Roland Rajah – Indonesia's new 'Omnibus Law on Job Creation' was marred by the public controversy that surrounded its passage late last year. The government nonetheless hailed the law as a major regulatory overhaul that would attract foreign investment and create jobs.

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Jakarta – A small, sleepy regency on Indonesia's main Java island has worried those fighting Covid-19.

Kudus regency in central Java has registered a sevenfold increase in cases since the Hari Raya holidays and officials are now investigating if a more transmissible variant of the coronavirus is responsible for the surge.

Yudi Abdullah, Fardah, Palembang, South Sumatra – Activists of the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) chapter in South Sumatra reported about hundreds of hotspots with the potential to trigger forest fires in several districts in the province over the course of last month.

M Rosseno Aji, Jakarta – A number of Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) employees who passed the Civic Knowledge Test (TWK) wrote to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, asking him to cancel the test results which threatened 75 of their colleagues with dismissal.

Dewi Nurita, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo stated that Indonesia would oppose all practices of trade protectionism in the guise of a campaign to protect the environment committed by other countries or groups. According to him, each country needs to strengthen ties in realizing green development at the global level.

Istiqomatul Hayati, Jakarta – Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno is campaigning for the Back to Movie Theaters and Watch National Films movement. He invited families and the ministry's employees to watch the restored national film Tjoet Nja 'Dhien at Plaza Senayan Cinema XXI, Jakarta, on Sunday, May 30.

Dewi Nurita, Jakarta – Fadli Zon, deputy chairman of the Gerindra Party's Board of Trustees, tested positively for Covid-19. The party's deputy chief, Habiburokhman, confirmed the report and said that Fadli is currently being treated at a hospital in Jakarta.

Dzulfiqar Fathur Rahman, Jakarta – The government is planning to postpone the launch of an online platform that aims to make it easier for investors to submit documents and secure licenses.

Konradus Epa, Jakarta – Indonesian police say they have arrested 10 suspected Islamic terrorists in Papua, foiling a plot to attack several churches in the country's Christian-majority region.

Indonesia may soon be without a flag carrier, as Garuda Indonesia's woes continue to deepen amid the pandemic and with bankruptcy a very real possibility for the airline.

Max Lane – Recent events in Papua underscore the fact that there is no solution that is entirely free of risk for Jakarta. Instead, the choice is between separate sets of risks.

Ternate, North Maluku – Search teams are looking for one missing person after rescuing all other passengers from a large ferry that caught fire in North Maluku, an official said Sunday.

The KM Karya Indah was heading to Sanana, a remote port in the northeast of Maluku when it was engulfed in flames.

Koya Jibiki, Jakarta – Indonesia aims to expand its submarine fleet by as much a triple its current line up to 12 vessels, multiple defense sources here say, just a month after one of its subs was determined to be lost, killing its entire crew of 53.

The move comes in response to repeated Chinese incursions into its waters. Jakarta will also beef up its fleet of corvettes.

Kiki Siregar, Sidoarjo, East Java – Indonesian Muanisah, who goes by one name, recalled the day when she held her 40-day-old baby in despair as he had trouble breathing.

She was just about to have her breakfast on May 29, 2006 when she smelled a pungent odour, which she believed caused her baby to cry while gasping for air.

Jakarta – The government has decided to launch a pilot project for the Work from Bali program in Nusa Dua, an upscale resort area on the tourist island, to encourage domestic visitors to come to the island, the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment said on Saturday.

Jakarta – West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation (TPNPB-OPM) spokesperson Sebby Sambom says they are not prepared to hold a dialogue with or pursue diplomacy with the Indonesian government unless it is mediated by the United Nations.

Jakarta – The person allegedly responsible for a sexual offense in Jombang intimidated the victim and her supporters. A sexual violence eradication law is needed.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Defense and technology company Lockheed Martin has confirmed that the United States government will not stand in the way if Indonesia acquires the latest version of F-16 fighter jets and their advanced weaponry system.

Fardah – Natural disasters are a day-to-day occurrence in Indonesia, as some 10 natural disasters occurred daily in January-March 2021, up from nine per day during 2020, of the total of 3,253 natural disasters that took place.

Andi Jatmiko and Niniek Karmini, Jakarta – An Indonesian court has sentenced a politically influential firebrand cleric to eight months in prison for violating health protocols by holding gatherings attended by thousands of supporters during the coronavirus outbreak.

Indonesia's government is being urged to release the West Papua pro-independence activist Victor Yeimo.

The West Papua National Committee spokesman was arrested earlier this month over his alleged role in widespread anti-racism protests in 2019. Yeimo is facing 11 charges, including treason, arson, and incitement.

Laurens Ikinia – Papuans are in mourning after the recent passing of Klemen Tinal, the Vice Governor of Papua Province.

News of his sudden death at Abdi Waluyo Hospital in Jakarta on Friday 21 May at 0400 am local time came as a shock to the indigenous people of the Indonesian-Melanesian province.

Access Now joins 24 organizations in calling on Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Information Technology to repeal MR5 – a new law that jeopardizes freedom of expression through harsh intermediary liability measures.

May 28, 2021

Jakarta – Amid the deepening trust deficit between the Papuan people and the government, many in the country's easternmost territory suspect that the disruption to the local internet service in April was actually a deliberate move to silence anti-government critics and activists.

Indonesia has certainly handled its fair share of foreigners defying COVID-19 protocols all throughout the pandemic, but two UK nationals arguing that they should be allowed to skip the country's quarantine requirements based on "nature's law" might just be the strangest one yet.

