Hidayat Azriel, Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – At least three democracy activists stormed into a hotel room in Jakarta on Friday, disrupting a closed-door meeting where lawmakers and government officials were discussing proposed amendments to the military law.

Akhdi Martin Pratama, Jakarta – Activists from the Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform stormed the Ruby 1 and 2 meeting rooms at the Fairmont Hotel in Jakarta on Saturday February 15.

Vedro Imanuel Girsang, Jakarta – Economist Awalil Rizky from Bright Institute assessed that the Finance Ministry is refusing to acknowledge the weakening dynamics of the national economy, as evidenced by declining tax revenue.

Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform has criticised the move by the Indonesian Military Law Revisions Working Committee (Panja RUU) and the government to discuss revisions to Law Number 34/2004 on the Indonesian Military (UU TNI) at the Fairmont Hotel in Jakarta over the weekend.

Salman Mardira, Jakarta – The Indonesian National Police (Polri) has pledged to take firm action against civic organizations, locally known as ormas, engaged in extortion and intimidation that disrupt the country's investment climate. The move aims to protect businesses from illegal levies and security threats.

Heru Yustanto, Bogor – The government has issued suspension notices for a hotel and a golf course in Bogor Regency, alleging that they have been built on restricted forest land, Environment and Forestry Minister Hanif Faisol said on Thursday.

Erfan Maruf, Jakarta – The Public Works Ministry has resumed several priority infrastructure projects after receiving an approved budget increase from the Finance Ministry.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – Hasto Kristiyanto, secretary-general of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), remained defiant as his corruption trial commenced on Friday, claiming he was a political detainee targeted for his outspoken criticism of the government.

Raden Putri Alpadillah Ginanjar, Jakarta – The General Crime Investigation Directorate of the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Regional Police has revealed new evidence in the case of former Ngada Police Chief AKBP Fajar Widyadharma Lukman Sumaatmaja, who is accused of sexually abusing minors.

An Indonesian cardinal has called for the release of a transsexual who was jailed for blasphemy after making a joke about Jesus.

Jakarta – Indonesia's trade surplus in February likely narrowed to $2.45 billion, despite a larger increase in exports and a small import growth, a Reuters poll showed on Friday, indicating that imports may have become costlier due to a weaker rupiah.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Indonesia's largest environmental group, Walhi, has filed a formal complaint with the Attorney General's Office, accusing 47 companies of environmental destruction and corruption.

Jakarta – The government must act responsibly in the management of bullion banks owned by state companies. Ignoring the significant potential risks from this new model of accumulating funds from the people could lead to major problems and disrupt the economy.

Antara, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto is working towards increasing research funding for higher education institutions in Indonesia to 1 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). This is expected to help drive national economic and industrial growth.

Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – Nahdlatul Ulama Central Board (PBNU) chairperson Yahya Cholil Staquf, or Gus Yahya, stated that the proposed Religious Freedom Law would serve as the state's effort to address interfaith conflicts at the grassroots level.

Vedro Imanuel Girsang, Jakarta – The budget for the Smart Indonesia Program (PIP), which provides financial aid for education to underprivileged families, has been reduced by nearly Rp4 trillion this year. According to Sofia Nurjanah, Head of the PIP Working Team, the total funds allocated for PIP this year are approximately Rp9.6 trillion.

Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has no plans to resign from the Red and White Cabinet, a close confidant of President Prabowo Subianto said on Friday, adding that a cabinet reshuffle was not in the pipeline.

House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said he had confirmed with Prabowo himself that no cabinet shake-up was imminent.

The government is still studying the financing mechanism for the establishment of 70,000 Red and White Village Cooperatives as envisioned by President Prabowo Subianto, Home Minister Tito Karnavian said on Tuesday.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Two high-ranking army officers serving in President Prabowo Subianto's cabinet have decided to resign from the military while retaining their civilian roles, Armed Forces Commander General Agus Subiyanto confirmed on Thursday.

Financing for gas project development from Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and their financial institutions, such as the Asia Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank Group (WBG), could prevent Indonesia from meeting its Paris Agreement commitments.

Fachri Hamzah, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has logged approximately 114 reports of human rights violations related to the National Strategic Projects (PSN) from 2020 to 2023.

Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – The head of the Committee for Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation (BKSAP) Mardani Ali Sera said the House of Representatives (DPR) is committed to supporting Palestine's independence. He mentioned that the parliament holds three stances regarding the conflict in the Middle East.

Muhammad Rifki Saebani, Tasikmalaya – Four villages in Tanjungsari Village, Sukaresik Subdistrict, Tasikmalaya Regency, were flooded following the overflow of the Cikidang and Citanduy Rivers due to heavy rainfall from Thursday to Friday.

Ichsan Ali, Jakarta – After ten years, Indonesia will once again send migrant workers to Saudi Arabia, following President Prabowo Subianto's approval to lift the moratorium.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto aims to eliminate extreme poverty by 2026 and reduce Indonesia's overall poverty rate from 8.7 percent to 4.5 percent by the end of his tenure in 2029, according to Chief Community Empowerment Minister Muhaimin Iskandar.

Merauke – Voices of opposition and resistance to the government's problematic national strategic projects (PSN) have echoed from Merauke, which is being targeted by irrigated rice field and sugar cane projects that are legacy of former president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration, and are now being continued by President Prabowo Subianto.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Indonesia has collected Rp 26.18 trillion ($1.6 billion) in Value-Added Tax (VAT) from digital transactions over the past five years, with contributions from digital companies operating in the country, including Meta, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon.

