Aryo Putranto Saptohutomo, Jakarta – Transparency International Indonesia (TII) Secretary General Danang Widoyoko says that Indonesia's poor Corruption Perception Index (CPI) is not caused by frequent Corruption Eradication Commission's (KPK) sting operations (OTT).

Jakarta – Following the success of the burden-sharing agreement between Bank Indonesia (BI) and the Finance Ministry in financing the fiscal deficit over the past three years to prevent a deeper economic crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic, the government and the House of Representatives have agreed to maintain that cooperation under the newly enacted omnibus Financial Sector Law.

Nigel Cory, Washington, DC – On Sept. 20, Indonesia ratified its first comprehensive data privacy legislation – the Personal Data Protection (PDP) Law, which has the potential to constitute a solid, well-designed foundation for its digital economy.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway (HSR) service is expected to see lower demand than initially projected. At its inception, the Jakarta-Bandung HSR was estimated to transport 60,000 passengers per day, but a new study conducted after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has cut the estimate by half.

Antara, Jakarta – Tax revenues swelled 41.93 percent year on year to reach Rp1.63 trillion as of December 14, 2022, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati informed on Tuesday.

This high increase was due to the good recovery of the domestic economy, rising commodity prices, and the implementation of tax reform through the Law on Harmonization of Tax Regulations (UU HPP).

Mirza Bagaskara, Jakarta – Anticorruption activist Ubeidillah Badrun on Wednesday finds it unfortunate that Coordinating Minister Luhut Pandjaitan lamented sting operations against corruption suspects, which the minister said in a public event on Tuesday.

Arie Firdaus and Dandy Koswaraputra, Jakarta – Indonesia's new military chief said Tuesday that violence in the troubled Papua region had not risen to an emergency level after one person died and eight others were injured when police fired on rioting villagers in a newly established province.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – A recent government study showed that Indonesians – even those living in the country's most advanced province Jakarta – are not making good use of digital technology.

BTV, Jakarta – Newly-installed Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) Commander Admiral Yudo Margono said restoring order and security in Papua is one of his top priorities during his short tenure in office, as he formally received the command from predecessor General Andika Perkasa in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Nabila Nurshafira, Jakarta – Indonesia's Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno persuaded investors to invest in five super-priority destinations, including Labuan Bajo and Mandalika. He asserted that investment in the tourism sector will provide great profits.

Dwi Bowo Raharjo – Scores of protesters from a number of different universities that are part of the All Indonesia Student Executive Council (BEM SI) Alliance held a symbolic action on Tuesday to oppose to the enactment of the new Criminal Code (KUHP) on December 6.

Jakarta – A regional General Elections Commission (KPUD) commissioner has revealed the threats made by KPU national Commissioner Idham Holik so that they would change the status of the Indonesian People's Wave Party (Gelora), the Nusantara Awakening Party (PKN) and the Garuda Party so they could take part in the 2024 elections.

Suherdjoko, Banjarnegara, Central Java – The Central Java administration has launched the Anti-corruption Villages program in 29 regencies and municipalities in a bid to boost corruption eradication in the province.

Joniansyah, Tangerang – AirNav Indonesia recorded a spike in flight traffic ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays across 150 airports across the country.

Riani Sanusi Putri, Jakarta – The Indonesian Farmers Union (SPI) in a written statement on Monday argues that the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) has exposed its weak management of national food reserves and food production cooperation as the agency remains to be open to importing rice at the end of this year.

Antara, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Monday at the Gadjah Mada University 73rd dies Natalis asserted that Indonesia refuses to be forced to export natural resources that the country is able to process domestically.

This echoes the President's stand regarding Indonesia's national policy in a speech he delivered at the ASEAN-European Union Summit.

Wike D. Herlinda, JAKARTA – The number of passenger movement at 20 Indonesian airports during the Christmas and New Year holiday this year is expected to reach 2.54 million passengers, PT Angkasa Pura II (AP II) predicts, as the state-owned operator readies its service to accommodate the end-of-year peak season.

Ben Wray – Due to the strength of their diverse indigenous traditions and the unique biodiversity of their lands, it is axiomatic for West Papuans that human life and nature are inseparable.

Now, the leaders of the province's independence movement have a proposal to make it "Earth's first green state".

Dio Suhenda, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has signed a regulation that details new safety and security requirements for businesses seeking to mine nuclear materials in the country.

Jakarta – State-owned airline Garuda Indonesia received state funding amounting to Rp 7.5 trillion ($480 million) on Tuesday to help the company accelerate its recovery program as the aviation industry begins to gain some ground.

A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil, Jakarta – Indonesia and the United States have committed to launching a new climate partnership early next year with funding of up to US$50 million to help Indonesia achieve its forestry carbon sink goal by 2030.

Jayapura, Jubi – Head of Greenpeace Indonesia's Forest Campaign Kiki Taufik said there are ten regencies in Papua island with the highest deforestation rate from 2001 to 2020. Deforestation occurs due to overissuance of licenses for land-based extractive industries that threaten the rights of indigenous Papuans.

Nabire, Jubi – The Talenta Keadilan Papua Legal Aid Institute (LBH-TK) reported the wrongful arrest of two students named ET and DT, who were accused of carrying firearms. LBH-TK reported the case to the Nabire Police in Central Papua Province on Monday, December 19, 2022.

Jakarta – Indonesia's fiscal deficit as of Dec. 14 was equal to 1.22 per cent of gross domestic product, much smaller than the latest government outlook, the finance minister said on Tuesday, amid strong revenue collection and good budget discipline.