Jakarta – Indonesia has launched the 5G internet network for public use in some parts of the Greater Jakarta area on Thursday, marking a milestone for the country's effort to improve its mobile broadband network amid limitations that plagued the frequency allocation in the country.

Budiarti Utami Putri, Jakarta – Human rights activist and lawyer for Papua, Veronica Koman, on Thursday questioned the Indonesian government's commitment to accommodate the participation of Papuan indigenous in the 'Papua Special Autonomy Bill' as she said House members plan to hold the meeting behind closed doors on Monday, May 31.

Jakarta – The Jokowi administration sets back democracy in Indonesia. Civil freedoms and the eradication of corruption are under threat.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian State Intelligence Agency (BIN) in Thursday's meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR) recommended the House to quickly pass the second changes in Bill No. 21/2021 on the special autonomy in the Papua Province.

Budiarti Utami Putri, Jakarta – The chairperson of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Benny Wenda, responded to what he believes is a baseless allegation made by the Indonesian State Intelligence (BIN) against separatist groups.

Tatang Guritno, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) suspects that there has been an endeavor to terminate a number of Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) employees carried out by third parties.

Jakarta (Reuters) – An Indonesian court was set to deliver its verdict on Thursday (May 27) in the trial of a hardline Muslim cleric accused of breaching coronavirus curbs and inciting followers to attend mass gatherings after his return last year from self-imposed exile.

Antonio Sampaio, Dili – The Timor-Leste government may apply disciplinary action to public officials doing face-to-face work who refuse to take the vaccine, while maintaining that vaccination against covid-19 is not mandatory.

Jakarta – The government hopes the Covid-19 vaccination drive is on target, as Indonesia welcomed another batch of Sinovac's bulk vaccine earlier this week.

On Tuesday, a new shipment of 8 million Sinovac vaccine bulk landed at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang. The shipment marked the thirteenth phase of vaccine arrival in the country.

Konradus Epa, Jakarta – Churches in Papua have offered to mediate talks between the Indonesian government and separatist groups in a bid to ease tensions in the restive region.

Jim Elmslie and Camellia Webb-Gannon – "Destroy them first. We will discuss human rights matters later." These are the reported words of Bambang Soesatyo, chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly to the Indonesian military (TNI), last month.

A'an Suryana, Singapore – On the surface, it looked like Indonesia got a boost in its vaccination efforts. A company-funded COVID-19 vaccination programme for employed workers and their families was rolled out last week.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – Timor-Leste's government has lifted a ban that has prevented Catholics and members of other religions from going to places of worship in the capital Dili for more than two months following a spike in Covid-19 cases in early March.

Update: The father of the victim has wholeheartedly rejected the idea of his daughter marrying his rapist, instead hoping that the suspect gets the harshest punishment available.

Original story follows.

Reparations suggested by a lawyer in a high-profile rape case in Indonesia may just illustrate how some in the country still take sexual crimes lightly.

Jakarta Globe, Jakarta – Lippo Karawaci, one of Indonesia's largest property developers, has opened a mass vaccination center at Senayan Park Jakarta, or Spark, to support the self-funded vaccination campaign.

M Rosseno Aji, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) senior investigator Novel Baswedan argued that the Commission's plan to dismiss 51 employees was not just a matter of employment issues.

Novel suspected that it was a systematic attempt to get rid of people who were serious about eradicating corruption.

Antara, Jakarta – The Covid-19 task force spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito on Wednesday announced that there had been 27 deaths – initially suspected to be linked to the national vaccination program that uses Sinovac vaccines – which he said is unrelated to the Covid-19 vaccine brand.

Jakarta – Firebrand cleric Rizieq Syihab was sentenced to eight months in prison on Thursday after a Jakarta court found him guilty of violating Covid-19-related social restrictions while acquitting him of a more serious charge.

Rahel Narda Chaterine, Jakarta – Human rights activist and lawyer Veronica Koman has refuted accusations by State Intelligence Agency (BIN) Deputy Chief Lieutenant General Teddy Lhaksmana Widya Kusuma who said that Koman is taking advantage of the 2021 National Sports Week (PON) to create instability in Papua.

Maire Leadbeater – New Zealand is more than a bystander – our Government repeatedly endorses Indonesia's sovereignty over West Papua and has defence ties with Indonesia.

Senator the Hon Marise Payne
Minister for Foreign Affairs
PO Box 6100
Senate, Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

27 May 2021

Dear Foreign Minister,

Imam B, Rahmad Nasution, Jakarta – The National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) has put five leaders heading separatist terrorist groups operating in Papua and West Papua on its most-wanted list.

The agency will track down the leaders, in accordance with Indonesia's Law No. 5/2018 on Terrorism, BNPT chief Coms.Gen.Boy Rafli Amar said here on Thursday.

Laily R, Rahmad Nasution, Jakarta – Indonesia's army and police personnel deployed in Papua are entrusted with enforcing the law against armed terrorist groups and safeguarding the government's development agenda in the easternmost province, a high-ranking police officer stated.

Chris Barrett, Singapore – There have been three flights from Dili to Oecusse in the past month as well as one ferry trip.

By air and sea, a judge, two sets of lawyers and a prosecutor have made their way from the East Timorese capital to the coastal enclave that borders Indonesia. They have assembled in Oecusse for a criminal trial that has divided a nation.

Jakarta (Reuters) – Indonesia has resumed usage of a temporarily suspended batch of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, the country's food and drug agency (Bpom) said on Thursday (May 27).

The agency suspended use of one batch of the vaccine to conduct an investigation after a young man died after being inoculated earlier this month.