Ruth Dea Juwita, Jakarta The government plans to tighten rules on how natural resource exporters must keep their entire export receipts (DHE) starting at the turn of the year, aiming to close lingering loopholes that have allowed funds to leak offshore. However, experts warn that the stricter requirements could strain liquidity and unsettle investors.

Fia Hamid-Walker – Heavy rainfall in Sumatra on 23 November caused landslides and flash floods three days later, with widespread loss of life. Fatalities to date exceed a thousand, and many others have been injured or displaced.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – Indonesian Minister of Human Rights Natalius Pigai is scheduled to present awards to six prominent individuals during the 2025 World Human Rights Day commemoration at Senayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.

The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) has identified companies in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra as having caused damage to forests and river watersheds covering as much as 889,125 hectares.

Nandito Putra, Jakarta – Indonesia's electricity company PLN continues to accelerate the restoration of the electrical system in Aceh following flash floods and landslides that damaged the main transmission network in several areas.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – Dimas Bagus Arya, the coordinator for the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), said Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto has been maintaining the atrocious human rights conditions that were happening under former Joko Widodo's leadership.

Indonesian police used unlawful force against protesters, including beatings and the improper use of water cannon and tear gas grenades, during mass demonstrations that swept the country earlier this year, according to new investigation released today by Amnesty International.

Dian Fiantis, Budiman Minasny and Frisa Irawan Ginting, The Conversation – Cyclone Senyar hit South and Southeast Asian countries in late November. In Indonesia, the island of Sumatra took the worst hit, especially its northern parts.

Islamabad – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto arrived in Islamabad on Monday on a two-day official visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

According to state broadcaster PTV News, the Indonesian president was received by PM Shehbaz and President Asif Ali Zardari upon his arrival at the Nur Khan airbase.

Jakarta – Blaming nature for the deadly floods and landslides in Sumatra is not going to take us very far beyond stating the obvious and long held wisdom that, if we cannot beat nature, we have to try to live with it.

Gloria Dickie – A small brown line snakes its way through the rainforest in northern Sumatra, carving 300 metres through dense patches of meranti trees, oak and mahua. Picked up by satellites, the access road – though modest now – will soon extend 2km to connect with the Tor Ulu Ala pit, an expansion site of Indonesia's Martabe mine.

David Akana, North Sumatra, Indonesia – Indonesia's environment ministry on Dec. 6 suspended private sector activity in a crucial high conservation value rainforest as rescuers continued working through three Sumatran provinces following a highly unusual and catastrophic tropical cyclone.

Ifan Ahmad, Makassar, S – Sulawesi. The Indonesian government has rejected foreign assistance for the devastating floods and landslides that have struck Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, emphasizing that the country has the capacity to manage disaster response independently.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (Kontras) reported 205 incidents of civil liberty violations during the first year of the presidency of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

Andrea Shalal, Washington – A U.S. trade agreement reached with Indonesia in July is at risk of collapsing because Jakarta has backtracked on several commitments it made as part of the deal, a U.S. official said on Tuesday.

Jakarta – Dompet Dhuafa, a Muslim alms organization, recently held a charity concert "Together for Sumatar" at M Bloc Live House and M Bloc Space to gather support for the disaster-hit island.

Addin Anugrah Siwi, Jakarta – Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) has raised concerns over Indonesia's persistently high youth unemployment, with the jobless rate among Gen Z still hovering around 17 percent, a pressure point for both the government and employers heading into 2026.

Oyuk Ivani Siagian, Jakarta – The Jakarta Metropolitan Police have confiscated six Molotov cocktails from two men suspected of planning to incite riots during the International Human Rights Day demonstration scheduled for December 10, 2025. The suspects have been identified by their initials as BDM and TSF.

Yogi Eka Sahputra, Jakarta – Customs data confirms that a flood of suspected illegal electronic waste (e-waste) continues to arrive in Batam, Riau Islands. As of Monday, December 8, 2025, authorities have recorded 822 containers entering the region believed to contain hazardous and toxic waste (B3).

Jakarta – For politicians without empathy, disaster locations are nothing more than content for their social media. They turn up for applause in the form of "likes" or "engagement," rather than to carry out their duties as public officials to reduce the burden on suffering citizens. Although they do not visit to entertain, we might as well categorize them as disaster clowns.

Vedro Imanuel Girsang, Jakarta – The Indonesian Minister of Human Rights, Natalius Pigai, responded to President Prabowo Subianto's recent statements regarding the principles of Human Rights (HAM). At that time, Prabowo criticized the application of Western-style Human Rights, which he considered to be hypocritical.

Haryanti Puspa Sari, Danu Damarjati, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has criticised the trend of verdicts in criminal cases of corruption and the confiscation of assets carried out by the government against corruptors in the last year.

Adyaksa M, Poso – The detention of Kristian Toibo, a resident of Watutau Village in Lore Peore district, Poso regency, has sparked criticism from environmental activists. The Central Sulawesi chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) believes that the authorities are criminalising residents who defend their land rights.

Andrew Tito, Jakarta – South Aceh Regent Mirwan may be dismissed from office after traveling for Umrah while his district was under a state of emergency due to devastating floods and landslides, Deputy Home Affairs Minister Bima Arya Sugiarto said on Monday.

Dani Aswara, Jakarta – The Presidium of the Indonesian Caucus for Academic Freedom (KIKA), Herdiansyah Hamzah, has stated that a series of government officials' statements regarding the Sumatra disaster shows the absence of a scientific approach to decision-making, particularly in disaster policies.

Oyuk Ivani Siagian, Jakarta – Indonesia's Minister of Environment and Forestry, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, has inspected corporate operations in the Batang Toru and Garoga Buntu watersheds to determine whether business activities have contributed to the surge in floods and landslides across North Sumatra.

