Duncan Graham – When is a purge a genocide? When a young Australian researcher finds solid evidence that's long eluded international scholars, proving the minds of millions have been poisoned with lies.

Dr Jess Melvin is an award-winning academic at Sydney Uni. In 2018 she published The Army and the Indonesian Genocide using official Indonesian documents.

Peh Hong Lim and Adrianna Zhang, Washington/Taipei, Taiwan – A U.S.-based Chinese labor rights group tells VOA Mandarin that workplace safety and a December accident that killed two workers played key roles in triggering protests that turned violent over the weekend in Indonesia at a Chinese-owned nickel smelting facility.

Yohana Belinda, Jakarta – Small business owners and customers alike are enthusiastic about the prospect of a restriction-free Lunar New Year.

Jakarta – Surakarta Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, had a meeting with his father on Tuesday at Bogor Palace in West Java to discuss national politics and preparations for the 2024 general election.

Malcolm Brown – Shirley Shackleton knew the risks. Married to journalist Greg Shackleton for just over nine years, and a mother of one, she was worried like any wife whose husband is about to embark on a dangerous assignment. But she resolved not to stand in his way.

News Desk, United Nations – Foreign Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi has called on the Israeli government to stop making provocative actions in Palestine and start working on a peaceful process toward a two-state solution.

Fikri Harish, Jakarta – West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil, who has risen to the top in the race for the vice-presidential seat in many recent polls, has officially joined the Golkar Party, paving the way for a possible run in the 2024 elections.

Jakarta – Indonesian exports, which generated about US$54.5 billion in trade surplus last year, up by 50 percent from 2021, are widely predicted to decline this year due to the weakening commodity market as the risks of economic recession have pressed down global demand for goods.

Billy Adison Aditijanto, Jakarta – An anticipated weakening of the United States dollar will make Indonesian markets more desirable for international investors, helping prop up the rupiah amid global and domestic uncertainty, analysts have said.

Deni Ghifari, Jakarta – Telecommunication towers are set to remain lucrative this year amid worsening global economic conditions and challenges in the industry with firms aiming to tap potential in rural areas and in the country's growing digital adaptation.

Wamena, Jubi – Dozens of residents from the Upper Wouma and Lower Wouma of Jayawijaya Regency, Mountainous Papua Province blocked road access, precisely at the junction of Wouma, Welesi and Assolokobal which connects Wamena and Kurima.

Jakarta, Jubi – Inactive Papua Governor Lukas Enembe was taken by investigators of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to the Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital on Tuesday night, January 17, 2023, at around 8 p.m. Jakarta time, or 10 p.m. Papua time.

Beritasatu, Jakarta – Indonesian prosecutors said on Thursday allegations that slain officer Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat had been involved in a love affair with the wife of former police general Ferdy Sambo, the suspected brain behind his murder, has added some spice to court hearings but won't distract them from pursuing murder conviction.

Herman Situmorang, Jakarta – The government expects to receive 7.4 million international arrivals for the year to produce around $6 billion in foreign exchange earnings, following a spike in the number of foreign tourists last year.

This week, the National Police announced last year's arrest of a 25-year-old woman, identified by her initials FA, for violations of Law No.

President Joko Widodo said his administration is keen on passing into law a bill that would finally protect the rights of some of the most exploited and abused people in Indonesia.

Vitorio Mantalean, Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) was again the target of scores of demonstrators on Wednesday January 18. This time it was a protest by a group calling itself the Indonesian Independent People's Union National Leadership Board (DPN SRMI).

Hilaire Bule – Vanuatu Free West Papua Association (VFWPA) has threatened to stage a peaceful demonstration if the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat in Port Vila pursues its plan to recruit Indonesians.

Len Garae – West Papua Interim President Benny Wenda is back in Vanuatu to work in the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) office, as well as introduce himself to Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau's newly installed Government, and "strategize" on the way forward regarding his Government's mandate towards eventual sovereignty.

M Julnis Firmansyah, Ade Ridwan Y, Jakarta – The chairperson of the National Awakening Party (PKB), Muhaimin Iskandar, known by his nickname Cak Imin, on Tuesday urged the government to prepare policies to overcome possible social turmoil that sparked by the soaring unemployment rate in the face of potential recession-driven layoffs in 2023.

Merauke, Jubi – The Merauke Class II Immigration Office continues to monitor the presence of 79 foreign nationals in Merauke Regency, South Papua Province. These foreigners work in a number of companies, and some are clergy.

Jayapura, Jubi – International spokesperson of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) Viktor Yeimo, who is currently tried for alleged treason, complained about the condition of his detention room at Abepura Prison. He conveyed it during the reading of the Public Prosecutor's response to his exception at the Jayapura District Court on Tuesday, January 17, 2023.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) yesterday evening conducted a search of the offices belonging to members of the Jakarta Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) over an allegedly shady land acquisition deal.

As one of Depok's main roads, traffic jams have long been an issue on Jalan Dewi Sartika. The construction of an underpass to reduce traffic density and bypass a railway crossing has been met with immense gratitude from the city's residents, so much so that they put up a billboard thanking Mayor Mohammad Idris.

Joanne Lin, Singapore – Timor-Leste may have received a consolation prize last year when it received in-principle approval to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as its 11th member state. However, it may have a long way to go in to reach the ultimate prize – full membership.

Anne Barker, Jakarta – Shirley Shackleton once sat on her husband's grave and declared it a crime scene.

In the late 1980s in Dili, she personally confronted the army general who had led Indonesia's invasion of then Portuguese Timor.

