Vitorio Mantalean, Jakarta – The Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) enacted three draft laws on the creation of three new provinces in Papua at a plenary meeting on Thursday June 30, namely, South Papua, Central Papua and the Papua Highlands.

Greg Fealy, Sally White and Burhanuddin Muhtadi – In March 2022, Muhammad Qodari, the high profile executive director of Indo Barometer survey institute grabbed headlines by proposing that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and his former presidential rival and now Minister of Defence Prabowo Subianto run on a joint ticket for the 2024 presidential election.

Today we celebrate the 51st anniversary of the independence declaration of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) at Markas Victoria on July 1, 1971. The declaration, signed by Seth Rumkoren and Jacob Prai – who sadly passed away last month – was a direct rejection of Indonesian colonialism.

Jakarta – The Papua People's Council (MRP) says that a Coordinating Ministry for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs (Kemenko Polhukam) deputy told them that the creation of new autonomous regions (DOB) in Papua is to narrow the space for the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement (TNPB-OPM) to move.

Jayapura, Jubi – Head of Student Unit for Democracy, Human Rights and the Environment (Dehaling) Jhon Fredi Tebai said that the formation of new autonomous regions or new provinces in Papua would threaten the forests, a place for indigenous peoples to forage and live.

Jayapura, Jubi – Chairman of the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) Timotius Murib said that ratifying the three bills for the expansion of Papua into law was the wish of the central government in Jakarta, not the wish of the Papuan people.

Moscow – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo ended a trip to Ukraine and Russia saying he hoped for progress reintegrating global food and fertilizer supply lines disrupted by the conflict, and offered to be a diplomatic bridge between the two nations.

Jakarta – State Administrative Reform Minister Tjahjo Kumolo died on Friday while undergoing intensive treatment for a lung infection at a Jakarta hospital. He is 64 years old.

Dicky Kurniawan, Jakarta – The Indonesian government is set to issue a revised regulation regarding the use of subsidized fuels mentioned under Presidential Regulation No. 191/2014 on sales, supply, and distribution of fuel. This will directly affect Pertalite and Solar (diesel fuel) fuels sold at state-owned energy firm Pertamina gas stations.

Riani Sanusi Putri, Bisnis, Jakarta – The Center of Economics and Law Studies (Celios)'s director, Bhima Yudhistira, on Friday said the government's decision to increase the electricity tariff for homes with over 3,500VA will have a bigger psychological impact on the population as many will fear the rising cost of living."The effect will be unnoticeable towards consumption as there

Francisca Christy Rosana, Jakarta – Statistics Indonesia (BPS) recorded that the number of foreign visits to the country in May 2022 sharply increased by 1,382.45 percent year on year.

"Compared to the previous month, the number of foreign tourist visits in May 2022 also increased by 91.19 percent," said BPS Head Margo Yuwono on Friday, July 1, 2022.

Bisnis.Com, Jakarta – Statistics Indonesia or BPS reported that the country's annual inflation rate reached 4.35 percent in June, while the monthly inflation rate was 0.61 percent.

"The 4.35 percent annual inflation rate is the highest in five years since 2017, which was at 4.37 percent," said BPS Head Margo Yuwono on Friday, July 1, 2022.

M Rosseno Aji, Jakarta – Human rights watchdog the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) on Friday condemned the democratic setback showcased by the government in the form of passing three draft bills to expand Papua's autonomous regions.

Katharina Reny Lestari – An alarming rise in deadly attacks by separatist rebels has triggered a climate of fear, impacting free movement and activities of civilians in Indonesia's Christian-majority Papua region, Church leaders say.

Rahel Narda Chaterine, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says that the police often discriminate in the way they handle particular cases.

Jordan Kefas Jefferson Paat, Jakarta – The Indonesian Labor Party strongly condemned the news of hundreds of migrant workers who died in immigration detention centers in Sabah, Malaysia, over a period of 18 months between 2021 and 2022.

Wamena, Jubi – Regarding the planned ratification of three New Autonomous Regions (DOB) bills into law on Thursday, June 30, 2022, the Jayawijaya Police has prepared hundreds of joint security personnel to secure the agenda.

Singapore – Singapore will soon be able to receive chicken from Indonesia.

In a Facebook post on Thursday (June 30), the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said Indonesia has been approved as a new source of frozen, chilled and processed chicken meat for the Republic.

Ryan Dagur – The Indonesian government is to expedite the repatriation of illegal migrant workers held in Malaysian detention centers in response to a report by an advocacy group that said the detainees were being held in "hellish" conditions.

Jakarta (Reuters) – Indonesia's parliament passed on Thursday (June 30) legislation to create three new provinces in its underdeveloped region of Papua, a move critics fear could undermine the standing of the area's indigenous population and threaten special autonomy powers.

Kyiv, Ukraine – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo offered on Wednesday to deliver a message from Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky to Russian leader Vladimir Putin to try to boost peace hopes.

It was not immediately clear how Zelensky responded to the offer made by Jokowi during talks in Kyiv or whether the Ukrainian leader had any message he wished to send to Putin.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Lenny Tristia Tambun, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Wednesday had a tete-a-tete with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Mariinsky Palace in Kyiv, in an attempt to end the war that has sparked a global food crisis.

Stephanie Sinclair, Daniel Fitzgerald and Belinda Varischetti – Indonesia has begun a national vaccine rollout for FMD but the disease continues to spread, with more than 200,000 cases now recorded across 19 provinces, according to Australia's Department of Agriculture.

Jakarta – We support state-owned oil company Pertamina's initiative to control the use of subsidized Pertalite gasoline and diesel oil through the introduction of the MyPertamina app to prevent the wasteful fuel subsidy spending from exploding into an unmanageable fiscal deficit.

