Adlu, Jubi TV – Papuan People's Solidarity in Manokwari, West Papua, has expressed that they stand with Haris Azhar and Fatia Maulidiyanti, two rights activists who were recently named as suspects for alleged defamation of Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

Konradus Epa, Jakarta – Jakarta governor Anies Rasyid Baswedan is to provide more funding to a multi-million-dollar scheme to help restore more than 3,000 places of worship in the Indonesian capital, according to a senior city official.

M Zulfikar, Fadhli Ruhman, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), here on Wednesday, reiterated its commitment to ending armed conflict in Papua and highlighted the numerous efforts it has made to achieve this end.

Jakarta – The government will lift a ban on domestic travel during the Muslim holiday season of Idul Fitri in early May, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said on Wednesday, after banning the annual tradition for two years during the pandemic.

Eka Yudha Pratama, Jakarta – Director of Lokataru Foundation Haris Azhar, who was named as a suspect for a defamation case against coordinating minister of Maritime Affairs and Investments Luhut Pandjaitan, claims to have hard evidence suggesting the minister's involvement in a mining business in Papua.

M Julnis Firmansyah, Jakarta – An epidemiologist from Australia's Griffith University, Dicky Budiman, assessed a number of factors causing the low rate of booster vaccination in Indonesia which is at 6.06 percent, far below the global average rate of 18.55 percent.

Jayapura – The Jayapura city municipal police arrested Buchtar Tabuni and Bazoka Logo along with five others for attacking police officers in the Heram district of Jayapura on Thursday March 24.

Tabuni and Logo are members of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) which his chaired by Benny Wenda.

Parker Novak – Timor-Leste – one of Southeast Asia's few vibrant democracies – held the first round of its presidential election on Saturday 19 March. Jose Ramos-Horta led the pack with 46 per cent, while incumbent president Francisco "Lu-Olo" Guterres took second with 22 per cent.

Timor-Leste's citizens voted for a new president at the weekend, hoping the most competitive election in the history of the Asia-Pacific's youngest country will end a protracted political impasse, reports France 24.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – The Indonesian government is looking at ways to combat stunted growth in Christian-majority East Nusa Tenggara province, which has the highest prevalence of the disorder in the country.

Li-Li Chen – Five days after polls closed, the presidential election in Timor-Leste, Asia's youngest democracy, seems set for a second-round of voting. As of 9 p.m.

Ika Karlina Idris and Muhamad Risqi Saputra (The Conversation), Jakarta – Indonesian politicians backing President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo have come up with the idea to postpone the next presidential election, slated to be held in 2024, and enable the president to serve a third term.

Chris Barrett and Karuni Rompies, Singapore/Jakarta – Indonesia is facing a test of its ambition to be a global player as the United States and allies discuss the prospect of expelling Russia from the G20 group of major economies.

Yance Wenda, Jayapura, Jubi – The West Papuan Council of Churches (WPCC) appreciates the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council for sending a letter to the Indonesian government requesting clarification on the human rights situation in Papua. The WPCC asks the Indonesian government to stop denying various human rights violations in Papua, internationally known as West Papua.

Johannes Nugroho (South China Morning Post) – A diminutive female figure carrying joss sticks and a singing bowl became a viral sensation at Indonesia's MotoGP Grand Prix on Sunday (March 20).

Gayatri Suroyo (Reuters), Jakarta, Indonesia – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has trimmed its economic growth forecast for Indonesia in 2022 to 5.4 percent, down from 5.6 percent previously, it said in a statement on Wednesday.

Sahat Simatupang, Jakarta – The North Sumatra Regional Police claimed there was no involvement of police officers in the death cases in the human cage belonging to the inactive Langkat Regent Terbit Rencana Peranginangin according to the investigation launched by the police's Directorate of General Criminal Investigation and internal affairs unit (Propam).

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – Law and human rights foundation Lokataru director Haris Azhar expressed concern over how state officials use their positions and institutions to criminalize academics and research findings.

Jakarta, Indonesia, – Bright colour paints with high lead content are found in public children's facilities and open spaces across Indonesia. A recent study from Nexus3 Foundation found over 70% of paint samples had lead concentrations above 90 parts per million (ppm), a globally agreed threshold. The highest lead concentration is 150,000 ppm.

Jubi TV – The Indonesian government should immediately stop plans to mine the Wabu Block in Papua due to the risk of escalating conflict and violating the rights of Indigenous Papuans, Amnesty International said in its latest report released on Monday, March 21, 2022.

Police in Semarang, Central Java have arrested a man on suspicion of having raped his own daughter and causing physical damage resulting in the victim's death.

Indonesia's state-owned electricity company PLN has attracted a great deal of negative buzz over its failure to read the room amid a cooking oil shortage in the country.

On Monday, PLN posted a tweet calling on its customers to move on from cooking oil and implied that we should all be capable of going bougie and buying an air fryer.

Jakarta – Indonesia has dropped the quarantine requirement for international travelers who have received the complete vaccine doses against Covid-19 starting on March 22. The government hopes this will encourage the country's economic recovery.

Cait Kelly, and Gemma Holliani Cahya in Jakarta – Six people are dead and another three are believed to have drowned after an Indonesian fishing boat capsized off the north-west coast of Western Australia.

There were 12 people aboard when the boat, named Kuda Laut which translates to Horse Sea, capsized on Sunday evening about 180km west of Ashmore Reef.

Tiara Marthias and Likke Prawidya Putri – Indonesia is emerging from another surge in Covid-19 infections. Since the first case of Omicron was confirmed in early December 2021, Indonesia has recorded more than 1.5 million new cases and 7,400 deaths.

