An activist holds a poster rejecting the proposal to name former president Soeharto a national hero during the Kamisan rally on Oct. 23, 2025, in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta.

The national hero title for Soeharto: A monument to impunity

The granting of the hero title to Soeharto represents a denial, if not an outright betrayal, of the Reform movement, which was initiated in 1998 to end his corrupt dictatorship.

3 months ago

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‘Turn back cops’: Reform guided by generals of the past

Prabowo's direction will determine whether the reform team proves or disproves policing scholarship, which indicates that true reform depends on an external approach. ...

3 months ago

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Climate and development finance must be integrated

Climate action and development is a false dichotomy, as investing in one necessarily contributes to outcomes in the other, and the global financial architecture needs to reflect this reality through an integrated mechanism that delivers, especially for developing countries. ...

3 months ago

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A resident of Gebangarum Village in Demak Regency, Central Java, pedals his bicycle on May 21 through floodwaters.

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Urgent call to turn the tide on coastal displacement

It is time for Indonesia to turn the table at the COP30 climate talks and take leadership in global discussion on displacement of coastal communities.

3 months ago

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (from left), Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, Chile's President Gabriel Boric, China's President Xi Jinping, South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung, Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto, Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee, Papua New Guinea's Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister for International Affairs Alexei Overchuk, Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Vietnam's President Luong Cuong, United States' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Peru's Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism Teresa Mera, Mexico's Minister of Economy Marcelo Ebrard, and Taiwan's Senior Advisor Lin Hsin-i pose for a group photo during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, Nov. 1, 2025.

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Leveraging ASEAN, APEC 2025 outcomes to accelerate economic growth

Despite Indonesia’s strong regional position, this growth framework is shared by all economies in the region and each pursuing it for their own prosperity. Indonesia must act now to seize opportunities.

3 months ago

China’s commerce minister Wang Wentao and Malaysia’s investment, trade and industry minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz sign Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol during the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 28, 2025.

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China and ASEAN usher in FTA 3.0 era — Anchoring shared prosperity amid turbulence

CAFTA 3.0 enables enterprises and our people across China and ASEAN to benefit more from the sound growth of regional development.

3 months ago

Hilly terrain forms a backdrop on Nov. 9, 2023, against the Cirata Floating Solar Power Plant at Cirata Reservoir in Purwakarta, West Java, the largest energy facility of its kind in Southeast Asia.

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Indonesia’s clean energy future can power its economic growth

The country is rich in untapped potential for solar and hydro power and is already the world’s second-largest producer of geothermal power.

3 months ago

Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers remarks during the ASEAN chairmanship handing over ceremony as part of the closing ceremony of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 28, 2025.

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Marcos Jr.’s battle for political survival

Many who fought the Marcos dictatorship with fierce resolve – people who once swore to resist every Marcos who came to power – are not joining those who want Marcos Jr. removed.

3 months ago

President Prabowo Subianto attends the 28th ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit on Oct. 27, 2025, during the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Kuala Lumpur.

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Prabowo doesn’t need to be another Soeharto

The irony of declaring Soeharto a national hero is that Prabowo doesn't actually need the strongman's ghost to cement his legitimacy: He already has it in spades, and all he need do to carve out his legacy is to break with the past and forge ahead.

3 months ago

A worker carries sacks of manure on Aug. 19, 2020, at a farm near the geothermal well belonging to PT Geo Dipa Energi at Dieng Plateau in Banjarnegara regency, Central Java.

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Indonesia’s geothermal governance must empower locals

Giving local governments more autonomy and prioritizing human rights are key to advancing Indonesia’s renewable energy aims.

3 months ago

Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (right) greets Timor-Leste’s Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao on Oct. 26 as he arrives to attend the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

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ASEAN strengthens southern solidarity

Recent ASEAN summits marked an important point in the bloc’s efforts to navigate its own way in the global system, reinforcing its internal cohesion and developing an outward-looking agenda.

3 months ago

An electric car of Chinese carmaker BYD (right) drives past bumper-to-bumper traffic in an opposing lane on Sept. 19, 2025, during rush hour in Jakarta.

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Why Indonesia’s EV future must be different: Lessons from Norway

Oslo's model shows that streamlined regulatory and incentive policies can help propel market evolution toward an EV ecosystem, while a separate study shows that vehicle electrification doesn't necessary require nickel or the resulting social and environmental harms.

3 months ago

A farmer stands on a boat on Oct, 12, passing by solar panels installed as part of the Rawa Pening floating solar photovoltaic plant in Tuntang, Semarang regency, Central Java.

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The electricity revolution is missing a key ingredient

Energy systems’ flexibility, their ability to respond in a timely manner to fluctuations in electricity supply and demand, must increase much faster than is currently expected.

3 months ago

A Straw Hat Pirates flag from the manga and anime series ‘One Piece’ flutters during a protest at the Balikpapan Representatives Council in East Kalimantan on Sept. 1, 2025.

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Playing devil’s advocate: In defense of centralization

The argument at the heart of the mass protests that erupted in late August isn't centralization versus democracy, but the credibility and trustworthiness of state institutions.

3 months ago

A woman walks along a muddy street on Nov. 6, in Liloan, Cebu province, after Typhoon Kalmaegi left a trail of devastation across the central Philippines.

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Cyclones’ hidden dangers go beyond the storm

Tropical cyclones can be even more deadly, and for a wider range of reasons, than we ever thought.

3 months ago

A plot of mangrove forest is seen on Oct. 28 in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra.

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Defining integrity in carbon markets

International standards for "high-quality" credits risk excluding the projects Indonesia needs most, threatening billions in conservation finance and the ecosystems that define our nation.

