Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian Covid-19 Task Force noted that at least 264 "mudik" travelers tested positive for the coronavirus disease. The figure was taken from the implementation of the "ketupat" operation on May 15.
The Covid-19 Task Force, spokesman Wiku Adisasmito, said that in total there were 419,969 vehicles ordered to turn around.
Nur Janti, Jakarta – COVID-19 vaccinations under Indonesia's much-anticipated private scheme began on Tuesday at the Jababeka industrial estate in Bekasi, West Java.
Bambang Heriyanto, corporate secretary at state-owned pharmaceutical company Bio Farma, which has been involved in both the state and private sector inoculation drives, confirmed the rollout in a statement.
Adam Prireza, Jakarta – Jakarta Deputy Governor Ahmad Riza Patria said 1,730,463 vehicles were recorded leaving the city during the ban on Eid homecoming or mudik from May 6-15, 2021, with 714,916 vehicles passing through toll roads, while the rest 1,015,547 vehicles through arterial roads.
Shotaro Tani, Jakarta – Two of Indonesia's largest tech startups, Gojek and Tokopedia, announced on Monday they will merge, a move that will create one of Southeast Asia's biggest tech conglomerates and cover everything from ride hailing and digital payments to e-commerce.
A 59-year-old civil servant from Bali's Klungkung regency was arrested for allegedly raping a 10-year-old girl, as police continue their investigation into the case.
Klungkung Police Chief Bima Aria Viyasa said the suspect was in a relationship with the victim's mother, and that he raped the girl twice since last year.
Emma Connors, Singapore/Jakarta – Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei have come out swinging against Israel and its "inhumane, colonial and apartheid policies" as Muslim-majority nations unite against what they regard as an occupying power in the Palestinian territories.
Sophie Chao – In December 2020, the Indonesian government had offered the Papuan island of Biak, home to some 100,000 inhabitants, to the centibillionare Elon Musk as a potential launch site for the SpaceX Mars-bound expedition.
Moh Khory Alfarizi, Jakarta – Internet connection in Papua, especially in Jayapura City and Regency and its surrounding areas have been totally down since Saturday, May 1, 2021. At present, the communication activities can only be carried out through short message services (SMS), phone lines, Single Side Band (SSB) radio, and Handy Talky (HT).
Jakarta – Indonesian prosecutors on Monday recommended a sentence of 34 months in jail for firebrand cleric Rizieq Syihab, who is accused of violating health protocol during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Anthony Galloway – A two-day court hearing into an appeal brought by Witness K's former lawyer Bernard Collaery challenging a secrecy order is being held behind closed doors after his lawyer didn't challenge holding the appeal in secret.
Tatang Guritno, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) says that there were attempts to hack into a virtual press conference which they held today on Monday May 17.
During the conference, eight former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leaders were speeking in response to the sacking of 75 KPK employees who failed to pass a civics or nationalism test (TWK).
Ambon – The Saparua sub-district sectoral police in Central Maluku regency have arrested two sympathisers of the South Maluku Republic (RMS) for raising the RMS independence flag in Negeri Ulath, East Saparua, Maluku.
Sydney, Australia – The crew of an Indonesian fishing trawler that was "clinging to their vessel" in bad weather has been rescued off Australia's west coast, a top Canberra official said Sunday.
The boat had started sinking in the Indian Ocean on Thursday with 20 crew members on board, Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton said in a statement.
Divya Karyza, Jakarta – The Big Durian has been ranked as the world's most environmentally vulnerable metropolitan, as climate change, pollution, heatwaves, earthquakes and flooding are key threats to the capital's residents and businesses.
Marchio Irfan Gorbiano, Jakarta – At first glance, it was business as usual when Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators arrested Novi Rahman Hidayat, the regent of Nganjuk in East Java, for alleged bribery pertaining to the promotion of officials in the regency.
Dzulfiqar Fathur Rahman, Jakarta – The emergence of new COVID-19 variants is expected to weigh on Indonesia's economic recovery and may cause the government to miss its target of growth between 4.5 and 5.3 percent this year.
Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – The Health Ministry has suspended the distribution of around 450,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Sunday and submitted the batch to Indonesia's drug authority for further tests following the death of a 22-year-old man who took the vaccine shot eleven days ago.
Ambon – The Ambon and Lease Islands municipal police in Maluku have declared three people suspects for flying the banned South Maluku Republic (RMS) independence flag in the Village of Ulath in Saparua sub-district, Central Maluku regency.
Antara, Jakarta – Indonesia's economy is believed to clock a nearly seven-percent growth in the 2021 second quarter following an upward trend in the realization of foreign direct investments and consumer confidence index, a minister stated.
Semarang, Central Java – Seven people drowned after an overloaded boat capsized because of tourists attempting a selfie in a reservoir in Central Java, police said Sunday.
The accident happened when all 20 passengers suddenly moved to the one side of the vessel to take a group photo on Saturday in the Boyolali regency, said Central Java police chief Insp. Gen. Ahmad Lutfi.
Ardila Syakriah, Dio Suhendra and Vincent Fabian Thomas, Jakarta – The government believes more than 1 million people have gone on mudik (exodus) trips over the Idul Fitri holiday despite the ongoing ban and is screening returning travelers as it anticipates a spike in COVID-19 cases.
I Nyoman Sutarsa – The Indonesian government set an ambitious goal to complete mass COVID-19 immunisation by the end of March 2022, covering the 181.5 million Indonesians eligible for vaccination. The first phase aimed to vaccinate 40.2 million healthcare workers, public officials and elderly citizens by the end of April 2021.
Gorethy Kenneth, Port Moresby – Indonesia is pressuring Papua New Guinea over an illegal group East Sepik claiming to form an army unit to help West Papuan pro-independence rebels fighting against Indonesian forces across the border.
Radhiyya Indra, Jakarta – Thousands flocked recreational areas and public cemeteries across Jakarta during the Idul Fitri holiday despite various restrictions imposed in the capital in an attempt to prevent a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Dio Suhenda, Jakarta – Authorities are gearing up measures to prevent a surge of COVID-19 confirmed cases amid the return of mudik (exodus) travelers from their hometown following the Idul Fitri holiday.
The government predicted that people would travel back, also known as arus balik (counter-exodus), between Sunday and May 20.
Jakarta – The government seems to be repeating the history of colonialism in this nation. The outcome could be like that in Indonesia in 1945.
Jakarta – The ruling by the Constitutional Court rejecting the judicial review of the formulation and content of the Corruption Eradication Law signifies the end of the road for the anti-graft agency. Jokowi must take most of the responsibility for this.
Maria Baru, Sorong City – The Indonesian government's labeling of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) as terrorists is actually the complete opposite of their decade long mission to fight for Papuan independence.
Jakarta – Severe air pollutions, seismic threats, and perennial floodings have put Indonesia's capital Jakarta at the top of a list of cities threatened by environmental risks, according to the latest report published by a global risks research company Verisk Maplecroft on Wednesday.
Gisela Swaragita, Jakarta – Embracing a quiet Idul Fitri, 32-year-old social media manager Beni Satryo slowly strummed his guitar at his office in Kemang, South Jakarta. His three friends sat nearby, enjoying the holiday comfort food: ketupat (rice cakes), beef rendang (slow-cooked meat in coconut milk and spices) and sambal goreng ati (spicy beef liver).
Vincent Fabian Thomas, Jakarta – Sumatra, Indonesia's second-most populous island, has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases in May, forcing government officials to quickly shift their attention away from Java provinces, which are currently the country's COVID-19 epicenters.
Andita Rahma, Jakarta – The National Police have referred the matter of supporters of Papuan armed criminal groups (KKB) in Papua New Guinea to the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Febriana Firdaus, Ubud – A Russian Instagrammer who launched his motorbike off a dock, crashing into the sea. Two YouTube pranksters who fooled a supermarket guard with drawn-on face masks, violating the island's health rules. A couple allegedly filming porn on a sacred mountain.