President Prabowo Subianto held a four-hour discussion on Thursday with hundreds of leaders of public and private universities at the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta.

Alif Ilham Fajriadi, Jakarta – Inactive Ngada Police Chief AKBP Fajar Widyadharma Lukman Sumaatmaja has been transferred to the Headquarters Service Unit (Yanma) Indonesian National Police. This reassignment order was issued after Fajar was accused of drug use, sexually abusing a minor, and selling explicit videos to an Australian pornographic website.

Vedro Imanuel Girsang, Jakarta – Army Chief of Staff (KSAD) General Maruli Simanjuntak dismisses the concerns over the New Order (Orde Baru) resurgence following the TNI Bill discussion as naive, claiming the issue is raised to attack the military institution.

Yogi Eka Sahputra, Jakarta – Fishers in the coastal city of Batam lodged a complaint against the Ocarina reclamation project, which damaged the sea where they hinged their livelihood. They filed the complaint to the Riau Islands regional police after efforts to gain government support went unanswered.

Basten Gokkon, Jakarta – A renewed plan by the Indonesian government to turn coal into gas or liquid fuel forms has received mounting backlash from climate experts who say it will be ecologically and economically disastrous.

Matthew Kish – Workers at two Indonesian factories that make products for Fanatics and Nike have reached a "groundbreaking" deal to address sexual violence in the workplace.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – The head of House Commission I, Utut Adianto, believes that the TNI Law revision will not bring back the military dual function similar to that of the New Order regime, as it can be anticipated through changes in regulation.

Saepul Jaenudin, Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Bogor – The government has announced plans to construct 200 boarding schools nationwide to provide free education for students from low-income families, Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf said on Thursday.

Irsyan Hasyim, Jakarta – Pantau Gambut, a non-governmental organization networked across 9 provinces, which focuses on research as well as advocacy and campaigns for the protection and sustainability of peatlands in Indonesia, stated that forest and land fires (karhutla) are not the only singular disaster caused by the damage to the peat ecosystem.

Alfitria Nefi P, Jakarta – A group of Indonesian migrant fishermen filed a lawsuit against the American company named Bumble Bee Foods for alleged forced labor and human trafficking on Wednesday, March 12, 2025.

Indonesia, West Papua – As of mid-March 2025, more than 77,886 people in West Papua [1] remain internally displaced as a result of armed conflict between Indonesian security forces and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB).

Wawan Kurniawan, Tangerang – Police have seized 13 tons of Minyakita cooking oil from a packaging facility in Tangerang and arrested the owner on fraud charges, an officer announced on Wednesday.

The raid was part of a nationwide crackdown on Minyakita producers and distributors suspected of underfilling and inflating prices, sparking public outrage.

Andika Pratama, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has allocated land in 326 regencies to support the establishment of 500 new battalions under the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) while also ensuring food security, Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Minister Nusron Wahid confirmed Wednesday.

Prisma Ardianto, Jakarta – Indonesia's tax revenue tumbled 41.86 percent year-on-year in January to Rp 88.89 trillion ($5.42 billion), as businesses and taxpayers struggled with the rollout of the government's new Core Tax Administration System (Coretax).

Antara, Balikpapan – A viral video circulating on social media falsely depicts severe flooding in Indonesia's future capital, Nusantara, in Sepaku, East Kalimantan. The footage, which appears to show the Garuda Palace and Swissotel Nusantara submerged in water, was revealed to be AI-generated misinformation aimed at provoking public concern.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The government announced Thursday that it had already spent Rp 710.5 billion or approximately $43 million to roll out free meals to millions of Indonesian students as of March 12.

Salman Mardira, Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) is pushing to finalize the revision of Law No. 34/2004 on the Indonesian Military (TNI) before the legislative recess on March 21. However, the proposed changes have sparked concerns over a potential revival of the dual-function role of the military, reminiscent of the New Order era.

Dio Suhenda, Andi Hajramurni, and Yulia Savitri, Jakarta/Makassar/Palembang – President Prabowo Subianto's free birthday health screening program has seen low participation nationwide one month after its official launch on Feb. 10, raising questions about its target of reaching 100 million people by the end of the year.

Jakarta – Vietnam's VinFast plans to build 100,000 electric vehicle charging stations across Indonesia, Jakarta's investment minister said, as the EV manufacturer pushes into the burgeoning industry in Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

Jakarta – The Bali administration is planning to resume the operation of Trans Metro Dewata (TMD) next month, after the provincial bus service was halted earlier this year due to lack of funding from the central government.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Thursday named five suspects in its ongoing investigation into alleged corruption involving advertisement spending by the Bank of West Java and Banten (BJB).

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Indonesia's state budget (APBN) recorded a deficit of Rp 31.2 trillion ($1.9 billion) as of Feb. 28, 2025, or 0.13 percent of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP), the Finance Ministry reported Thursday. The deficit was attributed to state revenue of Rp 316.9 trillion and government spending of Rp 348.1 trillion.

Toto Sudiarjo, Sleman, Indonesia – A decade ago, Suyono's neighbors found his antics collecting the goat and quail droppings outside his home verging on the strange. Today, it's become the norm in many households in Minggir, a Javanese village producing its own gas.