3 months ago

Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman puts B50 biodiesel fuel into a test vehicle on Aug. 18, 2024, during a launch ceremony for B50 at PT Jhonlin Agro Raya biodiesel factory in Batulicin, Tanah Bumbu regency, South Kalimantan.

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Why Indonesia’s clean energy still feeds old inequalities

What began as an inclusive experiment in rural energy has hardened into a top-down industrial regime, where benefits flow upward and accountability flows nowhere.

3 months ago

Customary deliberations held by the Manusela Indigenous Community in the northern part of Seram, Central Maluku, Maluku. (Images courtesy of Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara (AMAN))

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COP30: Turning Indonesia’s indigenous rights pledges into legal protections

Indonesia needs to move away from headline promises and instead step up its legislative efforts to emerge as a global leader in ensuring and enforcing guarantees and protections for indigenous rights, including customary territories.

3 months ago

A number of State Civil Apparatus Candidates (CASN) took part in the action of rejecting the postponement of the appointment of CASN at the West Kalimantan Governor's Office, on Monday, March 10, 2025.

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Why enterprise struggles in a nation that rewards titles

It will take more than catchy slogans espousing innovation and entrepreneurship to change an ingrained habit that has evolved over the centuries in tandem with a system that equates authority and power with prosperity.

3 months ago

President Prabowo Subianto (third right) listens to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney (second right) as Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (center) looks on, while Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr (second left) speaks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (third left) on Oct. 26, 2025, as world leaders exit the stage following the opening ceremony of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

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47th ASEAN Summit: A paradox of diplomacy and delay

While hailed as an overall success, the regional bloc's summit last month demonstrated that its major stumbling block is speed in implementing the various declarations and statements it so loves to issue.

3 months ago

One man show: Ngigoro, 62, an elder of the O’Hongana Manyawa indigenous tribe who left the forest and now lives in a village with his mother, stands beside an allegedly contaminated river on April 16, 2025 in East Halmahera, North Maluku.

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COP30 and the legitimate rights of indigenous peoples

Any climate agenda must involve indigenous peoples, who play a vital role in tacking global warning through the traditional wisdoms they have applied to managing their customary forests and lands, long before "climate change" entered the global lexicon.

3 months ago

President Prabowo Subianto ('left') rides a commuter train from Manggarai Station on Nov. 4, 2025, on the way to inaugurate the newly built Tanah Abang Baru Station in Central Jakarta, a Rp 309 billion (US$18.47 million) project.

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Indonesia’s economy is failing to engage with the world

Prabowo’s strategy must prioritize economic openness.

3 months ago

President Prabowo Subianto meets with United States President Donald Trump during a summit on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh on Oct. 13, 2025.

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Jakarta should stop begging Washington to be nice

in response to the "America First" policy, Indonesia should build domestic production chains for food, energy and critical technologies, regardless of peacetime efficiency, because they deny adversaries wartime choke points

3 months ago

President Prabowo Subianto (second left) walks alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (center) on Nov. 12 on the HMAS Canberra during a visit to HMAS Kuttabul Fleet Base in Sydney, Australia.

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The history behind the landmark Indonesia-Australia defense treaty

The relationship between the two countries has gone up and down over the years, but trust and confidence has perhaps never been higher.

3 months ago

United States President Donald Trump ('left') looks at Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ('right') with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in between them when posing for a leader's photo at the ASEAN Summit on Oct. 26, 2025, in Kuala Lumpur.

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ASEAN will struggle to escape US-China squeeze

While ASEAN exporters face increasing pressure from US tariffs and heightened scrutiny of transshipments, their domestic markets are increasingly being dominated by Chinese goods.

3 months ago

A fisherman parks his fishing boat on Nov. 11, in Kupal village, on Bacan Island, at coastal area in South Halmahera regency, North Maluku.

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Building a climate-resilient, high-growth Indonesia

Achieving both goals requires a balanced development strategy that prioritizes sustainable development, equitable economic transformation, innovation and environmental sustainability.

3 months ago

Nickel smelter chimneys spew a column of emissions on July 7, 2024, into the air above the Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park in Lelilef, North Maluku. Despite coal making up 67 percent of Indonesia’s 2023 energy mix, the country is shifting toward cleaner sources, impacting the nickel industry, which is vital for electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

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The emissions mirage: Understanding what we count and miss

The companies that are starting to count their emissions today are the ones that will remain competitive tomorrow.

3 months ago

Pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) female students undergo blood test during the government’s free health check (CKG) program on Oct. 28, 2025 at Pesantren Nida' Al-Qur'an Paladan in Temanggung, Central Java.

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‘Nobody’s Girl’, sexual violence, Virginia Giuffre and ‘santriwati’

Many cases of sexual violence in pesantren are not revealed because of threats received by victims from perpetrators, a study finds.

3 months ago

The Democratic candidate for New York City mayor in the United States, Zohran Mamdani, waves on stage on election night, Nov. 4, 2025, in Brooklyn after winning the 2025 race.

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What can Indonesian progressives learn from Mamdani’s victory

Mamdani's historic victory should inspire the progressive forces within Indonesian civil society, who are currently at their lowest point, to consolidate.

3 months ago

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani speaks during a press conference at the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Nov. 5 in the Queens borough of New York City. Mamdani won a historic victory to become the city's 111th mayor defeating independent mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa.

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The Mamdani effect: How government failure sways voters

Rising prices of daily needs have created opportunities for “challenger” politicians and parties to brand themselves with “extreme” policy platforms in the next Indonesian election in 2029.

3 months ago

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