Dili (Reuters) – The top two candidates in Timor-Leste's presidential poll on Tuesday (March 22) appeared set for a second round next month, despite the latest vote count showing a commanding lead for Nobel laureate Jose Ramos-Horta.

Katharina R. Lestari, Jakarta – Planned gold mining operations on a vast concession in Indonesia's Papua province have the potential to fuel human rights abuses, according to a report by Amnesty International.

JC Gotinga – The stakes were high. Indonesia had not hosted a MotoGP motorbike race in 25 years. In the sweltering tropical country, rain is a constant threat to such outdoor events, and if there is a way to hold it back, then why not give it a shot?

Two West Papuans were reportedly shot dead by security forces last Tuesday during peaceful protests against Indonesia's plans to create six more provinces in Papua.

According to sources on the ground, at least seven others sustained injuries when the demonstrations turned violent in Dekai – the capital of Yahukimo Regency.

Prominent political figures have come under fire for recent unsupported claims that a majority of the public supports the postponement of the 2024 elections, a move that would extend President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's time in office and would contravene the Constitution's presidential term limit.

Bisnis.Com, Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati confirmed that the income tax rate or PPh of the rich people increased to 35 percent this year.

Sri made the statement during the CNBC Indonesia Economic Outlook 2022 held on Tuesday, March 22, as she was asked about the 2022 tax policy by the moderator, Chairul Tanjung who is the chair and founder of CT Corp.

Francisca Christy Rosana, Jakarta – The Indonesian Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing aims to finish constructing 32 dams by 2024. Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said that from 2015 to 2024 the government has a program to build 61 dams.

As of 2022, 29 dams have been completed. "This is to ensure water and food security," Basuki said in a written statement, March 22.

Fajar Pebrianto, Jakarta – President Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, in the CNBC Indonesia economic outlook on Tuesday said Indonesia is entering 2022 with an improved foundation which he attributed to the constant economic progress throughout 2020-2021, which he said is thanks to not imposing a lockdown early into the pandemic.

Mahfuzulloh Al Murtadho, Jakarta – The Civil Coalition for the Rights of Gender and Sexual Diversity (Kami Berani) on Monday protested against Bogor City administration that has issued the regional regulation on preventing and managing sexual deviant behaviors (P4S).

M Rosseno Aji, Jakarta – Environmental group Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam) on Monday highlighted the flooding that devastated East Kalimantan's north Sangatta and south Sangatta, which is suspected to be caused by the mining activities conducted by Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC).

Freedom of expression in Indonesia is not improving, and the situation is of increasing concern where the opinion being expressed is critical of the human rights situation of West Papuans.

Niken Nurcahyani, Jakarta – The Metro Jaya Police has officially named Lokataru Director Haris Azhar and KontraS coordinator Fatia Maulidiyanti as suspects in a defamation case against Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investments Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

Antara, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister of Politics, Law, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD in a written statement on Sunday asserts that the government is currently focused on preparing for the 2024 general elections or Pemilu.

Dewi Nurita, Jakarta – NasDem Party has followed the steps taken by PDIP that has suggested to postpone the constitution amendment plan until the current government term ends in 2024. This means both political parties have officially revoked support for the 1945 constitution amendment.

Arrijal Rachman, Jakarta – The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) urged the Trade Ministry and the National Police to collaborate in investigating the practice of cooking oil mafias as one of the effective ways to stabilize prices and domestic supply of the commodity.

Indonesian authorities should immediately halt plans to develop a sprawling gold mine the size of the city of Jakarta in volatile Papua Province, where it risks fueling conflict and violating the land rights of Indigenous Papuans, Amnesty International said in a new briefing published today.

Don't rain on my parade! That was probably the song in the minds of the 2022 Indonesia MotoGP Grand Prix's organizers over the weekend. Held at the Mandalika International Street Circuit in Central Lombok on Sunday, it was the first time since 1997 that Indonesia hosted a race for the top motorbike racing competition.

Beril Huliselan – Since the attacks, arson, and demolition of several churches in Aceh Singkil Regency, Aceh Province, Indonesia (2015), religious freedoms in churches in Aceh Singkil Regency has been disrupted.

Medan, North Sumatra – Twenty-six passengers reported missing when a fishing boat carrying undocumented migrant workers sank off the coast of North Sumatra have been found alive, some after drifting for two days, officials said Monday.

Katharina R. Lestari, Jakarta – Indonesian police have named two human rights activists as suspects for allegedly defaming a minister in a talk show while discussing the findings of a report on the mining business in Papua province's Intan Jaya district.

Jakarta – A Jakarta court has again extended flag carrier Garuda Indonesia's debt restructuring process by two months, a case official said on Monday, because the company has yet to finish verifying over $10 billion in claims.

Sri Krishnamurthi – Students from West Papua are facing a difficult time in New Zealand since the beginning of the year after Indonesia said it would no longer fund their autonomous West Papuan scholarships and wanted them repatriated home.

Chris Barrett, Singapore – A bid by one of East Timor's founding fathers, Jose Ramos-Horta, to return to the presidency has been strongly endorsed by voters in Australia's near neighbour.

South-east Asia's youngest country went to the polls on Saturday for its fifth presidential election and while counting continued on Sunday, Ramos-Horta, 72, was clearly in front.

Voting is under way in East Timor, as Asia's youngest nation holds its fifth presidential election since independence amid concerns over political stability and economic security.

Rahel Narda Chaterine, Jakarta – Activist Haris Azhar has spoken out about the decision by police to declare him a suspect on charges of alleged defamation against Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.