March 16, 2026 JAKARTA – Civil groups have denounced the acid attack against human rights defender Andrie Yunus as a cowardly act aimed at silencing government critics, saying they will not bow down to any intimidation threatening their work. Andrie, who works at rights group the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) … Read more
March 13, 2026 JAKARTA – Indonesia and Australia have announced a plan to expand their security cooperation through joint exercises, the development of a training facility and broader regional cooperation that would involve partners such as Japan and Papua New Guinea. On Thursday, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles held a meeting … Read more
March 11, 2026 JAKARTA – At least five people died and four went missing when a massive landslide tore through Bantar Gebang, Indonesia’s largest landfill, following hours of heavy rain on Sunday, exposing the deadly consequences of Jakarta’s chronic waste mismanagement. The collapse affected Zone 4 of the 110-hectare site, sending seven garbage trucks tumbling … Read more
March 9, 2026 JAKARTA – Despite growing conservatism globally, significant progress has been made in women’s rights. More women have been appointed national leaders, lawmakers and top business executives. Even monarchies have begun opening pathways for female heirs to ascend to the throne. But unfortunately, the fight is far from over. In an increasingly digitalized … Read more
March 6, 2026 JAKARTA – I like reading books. I probably should read more than I do, but what I love even more is visiting bookstores. It’s relaxing, almost meditative. There’s something about being surrounded by walls of books, perusing a collection of genres, discovering new authors. It’s not always about finishing the book. It’s … Read more
March 3, 2026 JAKARTA – Indonesia bade farewell to the country’s sixth vice president and retired Army general Try Sutrisno, who died in Jakarta on Monday at the age of 90, leaving behind a decades-long record of service in the military and in state office. Try, who served as vice president from 1993 to 1998 … Read more
February 26, 2026 JAKARTA – The government is urging the European Union to comply with a World Trade Organization ruling on the bloc’s discriminatory policies against Indonesian palm oil, after the 12-month implementation period concluded on Tuesday. Trade Minister Budi Santoso confirmed the expiry of the reasonable period of time (RPT) that the WTO dispute … Read more
February 25, 2026 JAKARTA – When most Indonesians hear the term “modern slavery,” they think of perbudakan in its historical sense, people in chains, legally owned by others, with no freedom at all. In reality, modern slavery goes far beyond this. It is about an absence of choice: situations where workers lack the real freedom … Read more
February 24, 2026 JAKARTA – Most cities and regencies in Indonesia are failing to enforce single-use plastic restrictions, a situation worsened by inadequate monitoring systems and budgets needed to meet the national target of phasing out the use of plastics by 2030, a new report has found. The report, published in late January by nonprofit … Read more
February 24, 2026 JAKARTA – Indonesia has stressed the importance of providing stability through the United States-led Board of Peace (BoP) to pave the way for lasting peace in Gaza, amid domestic concerns about Jakarta’s planned troop deployment to the region. In a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last Thursday in Washington, … Read more