A series of crackdowns on public screenings and discussions of the documentary film Pesta Babi (Pig Feast) serves as a grim reminder that the nation’s democratic progress is not only stalling but effectively backsliding.

By intervening in ride-hailing commissions, the government risks turning a flexible "bridge" into a rigid dead end for the very workers it aims to protect.

By attempting to screen who qualifies for protection, the government risks transforming itself from a guardian of liberty into a gatekeeper for rights violators.

Disunity has held back ASEAN from making progress on many fronts, particularly resolving the persistent issues in its backyard, and the same could also apply to the Prabowo administration's foreign policy stance as regards the bloc: Perhaps it is simply not the time for Indonesia to take up the regional mantle.

The government's choice to respond to uncomfortable public statements with police reports and takedown requests only proves the shrinking space for freedom of expression.

Economists have warned of climbing inflation as soon as this month, as more of the global price pressure caused by the Middle East conflict is passed on to domestic consumers.

Indonesia must trade its outdated regional rivalries for a sophisticated maritime strategy that honors international law while finally turning the Malacca Strait into a true engine for national growth.

As viral tragedies expose a broken system of unregulated daycares and uncertified caregivers, Indonesia must choose between performing temporary damage control or finally building the foundational safety net its "golden generation" deserves.

Regional taxes will not be accepted if citizens see local elites living extravagantly, renovating official residences or wasting public money on nonessential spending.

A quick scroll on social media is enough to show the extent of the public relations problem, with netizens expressing vitriol toward not only some of the government’s signature projects, the free meal program in particular, but also making personal attacks against the President and members of his inner circle. 

Safety should be a structural guarantee, not a matter of luck. The Bekasi train collision must finally end the country’s deadly reliance on level crossings.

After nearly a quarter century stuck in legislative limbo, the nation has finally passed a law guaranteeing the rights of domestic workers, but structural gaps and deep-seated social biases may still stand in the way of true protection.

As Jakarta ramps up its war on janitor fish, the real enemy isn't the invasive pests, but the decades of systemic pollution that allow them to thrive.

When future judges and lawyers treat "silence means consent" as a punchline, the scales of justice are broken before they even enter the courtroom. This controversy at the University of Indonesia isn't just a private chat gone wrong, it is a chilling look at the foundation of the pyramid that keeps rape culture alive.  

The case should be tried in a civilian court to ensure accountability and uncover the full chain of command.

Standard practice around that period mostly revolved foreign correspondents parachuted from the major capitals of the West to report from the “exotic” East, who often wrote with an outlook which literary critic Edward Said deemed “orientalist”.

While government estimates suggest fuel hikes are a minor technicality, the real danger lies in a "squeezed middle class" whose forced spending cuts could trigger a much broader economic slowdown.

While the KPK’s arrest spree suggests a victory for the rule of law, it may indicate a deeper political rot. Without reforming how parties select candidates, we risk trading our hard-won democracy for a cycle of perpetual graft.

Indonesian democracy is regressing not through a sudden coup, but through what experts call the “gradual, subtle and even legal” subversion of democratic norms.

Last month, three intern doctors died within just 11 days from complications linked to dengue fever, anemia, and measles. While official reforms promise to protect medical interns, the tragic deaths reveal a system where "safety limits" exist only on paper.

At a time when global leaders are shifting their priorities toward securing national interests amid the ongoing war in the Middle East, our President is fluttering from country to country drumming up cooperation deals instead of heeding his people's calls to come home and attend to domestic matters first.

While often viewed as a public cost, Transjakarta is actually a massive economic driver generating three times its weight in national output. By shifting focus from fuel subsidies to transit integration, Indonesia can clear its skies and its balance sheets simultaneously.

Limited growth potential and informal structures often disqualify Indonesia’s small enterprises from external financing, as lenders perceive them as high-risk or unattractive clients.

From "free and active" to a silent subordinate: Prabowo’s recent concessions to Washington signal a dangerous erosion of Indonesian sovereignty.

As a "Godzilla-like" El Niño looms, Indonesia must move beyond complacency and apply the lessons of history to protect its food security and its future.

For the sake of both national integrity and humanity, the Attorney General’s Office should proceed with the necessary investigations to bring the act of genocide case involving the Myanmar junta leader before an Indonesian court. 

While there is no direct attempt at censorship or closure of a media institution, press harassment can be regarded as a threat to undermine journalists, press organizations and press freedom.

“Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives […] every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every corrupt politician, every ‘supreme leader’.”

As the rupiah breaches the 17,000 mark, Indonesia’s stability now hinges on whether the government can match the central bank’s discipline with a credible fiscal plan.

Indonesia’s decade of conservation progress is under threat as ambitious state projects drive a staggering 66 percent surge in deforestation.