Kuala Lumpur – After 26 years, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is set to welcome its first new member since 1999 as Timor-Leste nears full accession.

This milestone carries significant implications for both the nation and the regional bloc amid shifting geopolitical and economic dynamics.

Indonesia, West Papua – On 12 June 2025, police officers arbitrarily detained Mr Imanus Komba, a lawyer working for the Papuan Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua), and a protester named Mr Kolki Gwijangge during a peaceful demonstration at the Abepura roundabout in Jayapura City, Papua Province (see photo on top, source: Jubi).

Max Lane – On June 23, 2025, the Editorial Board of Indonesia's premier English language newspaper, the Jakarta Post, published a sharp criticism of Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, "deploring his dismissive statements" regarding rapes and sexual violence during rioting in May, 1998, seemingly orchestrated to discredit the process that was unfolding and forcing President Suhar

Coinciding with the 79th Bhayangkara Day – An official anniversary celebration of the Indonesian National Police (Polri) – which is commemorated on 1st July 2025, the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) launched a Policy Paper titled "Kekerasan yang Menjulang di Tengah Penegakan Hukum yang Timpang" (English: Soaring Violence Amid Unequal Law Enforcement)

Indonesia, UN on West Papua, West Papua – In the past months, the situation surrounding the National Strategic Project (PSN) in Merauke, Papua Selatan Province, has further escalated.

Indonesia, West Papua – Nearly 11 months after the fatal shooting of Mr Tobias Silak in the Yahukimo Regency, Papua Pegunungan Province, criminal proceedings have commenced at the Wamena District Court against the four police officers, Muh.

Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition against Impunity interrupted a working meeting between Minister of Culture Fadli Zon and House of Representatives (DPR) Commission X at the parliament complex in Jakarta on Wednesday July 2.

Sharon Muller – Terror against Papuan students has again been launched in several cities around Indonesia. This time round it has been through the delivery of packages containing rotten animal carcasses, threatening letters, the distribution of posters and videos as well as other threats.

Olena Wibisana, Yogyakarta – The Yogyakarta city government has launched designated smoking areas along Malioboro shopping street, the city's most visited destination.

Rama Sukarta, Jakarta – Indonesia's manufacturing sector showed further signs of weakness in June as the country's Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell deeper into contraction territory.

Pribadi Wicaksono (Kontributor), Yogyakarta – Tourists and tourism business owners who dare to smoke in public areas on Malioboro Street, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, will face new sanctions prepared by the Technical Implementation Unit (UPT) for the Management of Yogyakarta's Cultural Heritage Area.

Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – Culture Minister Fadli Zon said the 1998 mass rapes that occurred during Indonesia's political turmoil will not be included in the government's ongoing national history rewrite project, arguing the initiative aims to build a positive narrative that avoids deepening ethnic and communal divisions.

Melynda Dwi Puspita, Jakarta – The persisting waves of layoffs remain a source of anxiety among Indonesian workers. According to the Ministry of Manpower data, as many as 77,965 workers were laid off throughout 2024, up 20.21 percent compared to the same period in 2023 with 64,855 people.

Nandito Putra, Jakarta – The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources is seeking to provide electricity access to more than 10,000 isolated locations across Indonesia. Director General of Electricity Jisman Hutajulusaid the program will serve as the foundation for the national electricity roadmap and will require a significant investment of up to Rp50 trillion.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Indonesia's government debt issuance surged in the first half of 2025, reaching Rp 315.4 trillion ($19.5 billion), a 46.9 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Finance.

Ade Ridwan Yandwiputra, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has signed Government Regulation (PP) No. 29/2025 concerning the Assistance Fund for Victims of Sexual Violence Crimes (DBK-TPKS). This regulation serves as a derivative of the Sexual Violence Crimes Law enacted in 2022.

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – The House of Representatives' Commission X plans to summon Minister of Culture Fadli Zon on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, to seek clarification on several recent controversies, including his statement that the mass rape during the May 1998 Riots was merely a rumor lacking evidence.

Jakarta – The conflict between Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin and doctors has yet to be resolved. Members of the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) challenged the omnibus law, Law No. 17/2023 on Health, with the Constitutional Court, arguing that the government had intervened in the independence of the medical association.

Aliy Arivin, Jakarta – The Chairperson of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) DPP, Danik Eka Rahmanigtyas, has condemned the forced disbandment of a Christian student retreat in the Cidahu District of Sukabumi Regency. She referred to the action as a form of intolerance.

Ian Wilson – Paramilitary mass organisations (ormas) have re-emerged in recent months as volatile high-profile actors, prompting concerns over the potential resurgence of informal coercive practices under Prabowo's presidency.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia's palm oil exports enjoyed a double-digit growth this year as of May, with an unchanged list of top buyers, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data released on Tuesday.

Indonesia sold $8.90 billion worth of crude palm oil (CPO) and its derivatives to its trading partners in the first five months of 2025.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said on Tuesday that Indonesia's tax revenue is unlikely to meet the target set in the 2025 state budget, citing several economic challenges.

Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) stated that the police constantly ranked first as the institution with the highest number of torture cases. The organization documented violent incidents from year to year, and the National Police (Polri) once again became the number one perpetrator of torture this year.

M. Raihan Muzzaki, Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition consisting of YLBHI and KontraS has urged the police to conduct an evaluation following the Kanjuruhan football stadium tragedy. YLBHI Vice Chair Arif Maulana stated that the improvement is necessary to ensure that the police force is not abused against civil society.