Antara, Jakarta – The Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly in a written statement on Thursday said the country's Second Home Visa provides the opportunity for foreign nationals, which include the elderly, to reside in Indonesia.

Pribadi Wicaksono, Jakarta – The return of tourism and campus activities to Yogyakarta have recently been followed by heightened surveillance of drug trafficking. As a tourist destination and city of students, Yogyakarta remains as one of Java's most vulnerable areas for drug circulation.

Journalist and editor-in-chief Raimundos Oki of Timor-Leste's online media Oekusipost.com was today accused of "violating legal secrets" related to his reporting about the case of illegal detention and forced virginity testing of about 30 underage girls in Oe-Kusi Ambeno during 2020.

Laily Rahmawaty, Suharto, Jakarta – The Indonesian Police (Polri) is planning to raise three new provincial police forces following the ratification of bills on the establishment of three new provinces in Papua into law on Thursday.

Jayapura, Jubi – Indo-Pacific Study Center of the Cenderawasih University launched a book titled "Repatriates in Papua" in Jayapura City on Wednesday, June 29, 2022.

Victor Mambor and Dandy Koswaraputra Jayapura, Indonesia and Jakarta – The Indonesian parliament on Thursday approved the creation of three new provinces in the restive Papua region, despite opposition from many indigenous Papuans who fear an influx of outsiders, and criticism from rights groups that the move is a "divide-and-rule" strategy.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Jakarta's recent episode of world-beating air pollution has highlighted what activists describe as belligerent inaction by the Indonesian government to address the source of the problem, even in the face of a ruling by the nation's top court ordering it to act.

Nur Janti, Jakarta – Lawmakers have pressed ahead with a plan to create new provinces in resource-rich Papua after securing support from local elites, as politicians aim to pass a set of bills that will lay legal groundwork for the major redistricting before they go into recess early next month.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Civil Organizations Solidarity for Papua Land said the Papua expansion plan of forming three new provinces was prone to causing new social conflicts. In a press statement received by Jubi on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, the group urged President Joko Widodo to cancel the plan.

Resty Woro Yuniar – Health experts have urged Indonesia to reimplement stricter coronavirus curbs as a top official warns the country could see the latest wave, driven by Omicron subvariants, peak in the second or third week of July.

Sylviana Hamdani, Jakarta – For the soft opening of Taman Ismail Marzuki, the Jakarta Arts Council showcases some of its most notable archives and art collection.

Mutia Yuantisya, Jakarta – The National Human Rights Commission or Komnas HAM called on the Indonesian government to immediately take action on the fate of citizens at the Immigration Detention Centers in Sabah, Malaysia. The government should respond to the report issued by the Sovereign Migrant Workers Coalition (KBMB).

Surabaya – A zoo in Surabaya, East Java has welcomed dozens of new baby Komodo dragons hatched in captivity in recent months as part of a breeding programme, its director said Tuesday, offering hope for efforts to conserve the endangered species.

Jakarta – The government has revealed a plan to review the marijuana ban in Indonesia, marking a shift in tone that many hope would pave the way for the use of the addictive substance for medical purposes in the country.

Jayapura (Beritasatu) – A small plane belonging to Associated Mission Aviation crash-landed in the district of Keerom in the eastern province of Papua due to a combination of bad weather and fuel shortage on Tuesday.

Jakarta – Around 150 Papuans students held a demonstration in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday June 29, to reject the creation of three new provinces in Papua.

Scores of police could be seen on guard near the demonstration and razor wire had been installed in front of the parliamentary complex's main gate.

Dewi Nurita, Jakarta – Deputy Minister of Law and Human Rights Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej said the government would not drop down the article regarding insults to the president in the draft bill of the penal code law (RKUHP) albeit sparking criticism.

Kiki Siregar, Jakarta – It was the big football match Raihan Fauzi, 25, had been waiting for.

His hometown club Bandung Persib was about to play Surabaya's Persebaya on Jun 17. The match took place at Gelora Bandung Lautan Api (GBLA), which is Persib's homeground.

Tamara Soukotta – Former President Megawati Soekarnoputri, the long-serving chair of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), has been widely criticised for comments she made at her party's 2022 National Meeting on 21 June.

Tempo.Co, Fransisca Christy Rosana, Jakarta – Lion Air Group management claimed to not profit from the airfares of some routes despite the generally pricey flight tickets. The airline's managing director Daniel Putut Kuncoro Adi had even claimed that the company spent more on expenses due to numerous factors.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Major coal-fired power plant projects in Indonesia and Bangladesh have effectively been cancelled after the Japanese government, their main funder, recently announced it would stop providing loans to build such plants in the two countries.

Chris Fitzgerald – Clashes have taken place between Indonesian police and protesters in West Papua, adding to ongoing concerns about allegations of police violence.

Bisnis.Com, Jakarta – The Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Information (Kominfo) stated that it would block private sector electronic system organizers or PSE such as Netflix and Twitter on July 21, 2022, if they do not make a registration by July 20, 2022.

Moh. Khory Alfarizi, Jakarta – The Jakarta Legal Aid Institute or LBH Jakarta urged President Joko Widodo or Jokowi and the House of Representatives (DPR) to evaluate 'rubber' articles – articles that are vague – in the Electronic Information and Transactions or ITE Law that ensnared workers of Holywings bars who were named suspects following the nightclub's marketing campaign.

Moh. Khory Alfarizi, Jakarta – A story of a mother fighting for the legalization of medical marijuana in Indonesia for her child's treatment recently went viral on social media.

Radhiyya Indra, Jakarta – The provincial government has shut down all Holywings outlets across the capital after further investigations found violations beyond its alleged blasphemous promotion.