Jakarta – Indonesia's new criminal code has grabbed headlines for making sex outside marriage illegal but Islamic parties wanted even harsher punishment for moral crimes in the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, accounts of behind-the-scenes negotiations reveal.

Norshahril Saat – Those who worry that the recent criminal code revision in Indonesia might portend a conservative Islamic tide may take heart in some survey findings showing a more tolerant, moderate, and multicultural citizenry.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – Recent allegations of data manipulation during the factual verification of political parties aspiring to contest the 2024 legislative elections have clouded hopes of a free and fair practice of democracy.

Elisa Sekenyap, Jayapura – Protesters from the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP), the Papua Student Alliance (AMP) and the Papuan Central Highlands Indonesian Student Association (AMPTPI) held a peaceful action at the United Nations office in Jakarta on Monday December 19.

As 2022 draws to a close, I would like to thank everyone who has supported the West Papuan struggle this year.

Fika Nurul Ulya, Jakarta – A Kompas Research & Development (Litbang) survey has found that the majority or 90.9 percent of respondents disagree with former corruption convicts running as legislative candidates (caleg) in elections.

Jayapura, Jubi – A 35-year-old Papuan man named Moses Erro died after got shot during the riots that broke out in Mappi Regency, South Papua. Erro's family member Rovin Sirmi said Moses Erro was shot in the thigh and knee.

An attempt to break a tug-of-war record in Indonesia went horribly wrong after what was described as a freak accident killed one of the 5,000 participants in the event.

Yesterday, an alumni association of Hasanuddin University in Makassar, South Sulawesi sought to break an Indonesian World Records Museum (MURI) record for most tug-of-war participants.

A West Papua rights group claims Indonesian police and soldiers have carried out at least 72 extra-judicial killings over the past year.

The report by the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence – or KontraS – said the police were responsible for 50 of the unlawful killings, with the remainder committed by military personnel.

Saifulbahri Ismail, East Kalimantan – Fisherman Sakirang gets his catch from the waters around Balikpapan Bay, the gateway to Indonesia's future capital city Nusantara some 70km away.

In the past, the 53-year-old would be able to haul 50kg of fish on a good day. But now, he is lucky to even get half that amount.

Putu Indah S, Mecca Yumna, Jakarta – In the 2020-2022 period, National Human Rights Commission received a total of 257 complaints related to Indonesian migrant workers.

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said on Monday he supports plans to scale back the presence of troops in the eastern region of Papua, where the military has been accused of human rights abuses in tackling a long-running independence movement.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Admiral Yudo Margono has officially become the new commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces, or TNI, replacing the retiring General Andika Perkasa.

The 57-year-old Yudo on Monday took his oath of office before President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo at the State Palace in Jakarta.

Jakarta – An action in front of the United Nations representative office in Jakarta by Papuan activists commemorating 61 years since the Triple Commands of the People (Trikora) military operation was forcibly broken up by members of a group calling themselves the "Defend the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia" (Bela NKRI).

M Faiz Zaki, Jakarta – Head of Public Relation of the Metro Jaya Police Sr. Commr Endra Zulpan stated that the Police will provide security at 1,385 churches during Christmas. The move is part of the implementation of the Lilin Jaya 2022 Operation, which will commence on December 23, 2022, until January 2, 2023.

Mutia Yuantisya, Jakarta – Secretary of Jakarta Legislative Council (DPRD) Commission C overseeing Finance Yusuf, hoped that the wealth of the city administration's officials will not be disclosed to the public in a bid to prevent uproar in the society.

BTV, Jakarta – The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train project co-funded by Chinese investors was suspended after a rail track maintenance train derailed in West Java and killed two Chinese workers on Sunday.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The road to the 2024 elections may become a boon for the hotel industry as political parties hold countless meetings to prepare for the presidential race, according to commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield Indonesia.

Moh. Khory Alfarizi, Caesar Akbar, Jakarta – The Transportation Ministry stated that the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project might be temporarily stopped for investigation purposes following the recent derailed incident of a work train on Sunday afternoon, December 18, 2022, at the Cipada-Cikalongwetan area of West Bandung Regency.

Imaji Lasahido (Teras.Id), Jakarta – The Head of the Human Resources Development Agency or BPSDM Papua, Aryoko Rumaropen stated that there were at least 528 Papua students receiving scholarships who had dropped out from their studies.

Vitorio Mantalean, Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition for Monitoring Clean Elections has demanded that the General Election Commission (KPU) conduct an audit of its Political Party Information System (Sipol) following alleged cheating during the political party factual variation process by KPU officials.

Victoria Milko and Andi Jatmiko, Jatiluwih, Indonesia – Far from Bali's beaches and hotels, farmer I Ketut Jata stands on a mountainside, staring at terraced land that is too dry to grow the rice his family has long relied on for food and income.

"It is no longer possible to work in the fields as a farmer," he says.

Nivell Rayda, Jakarta – Archaeologist Candrian Attahiyat remembered feeling anxious when construction for the second phase of Jakarta's underground mass rapid transit (MRT) network began in 2020.

Primus Dorimulu, Jakarta – State-Owned Enterprise Minister Erick Thohir expressed his appreciation for Qatar's recent major investments in Indonesia which nearly topped $3 billion this year alone.

Maria Fatima Bona, Jakarta – A number of non-governmental groups on Sunday accused the General Election Commission, or KPU, of fraudulently approving several political parties to compete in the 2024 elections and of intimidating local election officials to obey their demands.

Jakarta – If there is one lesson to be learned from the recent debate about demolishing a school to make way for a mosque, it is that no legal or bureaucratic shortcut is worth denying children educational opportunities.