Jakarta – Lawyer and Papua rights activist Veronica Koman has reported the arrest of West Papua National Committee (KNPB) spokesperson Victor Yeimo to the United Nations Human Rights Commission.
The report was made by the UK based human rights organisation TAPOL and Koman as Yeimo's lawyer.
Anthony Galloway – Lawyers acting for Bernard Collaery will next week challenge a court order requiring large parts of his trial to be held in secret as the long-running case continues into his alleged efforts to expose a secret Australian operation to bug East Timor's government.
London, Sydney – Pelagio Doutel of TAPOL says "UN Rapporteurs should call for the immediate and unconditional release of Mr Victor Yeimo of West Papua"
Stuart Layt – Priceless ancient cave paintings in the Indonesian archipelago are crumbling at an increasing rate due to the effects of climate change.
A team of Australian and Indonesian scientists, led by experts from Griffith University, have published details of the current degradation, and have sounded a warning that more needs to be done to preserve the treasures.
Yerica Lai, Jakarta – Muslims in Indonesia celebrated Idul Fitri, which marks an end to the holy month of Ramadan, under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic and health protocols that limited the scale of festivities for the second consecutive year on Thursday.
Jakarta – Coronavac, a vaccine made by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac has been 98 percent effective in reducing the number of deaths due to Covid-19 among health workers in Jakarta, according to a study released by the Health Ministry on Wednesday.
Vincent Fabian Thomas, Jakarta – Indonesia dispatched medical supplies to India, helping the South Asian country with the third-most COVID-19 deaths in the world to battle a devastating surge in COVID-19 cases that has overwhelmed its healthcare system.
Adfin Rochmad Baidhowah – Bureaucratic appointments are coming under the spotlight in Indonesia due to a pattern of politicians abusing their power.
Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – Religious leaders in predominantly Catholic Timor-Leste have launched joint efforts to provide aid to victims of recent floods and residents affected by Covid-19 restrictions.
Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Hindu and Confucian leaders said their aim was to bolster government efforts to help people struggling because of the disasters.
Greta Nabbs-Keller, RM Wibawanto Nugroho Widodo – The "DarkSide" ransomware cyber-attack on the US-based gasoline facility Colonial Pipeline, which has disrupted East Coast fuel supplies and invoked emergency legislation, has once again highlighted the vulnerability of a nation's critical infrastructure to malicious cyber activity.
Yoanes Litha, Rikar Hussein, Poso, Indonesia/Washington – Hundreds of Christians attended a mass funeral in a remote village of Indonesia's Central Sulawesi province Wednesday to mourn four people killed by militants linked to the Islamic State group.
Susan Price – A Papuan leader sought by Indonesian police over the 2019 Papua "Spring" uprising, Victor Yeimo, has been arrested on suspicion of treason, subversion, or rebellion.
The fate of corruption eradication in Indonesia is hanging in the balance after as many as 75 Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) employees whose integrity and dedication has been tested for years have been kicked out of the agency by KPK Chairperson Commissioner General Firli Bahuri after failing a test to become state civil servants.
Alfian Kartono, Jayapura, Indonesia – Two Papuan independence fighters, including a rebel commander, were killed in ongoing clashes between Indonesian security forces and a rebel group in the country's troubled easternmost region, authorities said Thursday.
Rahel Narda Chaterine, Jakarta – The cases of alleged human rights violations during the May 1998 riots in Jakarta have still not been resolved to this day.
Between May 12 and 15, 1998, a series of riots broke out in various parts of the country, including in Jakarta. The riots were triggered by the shooting of four Trisakti University students.
Caesar Akbar, Jakarta – Businesses criticized the policy of several regional governments restricting the opening and operation of shopping centers, malls, and retail stores during the Eid Al Fitr holiday.
Adam Prireza, Jakarta – Survey conducted by the Religious Allowance Reporting Outpost revealed that as many as 1,338 laborers in Jakarta and Semarang Regency will receive their religion allowance in installments.
The institution, Religious Allowance Reporting Outpost, was established by the Jakarta Legal Aid Institution together with YLBHI, PSHK, KPBI, and FSPBI.