The acquittal of four activists is a rare victory for Indonesian democracy, but the long battle to protect free speech from state suppression is far from over.

Plastic waste remains a common sight on our streets, waterways and beaches, even as the government moves to phase out disposable polymers by 2030.

With pressure building simultaneously on both the revenue and expenditure side of the budget, something has to give.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day this year, let us remember that courageous leadership remains essential, not only to expand opportunities for women, but also to ensure that dignity, respect and safety are upheld in both the physical and digital spheres.

The recent furor related to a couple of LPDP recipients shows that the government must run a rigorous screening process for all candidates, including a social media background check, to ensure that the national scholarship is granted to a deserving individual who represents the country, and preferably one from straitened circumstances.

As the Middle East teeters on the verge of a wider conflict, Jakarta must move beyond intensive monitoring and honor its constitutional mandate to protect its citizens residing in the region.

In a city where diversity is the lifeblood of the streets, a mayor’s attempt to ban the pork trade has sparked more than a protest—it has exposed a dangerous drift toward discrimination under the guise of public order.

We should use this inadvertent grace period due to the US Supreme Court's ruling to review the ART scrupulously to see what we're actually gaining or losing, and make doubly sure that we haven't traded our sovereignty through an alliance pact disguised as a trade deal.

Jakarta should focus on what it can actually do, without grandstanding.

As Gen Z trades traditional wedding bells for financial stability and personal fulfillment, religious affairs offices have discovered that it takes more than TikTok trends and free durians to fix a national marriage slump.

By prioritizing imports over domestic procurement, Agrinas runs counter to the government’s pledge to strengthen domestic industry.

Earlier this month, a fire in a storage facility holding highly toxic pesticide started a chain of reactions that ended up with a massive fish kill along a 22-kilometer stretch of the Cisadane River, with local authorities in many municipalities in South Tangerang, Banten, issuing warnings to residents against using water drawn from the river.

While the government funds "elite" schools and free meals, the 237,000 "honorary" teachers who form the backbone of the nation are being left behind in a growing gap of privilege and pay.

Though the Supreme Court's ruling against Trump's sweeping tariffs has left Jakarta with less clarity regarding the newly signed US-Indonesia ART, it has at least opened a door to the possibility of reworking the deal so its terms are fairer.

Sending our brave soldiers to Gaza could put them in harm’s way given the still fluid and tense situation there. 

Southeast Asia's netizens have spoken as one against racial discrimination by some Korean creators and backed their unified voice with action, showing that the region is no lightweight when it comes to cultural inclusion or consumer power.

One year in, Jakarta’s "more colorful" makeover is facing a gray reality of systemic waste and stagnant flood mitigation. With the honeymoon over, the city’s 11 million residents are waiting to see if their governor will finally tackle the perennial problems lurking behind the populist wins.

From a logistical standpoint, the program may well proceed without disruption. The more fundamental question, however, remains: is maintaining the initiative during the fasting month, and extending it into Idul Fitri, the most effective and responsible use of our limited education budget?

While the Prabowo Subianto administration has intensified its campaign against white-collar crime, these efforts have failed to improve the global perception of Indonesia as a nation entrenched in corruption.

It would probably be good to ask ourselves whether we have practiced what Gus Dur taught the nation, namely the obligation to fight discrimination and to respect human dignity.

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung has thrown his weight behind the President’s proposal to build an office for Muslim organizations, but needs to suggest an alternative site.

When human lives are reduced to statistical "error rates," our social contract fails the very people it was built to protect, from a child lacking a notebook to a patient denied life-saving care by a spreadsheet.

An aggressive growth target may lift headline GDP, but it could also inflate asset prices, strain the state budget and erode investor confidence in fiscal policy. 

While such a neo-statist development approach is within the global zeitgeist, there seems to be doubt about it working in this country.

Whether through corruption, a lack of risk assessment or a desire for short-term financial gains, the "danger zones" are wiped off the map until the earth reclaims them.

In recent years, we have seen the civic space shrinking, undermining the quality of democracy. The press can help to stop and reverse the trend.

Indonesian tourism must move away from a reactive model that only responds to organic virality, such as the "aura farming" trend of the Pacu Jalur longboat races in Riau.