Daniel Ahmad Fajri, Jakarta – Chairperson of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), Muhammad Isnur, expressed concern over the community's inability to maintain order when disbanding the Christian student retreat in Cidahu, Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia. Isnur stated that the incident is a challenge for the Ministry of Religious Affairs and other stakeholders.

Indonesia, West Papua – On the evening of 7 June 2025, 25-year-old Maikel Edowai was reportedly shot by police officers at Taman Gizi Park in Oyehe, Nabire Town, Papua Tengah Province. Mr Edowai was reportedly purchasing alcoholic drinks as police personnel opened fire without warning, causing bullet wounds to his hand and thigh (see video below, source: independent HRD).

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto called upon the Indonesian police to deeply connect with the people and understand their struggles. He delivered this message during the 79th anniversary of the Indonesian National Police (Polri) at the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta, on July 1, 2025.

Jakarta – The government on Monday has unveiled a series of new import regulation that would ease access to specific goods and raw materials as well as eliminate overlapping rules that industry groups have long criticized as burdensome, ahead of July 9 deadline of ongoing bilateral tariff negotiations with the United States.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Indonesia recorded a monthly inflation rate of 0.19 percent in June 2025, driven mainly by rising food prices, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported on Tuesday.

On an annual basis, inflation stood at 1.87 percent, while year-to-date inflation reached 1.38 percent.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Official statistics showed Tuesday that the US remained a top buyer of Indonesian goods amid a looming tariff deadline, as Jakarta's surplus surpassed $7 billion as of end-May.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – Indonesian National Police (Polri) Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo said the police have seized nearly Rp 7 trillion ($430 million) worth of narcotics in a nationwide crackdown since the beginning of 2025, claiming the operation has saved more than 35 million lives from the dangers of illegal drugs.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) wishes the Polri (National Police) a happy 79th anniversary and will continue to encourage improvements and reforms to the police of the Republic of Indonesia so that they are professionals who firmly uphold the Constitution as a state institution that fully guarantees the principles of a democratic constitutional state, and guar

Muhammad Aulia, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has praised the Indonesian National Police (Polri) for actively supporting the government's food security and free nutritious meals program.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia announced Tuesday that it had booked a $4.30 billion surplus in May, maintaining the 61-month positive trade balance it has kept since May 2020.

Bambang Ismoyo, Jakarta – Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry (ESDM) has proposed allocating between Rp 97.37 trillion ($6 billion) and Rp 104.97 trillion ($6.49 billion) in electricity subsidies for 2026, targeting 44.88 million customers nationwide, primarily low-income and vulnerable households.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – Indonesia's Supreme Court has rejected the appeal filed by businessman Harvey Moeis, upholding his 20-year prison sentence in a major corruption case linked to the country's tin trade.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto said Tuesday that someone would always try to bring down the Indonesian police force.

Prabowo, however, did not go into details on the individual or group who wished to ruin the crime-fighting body.

Alfi Dinilhaq, Jakarta – State-owned energy company Pertamina has officially raised the prices of non-subsidized fuel across the country starting Tuesday, as part of its monthly price review in line with global crude oil movements.

Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) recorded 411 cases of shooting by police officers over the past year. The figure is based on the organization's observation of police violence throughout July 2024-June 2025.

Divya Karyza, Jakarta – Indonesia's coal industry faces mounting pressure as key export markets China and India shift to coal with higher calorific value (HCV) and ramp up production to meet domestic demand.

Antara, Denpasar – Bali Governor I Wayan Koster has dismissed rumors of widespread layoffs in the island's tourism industry, claiming that the sector is currently experiencing a surge in hotel occupancy rates amid strong domestic and international demand.

Burhanuddin Muhtadi – Dedi Mulyadi, the governor of West Java, Indonesia's most populous province, has been in the spotlight since he took office on 20 February 2025, partly due to his skilful use of social media to grow his support base.

Jakarta – The government is in a bind with its housing program. If the properties are too expensive, they will not be bought, but if they are too inexpensive, they will not be built.

It was clear from the beginning that tackling a housing backlog accumulated over many years was never going to be easy.

The Civil Society Coalition Against Impunity, comprising survivors, family victims of gross human rights violations, civil society organizations, and individuals from various backgrounds, today held a peaceful protest in front of The Ministry of Culture Building, Sudirman Street, Jakarta.

Anastasya Lavenia Yudi, Jakarta – The Indonesian E-commerce Association (idEA) is calling for a cautious and gradual implementation of new e-commerce tax regulations. This comes as the Directorate General of Taxes (DJP) announced that rules designating marketplaces as collectors of Article 22 Income Tax (PPh) are in their final stages.

Jakarta – The online gambling case implicating former Minister of Communication and Informatics, Budi Arie Setiadi, meets the criteria of organized crime. Simply take a look at the pattern: a mobilizing structure, collusion between ministry officials and gambling businesses, threats and protection from government actors, as well as repeated instead of incidental occurrences.

The government of Catholic-majority Timor-Leste is pondering a complete ban on traditional martial arts, blaming it for ongoing gang violence between youth groups.

Indonesia, West Papua – On 28 June 2025 at approximately 04:04 am, joint forces of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the Police reportedly raided civilian homes in the Uam Village, Sumo District, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Pegunungan Province.

Chairul Fikri, AP, Jakarta – Merince Kogoya, Miss Papua Pegunungan 2025, has been disqualified from the Miss Indonesia 2025 pageant following the circulation of a video on social media showing her expressing support for Israel, sparking online controversy.

Jakarta – Israeli military operations in Palestine and Iran, carried out with near-total impunity, are eroding global confidence in international law and could embolden other nations to engage in similar behavior, Indonesia's Foreign Minister Sugiono warned on Monday.