M Adi Fajri, Jakarta – The Solidarity Action Committee for Munir (KASUM) held a protest action to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the assassination of renowned human rights defender Munir Said Thalib in front of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) building in Jakarta on Monday December 8.

Jakarta – The Coalition for the Codification of Election Laws rejects the idea put forward by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto regarding the desire to return the election of regional heads (Pilkada) through the Regional Representative Councils (DPRD).

Jakarta – Hats off to the people who have acted on their own initiative to help the victims of the disaster in Sumatra. They are volunteers in the truest sense of the word. While officials did not lift a finger to help, people worked side-by-side to help the survivors. Their solidarity proved more worthy than the political considerations of the nation's leaders.

Dani Aswara, Jakarta – Major General Freddy Ardiansyah, Head of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) Information Center, has clarified a circulating video regarding the attempted interception of a flood relief ship in Aceh by a group of individuals in camouflage uniforms.

Mei Leandha, Jakarta – The Governor of North Sumatra, Bobby Nasution, estimates that the total damage caused by the recent flash floods and landslides across 17 regencies and cities has reached Rp 9.98 trillion. This staggering figure represents the estimated cost across multiple sectors.

A. Anantha Lakshmi and Diana Mariska in Jakarta – Almost every Thursday for the past 18 years, Bedjo Untung has joined a small group of protesters in front of the Indonesian presidential palace come rain or shine. The group want accountability for crimes under the late dictator Suharto – crimes in which Bedjo was himself a victim.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The Indonesian Employers Association, or Apindo, projects the national economy to expand between 5.0 percent and 5.4 percent year-on-year (yoy) in 2026, as the group doubts the Sumatra floods will take a dramatic toll on the national gross domestic product (GDP).

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – Indonesia's Minister of Elementary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu'ti revealed that nearly 3,000 schools were damaged by ecological disasters across Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

The figure comes from data collected by the Ministry of Education and Culture as of December 7, 2025.

Jakarta – An Indonesian government task force has ordered dozens of companies in palm oil cultivation and mining to pay fines totalling 38.62 trillion rupiah ($2.31 billion) for operating illegally in forest areas, an official said on Monday.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Governor of Aceh, Muzakir Manaf, confirmed that the region is receptive to foreign assistance in the aftermath of the flash floods and landslides that struck last November, directly contrasting the central government's earlier position on international relief.

Antara, Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Indonesia's Geological Agency has begun an airborne survey in Sulawesi to identify potential new oil and gas reserves as the country seeks to expand hydrocarbon exploration and attract fresh investment, an official announced on Sunday.

Andrea Hosana, Jakarta – A hundred Indonesian musicians have joined forces to launch Heal Sumatra, a humanitarian concert aimed at supporting victims of recent disasters across the island. BTV is serving as the official media partner to help amplify the initiative and encourage public participation.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The catastrophic Sumatra floods and landslides have killed at least 950 people, according to data by the national disaster authorities BNPB as of Monday at 11.40 a.m.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The government has sealed seven forestry-related facilities in North Sumatra as part of an ongoing crackdown on illegal logging and forest encroachment following catastrophic floods and landslides that killed hundreds across Sumatra.

Martin Bagya Kertiyasa, Jakarta – Early government estimates show that Indonesia will need to spend around Rp 51.82 trillion (approximately $3.1 billion) to recover the disaster-induced infrastructure damages in Sumatra island.

Greg Fealy – Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and its high-profile chair, Kiai Yahya Cholil Staquf (commonly known as Gus Yahya), have for many years presented themselves to the world as champions of peace and moderation.

Ruth Dea Juwita, Jakarta – Indonesia's bid to mass-produce cars of a homegrown brand in 2027 is "highly ambitious", experts say, noting that an electric vehicle (EV) model would require sustained fiscal outlays and far stronger technical competencies than the country currently possesses.

Deni Ghifari, Jakarta – Indonesia's goal to upscale the downstream cacao industry faces a multitude of obstacles spanning the entire supply chain, from low crop yields to inconsistent quality that must be overcome for the country to become a meaningful chocolate exporter.

Alif Ilham Fajriadi, Jakarta – Indonesia's National Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam) has released a detailed mapping of forest concession permits owned by PT Tusam Hutani Lestari, a company affiliated with Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto, across Central Aceh, Bener Meriah, Bireuen, and North Aceh.

Tempo, Jakarta – Indonesia's PT Pertamina (Persero) announced that as many as 688 fuel stations, or 98 percent of the total stations in the disaster-affected areas in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, are operational.

Oyuk Ivani Siagian, Jakarta – The government has begun investigating the alleged involvement of several companies in environmental damage that triggered floods in Sumatra. Minister of Environment Hanif Faisol Nurofiq stated that his ministry is evaluating eight companies involved in responding to hydrological disasters that hit several regions in Sumatra.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – The BNPB (National Disaster Management Agency) reported the death toll due to floods and landslides in three provinces of Sumatra, Indonesia, until Sunday, December 7, 2025, has reached 916 people. This number is based on data from the Indonesia Disaster Data Geoportal owned by BNPB.

Suryadi M Nur, Jakarta – The extreme weather caused by tropical cyclone Senyar at the end of last November is suspected to have claimed many lives at sea. Throughout last week, six fishermen were found dead in the waters of Rokan Hilir, Riau, Indonesia.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto departed for the province of Aceh on Sunday morning, December 7, 2025 to observe the handling of floods that have struck several regions. This marks Prabowo's second visit to a disaster area. Previously, Prabowo visited Tapanuli Tengah on December 1, 2025.