Ben Bland – Like many world leaders, Indonesian President Joko Widodo is hoping that 2021 will be a bounce-back year after a terrible 2020.

Liam Gammon – How do you oversee one of the world's worst outbreaks of COVID-19, ram through unpopular economic reforms during a recession and end up retaining the sort of approval rati

Max Lane – As Covid year 2020 ends, so too does the first year of the second and final term of the presidency of Joko Widodo.

Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat and Media Wahyudi Askar – It has been a rough first year for Indonesia's President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

Jakarta – Both the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and the local independent Humanitarian Team for Intan Jaya reached a more or less similar conclusion about the cause

Jakarta – In the last few years, Indonesia has entrusted its young diplomats with countering attacks predominantly from Pacific countries over alleged human rights abuses against Papuan

Ben Bland – When Indonesian President Joko Widodo decided last year to pursue outlandish plans to build a new capital city in far-flung Kalimantan, advisers shook their heads in despair

Usman Hamid – "Islam is a religion of civilisation. Extremism and intolerance destroy civilisation.

Jakarta – For the umpteenth time since the two institutions broke up as part of sweeping reforms introduced to protect hard-won democracy 20 years ago, Indonesian Military (TNI) and Nat

Ben Bland – Indonesian President Joko Widodo isn't a great orator but the former factory owner has a knack for charming listeners with cute analogies.

By Max Lane

Executive summary

A response to a statement from Jaleswari Pramodhawardani (Vice Deputy for Political, Legal, Security and Human Rights of the Presidential Staff Office) published by Antara News Jakarta

Jakarta – Finally, long-time fugitive Djoko S. Tjandra could no longer evade arrest.

Jakarta – The shake-up of the government's Covid-19 task force was expected. The country has achieved little in its fight against the pandemic.

Jakarta – Indonesia's hard won democracy still allows for political dynasties to thrive, a fact resented by many following the euphoric regime change in 1998 for fostering the kind of

Teuku Faizasyah, Jakarta – Among my duties at the Foreign Ministry, spokesperson happens to be one of them.

Benny Wenda – For over 50 years, Indonesia has been promising West Papua "autonomy". Each time, underneath autonomy lies only bullets and killings.

Jakarta – Chairman of the Synod of Indonesia Gospel Tabernacle Church (Kingmi) in Papua, Rev.

Jakarta – The Government Regulation on the Public Housing Savings Program has sparked controversy. It adds to the burdens of workers and businesses.

Jakarta – The government must not continue its mistaken policies in Papua. Stop the violence and start the dialogue.

Veronica Koman and Ronny Kareni – Over the past few months, a terrible injustice has been playing out in Indonesia's legal system: 56 black political prisoners put on trial for treason

Jakarta – President Joko Widodo may well give the excuse that the nomination of his son and son-in-law in elections for regional heads this December does not break any rules.

By Umair Jamal

Is the conflict in West Papua worsening?

Meitilda Yaung, Darwin, Australia – The long history of systematic racism against African-Americans in the United States seems to have reached its breaking point over the last few week

Jenny Munro – Just as it has in many countries around the world, the death of George Floyd in the United States has prompted a broader discussion about racism in Indonesia.

Patrick O'Connor – The East Timorese government has widened the multi-party coalition on which it is based, securing the support of 41 out of the 65 parliamentarians.

Jakarta – Seemingly at odds with the existing laws, the government regulation on the involvement of the military in dealing with terrorism has sparked criticism.

Jakarta – The move by President Joko Widodo to increase the Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) premiums at the beginning of May is mistaken.

Jose Antonio Belo – Timor-Leste just celebrated its 18th year of independence. The celebration was muted partly due to Covid19 but even more so due to the political crisis.

Jakarta – The rupiah's recent rally and capital inflows have been a breath of fresh air against the backdrop of a lacklustre domestic economy and increasing numbers of Covid-19 cases.

Jakarta – Companies must face the new normal with innovation. There will be no place for the old ways of doing business.

Jakarta – A farmer from the Sakai tribe in Bengkalis has been jailed for cutting down trees on land owned by a company. This is an offense against justice.

Loro Horta – On March 21, 2020 Timor Leste reported its first case of COVID-19, a Dutch national arriving from Europe.

Jakarta – The government and the DPR are continuing to deliberate problematic laws. This is immoral at a time of the pandemic.

Rui Feijo – Francisco Guterres Lu Olo seems to have won the long tug of war that began soon after he was elected in May 2017, involving directly the president and the charismatic natio

Jakarta – President Joko Widodo should be honest and open about the latest situation regarding Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) in Indonesia.

Voice of Papua – While the delay in the Indonesian government response to the covid-19 corona virus is disappointing, Papua's provincial government needs to be commended for its speedy

Jakarta – Three months after Indonesia recorded its first COVID-19 cases, healthcare workers are still on the frontline, putting their lives at risk as they battle the day-to-day strug

Jakarta – Reports about the easing of restrictions in other countries are ever so tempting.

Jeffrey Neilson – Indonesia's political leadership was slow to respond to COVID-19, and for a long while denied the virus had even entered the country based upon a sparse testing regim

Nelly Martin-Anatias, Sharyn Graham Davies – If Indonesia wants to be a country truly supportive of quality, honest and dignified research, its media must stop giving space to writing

Retno LP Marsudi, Indonesia – With Indonesia on the Human Rights Council, there are some ways in which the country can use its role to provide leadership and achieve the goals it outli

Michael Leach – Saturday morning saw the widely anticipated announcement of a new parliamentary majority in Timor-Leste, led by Xanana Gusmao.

John McBeth – Indonesian Economic Coordinating Minister and Golkar Party chairman Airlangga Hartarto likes to put an historic spin on the 1,028-page Job Creation Omnibus Bill tabled la

Abid A. Adonis, Jakarta – The coronavirus outbreak has caused panic and hysteria among Indonesians. The last time we see this happening was during the SARS outbreak in 2003.

Indonesia President Joko Widodo's declaration on the floor of the House of Representatives on Monday that "Australia is Indonesia's closest friend" has given us pause for thought.

Colin Brown – Indonesian President Joko Widodo – Jokowi – has shown himself to be generally less interested in international affairs than his predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY

Johannes Nugroho – For the past two months, Indonesia's press and social media have been abuzz with reports of pretender kingdoms on the island of Java.

Tim Lindsey, Tim Mann – Indonesia's booming economy has been growing between 5% and 6% for years and its GDP (PPP) is well ahead of Australia's.

Ronny Kareni, Canberra – The year 2020 dawns with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's continued blatant avoidance of human rights violations and willful ignorance of West Papuans' right t