Now she has been remembered as feisty, courageous and passionate, after dying at the weekend aged 91.

She was an unlikely hero.

Matthew Burgess and Marcus Wong – Overseas investors have returned to Indonesia's bonds en masse, a shift which has helped spur gains in the rupiah.

Amid concerns over cases of obstruction of worship for religious minorities including Christians by Muslims in Indonesia, President Jokowi Widodo has told heads of provinces and districts to guarantee equal religious freedom to all.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – Rice prices continue to increase in the beginning of the year despite controversial late importation of rice and market intervention by the State Logistics Agency (Bulog).

Beritasatu, Jakarta – The Jakarta Metropolitan Police and the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Customs Office recently uncovered a home industry for meth-laced e-liquid in West Jakarta – sparking concerns about the cigarette alternative, especially when used by adolescents.

Mirza Bagaskara, Jakarta – The National Human Rights Commission or Komnas HAM has conducted an investigation into PT Gunbuster Nickel Industri or PT GNI, with regards to the clash between workers.

Komnas HAM found that there were incidents of mismanagement within PT GNI, with the company showing reluctance to implement labor-related regulations.

Fajar Pebrianto, Jakarta – President Joko Widodo or Jokowi today accepted Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto's invitation to attend the 2023 Defense Ministry Leadership Meeting. In the meeting, Jokowi ordered Prabowo to orchestrate or combine intelligence information held by several agencies.

Hariz Baharudin, Singapore – Indonesia's ratification of three agreements with Singapore reflects the strength and maturity of the relationship between the two countries, said a spokesman from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

The MFA spokesman said on Tuesday that Singapore also looks forward to working further with Indonesia to move forward on these agreements.

Jakarta – We call on the government to immediately establish an independent fact-finding team entrusted to thoroughly investigate the root causes of the deadly riot that occurred at the nickel plant of PT Gunbuster Nickel Industry (GNI) in Morowali, Central Sulawesi, on Saturday.

Jakarta – West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil, popularly known by the nickname "Emil", has said he plans to join the Golkar Party and make an announcement about his 2024 bid for the vice presidency shortly.

"God willing, [I] will join Golkar soon," Ridwan said on Tuesday afternoon in Depok, West Java, as quoted by Kompas.

Families of children who died because of tainted cough syrup demanded restitution as the Central Jakarta District Court on Tuesday started hearing their class-action lawsuit against government agencies and pharmaceutical firms.

Jakarta – State Secretary Pratikno on Monday downplayed speculation that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo would reshuffle his Cabinet in the coming days, saying that such a move would not be on the President's agenda for this month.

"There's no such plan," Pratikno told reporters on Monday at the Presidential Palace.

Sylviana Hamdani, Jakarta – We are reaping what we have sown. As extreme weather and floods have besieged us lately, many have come to realize that climate change is real and we are the main culprit of so many environmental disasters happening on Earth.

Adi Renaldi – It was just another one fine day in late May 2022 when tidal floods hit the Lamicitra industrial zone inside Tanjung Emas Port in Semarang, north of Central Java, at around 12:30 pm.

One person died after the struggle that followed the arrest of Papua Governor Lukas Enembe over allegations of bribery. As many as 19 people were detained by the police for attacking security forces.

Don't cha wish you could dance like these kids? Not conservatives, apparently, who criticized the way foreign influence has supposedly corrupted youths.

Out of SMPN 1 junior high school in Ciawi, Bogor came this video depicting a boy and a girl impeccably doing the cha-cha to a remix of The Weeknd's Blinding Lights in front of their schoolmates during an assembly.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) has launched a security report of journalists in Indonesia throughout 2022, which says journalists are in a less safe situation. This is based on the increasing number of attacks on journalists. The perpetrators are both state actors and non-state actors.

Jayapura, Jubi – An alliance of all-Papua Student Executive Board (BEM) in Jayapura City on Monday, January 16, 2023, called for the unconditional release of West Papua National Committee (KNPB) spokesperson Viktor Yeimo. According to the students, Yeimo is a victim of criminalization and a racial discrimination.

Makawaru da Cunha, Jayapura – The All-Papua Student Executive Student Alliance is demanding that the police immediately and unconditionally release two Papuan students and West Papua National Committee (KNPB) international spokesperson Victor Yeimo.

Zamzami Zainuddin, Kuala Lumpur – "Digital citizenship" is using technology and social media ethically and responsibly. In today's digital age, it is very common for misleading information or hoaxes to spread swiftly through social media and other online channels.

Jakarta – Last week, two lecturers, a student and a content creator joined forces in filing a judicial review motion with the Constitutional Court in their effort to remove controversial provisions from the new penal code, which they deem undemocratic as they could lead to the imprisonment of people for insulting a sitting president and the government.

Fika Nurul Ulya, Bogor – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD says that the government in the era of reformasi – the political reform process that began in 1998 – must learn from the fall of the New Order (Orba) regime in 1998.

Fadhil Haidar Sulaeman, Jakarta – Last year's global spike in commodity prices, while causing headaches for economies around the world, has helped Indonesia achieve its biggest-ever trade surplus.

Trade with the US was particularly advantageous for Indonesia, while Australia accounted for the biggest bilateral deficit.

Muhammad Aulia, Jakarta – Prosecutors on Tuesday recommended a life sentence for former police general Ferdy Sambo who is accused of ordering the murder of a subordinate who he said had harassed his wife.

Herman, Jakarta – The government is receiving calls left and right to get tough on electronic cigarettes, also known as vapes, which many find are equally harmful as regular cigs.