully realize the potential of their bilateral partnership.

Morexette Marie B. Erram, Cebu – Demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy has dramatically increased following the war in the Middle East, which led to significant disruptions in fuel supplies.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian Navy has received its first submarine rescue vessel, a German-made ship, as the archipelagic country seeks to boost its rescue capabilities.

Dian Rahma Fika Alnina, Jakarta – Papuan student alliance from the Anti-Militarism and Investment Front stages a demonstration in front of the Ministry of Human Rights office in Jakarta on Monday, May 11, 2026.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Indonesia's foreign exchange reserves fell by $2 billion to $146.2 billion in April 2026, raising concerns over Bank Indonesia's ability to defend the rupiah amid mounting external pressures and repeated currency interventions.

Akmalal Hamdhi, Jakarta – Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa dismissed the possibility of another tax amnesty program under his leadership, seeking to calm businesses and taxpayers amid concerns over potential audits of participants in the government's previous voluntary disclosure scheme.

Jakarta – The ban on the screening of the film "Pesta Babi" (Pig Festival) is a clear violation of the 1945 Constitution, a violation of the right to freedom of expression and the public's right to obtain and access works of art and information.

Dian Rahma Fika Alnina, Jakarta – A case of food poisoning due to free nutritious meal (MBG) menu has occurred again at several elementary schools in Pulogebang Sub-District, East Jakarta, Indonesia, on Friday, May 8, 2026.

Anastasya Lavenia Yudi, Jakarta – Indonesia's Financial Services Authority (OJK) said non-performing loans in the country's online lending industry were dominated by borrowers aged 19 to 34 as of March 2026, highlighting rising credit risks among younger consumers.

Ade Ridwan Yandwiputra, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has found potential Rp49.5 billion in state losses in the National Nutrition Agency's (BGN) halal certification service procurement project. The anti-corruption group has reported its findings to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for further investigations.

Jakarta – Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel have disbanded a joint screening of the documentary film "Pesta Babi" (Pig Festival) in Ternate City, North Maluku, because the film was considered to have attracted significant opposition because of its provocative nature.

Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – Indonesian police unveiled and raided the operational location of 75 online gambling sites managed by 321 foreign nationals at Hayam Wuruk Tower Plaza, West Jakarta.

Arjuna Pademme, Jayapura, Jubi – Five residents near Kali Kabur in Tembagapura were reportedly shot dead, while a toddler was injured. in a shooting incident Spokesperson for the West Papuan Liberation Army (TPNPB), Sebby Sambom, said the victims were shot on Thursday (May 7, 2026).

Johnny Blades – Indonesian authorities say investigations are underway into an incident in West Papua when a number of people were allegedly injured after police fired shots amid a student graduation event.

Larius Kogoya, Jayapura, Jubi – Dok 9 Pier in North Jayapura District, Jayapura City, Papua, remains crowded with fishing activity. Boats line the dock as fishermen repair vessels and fishing equipment.

Andi Adam Faturahman, Jakarta – Hundreds of students from several schools in the Pulogebang area of Cakung, East Jakarta, have fallen ill with symptoms of food poisoning after consuming the free nutritious meal (MBG), the government's hallmark program.

Harumbi Prastya Hidayahningrum, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has pledged to renovate community health centers, or puskesmas, across Indonesia after inspecting medical facilities on Miangas Island, one of the country's northernmost territories.

On 7 and 8 May 2026, military forces conducted an operation in the Kali Kabur (Kabur River) area of Tembagapura District, Mimika Regency, in the Central Papua province, resulting in injuries to at least six civilians and the killing of Nalince Wamang, 17.. One of the injured victims is a one-year-old toddler.

Radhiyya Indra, Jakarta – Indonesia, along with 12 other countries, has condemned Israel's interception last week of the Global Sumud aid flotilla bound for Gaza and the subsequent detention of humanitarian activists in international waters, calling the move a violation of international law.

Jakarta – Sixteen people were killed on Wednesday after a passenger bus collided with a fuel truck on the Trans-Sumatra Highway in North Musi Rawas regency, South Sumatra, just 10 days after a double train crash in Greater Jakarta also claimed 16 lives, renewing concerns over national transportation safety standards.

Larius Kogoya, Jayapura, Jubi – Seven students from National High School (SMA) 1 Kobakma in Mamberamo Tengah were reportedly shot on Tuesday (May 5, 2026). The Head of the Law and Human Rights Department of Gereja Injili di Indonesia, Rev.

Radhiyya Indra, Jakarta – The government-sanctioned police reform commission has proposed demilitarizing the work culture of the National Police as part of broader reforms, amid persistent cases of police brutality that have fueled public demands for systemic change within the institution.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Fires have burned part of a decade-long orangutan habitat restoration site in Indonesian Borneo, raising fears among conservationists that another severe fire season could wipe out years of recovery efforts before the dry season has even fully begun.

Fachri Hamzah, Jakarta – Victims of the devastating floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra filed a lawsuit against the central government at the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) on Thursday, May 7, 2026. The case is registered under case number 167/G/LH/2026/PTUN.JKT.

Indonesia, West Papua – This 11-page report lists cases and developments including human rights violations and their patterns; developments in the armed conflict and its impact on civilians; significant political shifts in Indonesia affecting West Papua; and international responses and initiatives.

Human rights

Akmalal Hamdhi, Jakarta – Indonesia's government debt approached Rp 10,000 trillion in the first quarter of 2026, with the vast majority financed through state securities issuance, according to Finance Ministry data.

Total government debt stood at Rp 9,920.42 trillion ($571 billion) as of March 31, 2026, the Finance Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Jayapura – Without any logical justification, a joint screening of the documentary film "Pesta Babi" (Pig Festival) followed by a discussion on the University of Mataram (Unram) campus on Thursday evening May 7 was forcibly broken up by Unram's campus authorities.

The Indigenous Peoples Bill has returned to the national legislative priority list after being in limbo for 16 years. The House of Representatives (DPR) suddenly began to take the matter seriously. The government is also optimistic that the bill can be finalized this year. It may initially seem like good news. However, many suspicious contradictions lie behind this acceleration.

Erik Hoffner – Protecting nature is still a struggle due to funding gaps that governments across developing countries are struggling to close. Indonesia is no exception. For instance, its national parks are chronically underfunded, receiving only about $5 per hectare ($2 per acre) per year, far below the estimated needs of around $18/hectare ($7.30/acre) per year.