Devastated: People assess damage in destroyed buildings on May 15 following Myanmar military airstrikes in Kyauktaw town in Myanmar's western Rakhine State.

Can Malaysia save ASEAN’s credibility on Myanmar?

The junta cynically declared a farcical temporary truce until May 31, yet its airstrikes have continued unabated, turning disaster zones into killing fields.

3 months ago

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Developing a compassionate, elderly-friendly city

Urban spaces must be intentionally designed to meet older adults' unique needs, creating safe, accessible and dignified environments rather than alienating or hazardous ones. ...

3 months ago

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The expensive green delusion

If solar and wind truly were cheaper, the world's poorer nations would have an inexpensive path to leapfrog from energy poverty to energy abundance. ...

3 months ago

The Latest

Members of South Korean girl band BLACKPINK perform on March 11, 2023, during their BORN PINK concert at the Gelora Bung Karno sports complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

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Danantara and Indonesia’s untapped cultural economy

Danantara has a rare opportunity to expand the country's economic vision into one that embraces its many cultures as a strategic asset for investment, toward a future that is truly Indonesian.

3 months ago

Stern beginnings: President Prabowo Subianto (center) addresses reporters on Monday after Danantara’s first town hall meeting at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

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Prabowo’s paradox: Building healthy democracy as lasting legacy

Prabowo’s close relationship with Jokowi raises a question as to whether this is a shared vision or a case of elite co-optation.

3 months ago

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Updating Indonesia’s antitrust law for the digital age

Indonesia’s current primary competition legislation is outdated and ill-equipped to address the challenges posed by the digital market.

3 months ago

Pope Leo XIV leads a holy mass for the beginning of his pontificate, in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City on May 18, 2025.

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Leo XIV: A listening papacy in a world of noise

By listening rather than making statements, Pope Leo is not inactive. Instead, he has shown a different form of leadership.

3 months ago

A person receives a message from the Financial Services Authority (OJK) on Sept. 10, 2023, asking Indonesian citizens to be wary of online lending platforms.

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Inclusion without understanding: Potential risk in financial future

The growing gap between financial inclusion and financial literacy presents a considerable structural challenge.

3 months ago

United States President Donald Trump speaks on May 16, 2025, at the US-United Arab Emirates Business Roundtable in Abu Dhabi.

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The future of American soft power

American soft power has certainly had its ups and downs over the decades, and while US democracy is likely to survive another four years of Trump, the country will find it costly to regain the trust and restore the ties he has destroyed.

3 months ago

Building mutual trust: (left to right) Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Foreign Minister Sugiono, along with their Chinese counterparts, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Defense Minister Dong Jun, attend a press briefing after the first meeting of China-Indonesia joint foreign and defense ministerial dialogue at the Diaoyutai State Guest House on April 21 in Beijing.

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Shared future: Working together toward the China-Indonesia community

The cooperation between China and Indonesia is of great significance that goes beyond the bilateral scope for shaping regional and global governance.

3 months ago

Point of reference: A man speaks on his phone while entering the World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters on April 12, 2022, in Geneva, Switzerland.

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Let’s work together for rule-based trade

The world's critical situation will serve to clarify minds and priorities when we enter the final phase of EU-Indonesia FTA negotiations. We should never let a good crisis go to waste.

3 months ago

A construction project for a National Data Center (PDN) facility in Cikarang, Bekasi regency, West Java, is seen on Feb. 6, 2024.

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AI paradox: The hidden cost of smarter machines

Indonesia’s efforts to make artificial intelligence (AI) more efficient can end up crippling its power grid.

3 months ago

President Prabowo Subianto (right) drives a golf cart on May 15 with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after a joint press conference at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta.

Academia

Australia loves Indonesia, but it’s not mutual

Australia struggles to get Indonesia’s attention, and its leverage in Jakarta is limited. Anthony Albanese could begin to change this with one bold move.

3 months ago

Tellers count United States dollar banknotes on May 11, 2023, at the Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) branch on Jl. Thamrin in Central Jakarta.

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What Islamic finance brings to climate resilience

Islamic finance is rooted in asset backing and risk sharing, so it is inherently aligned with sustainability principles and well-positioned to finance adaptation efforts, especially in regions most vulnerable to climate change.

3 months ago

Scan and pay: A customer scans a QRIS code to pay for a bowl of bakso (meatball soup) in Tangerang, Banten, on Oct. 17, 2024.

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The Age of ASEAN: Building trust in Southeast Asia’s digital future

As ASEAN is positioning to be the heart of digital economy, fostering trust is key in reaping the benefits of growing digitalization and further empowering the vulnerable segments of the population.

3 months ago

Myanmar's Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs Aung Kyaw Moe (from left), Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, China's Premier Li Qiang, Laos' Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin and Timor-Leste's Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao pose for a group photo at the 27th ASEAN-China Summit during the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits in Vientiane on Oct. 10, 2024.

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ASEAN and China should join hands in facing trade storms

As a regional mechanism only established in recent years, the RCEP is arguably underperforming compared with its potential.

3 months ago

An Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldier stands guard near the India-Pakistan Wagah border post, about 35 kilometers from Amritsar in India on May 9.

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Amid the tension: A demand for free Balochistan

The ongoing plight of the Baloch people has prompted organizations to formally appeal to the United Nations, urging immediate intervention in the humanitarian crisis in Baluchistan.

3 months ago

A university student holds a poster saying “Ndasmu“, a highly derogatory Javanese word which translates into “your head“, on Feb. 20, 2025, during an Indonesia Gelap (Dark Indonesia) protest against President Prabowo Subianto's administration calling for various demands, including reviews of government budget cuts and the free nutritious meal program, in Jakarta.

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What Indonesian middle class politics should look like

In protests, the middle class can provide an opening for a change, but once opportunity arises, it is often not ready to claim power.

3 months ago

Maintenance workers clean a Garuda Indonesia aircraft on May 8, 2024, at a hangar at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten.

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Diverging fortunes: Garuda Indonesia vs. Singapore Airlines

While the global aviation industry is indeed recovering from the pandemic, the contrast between two national carriers in Southeast Asia is striking.

3 months ago

Students hold posters that read “return soldiers to the barracks“ (right) and “civilian supremacy“ (second right) during a protest against a revision to the Indonesian Military (TNI) Law in Surabaya, East Java on March 24.

Academia

Civil society can help Indonesian democracy survive

Traditional civil society, with the support of students, can do a lot to create and maintain pressure on the government.

3 months ago

People assess damaged buildings following Myanmar military airstrikes in Kyauktaw town in Myanmar's western Rakhine State on May 15, 2025.

Academia

Will US-China tug of war ensue over Rakhine State?

Growing US interest in Myanmar’s Rakhine State could prompt China to ramp up its backing for the military junta in Naypidaw.

3 months ago

European Union flags flutter on Sept. 12, 2024, following the monetary policy meeting of the European Central Bank’s Governing Council in Frankfurt, Germany.

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Europe's existential choice: Defend or depend

The stance of the current US administration has awoken Europe and Europeans to an opportunity to review and revitalize our defense capabilities and do our fair share in securing our neighbors and allies, and in so doing, help improve transatlantic relations.

3 months ago

Merchants and buyers pack the Tanah Abang Skybridge that connects the railway station to the famous Tanah Abang textile market in Central Jakarta in this undated photo.

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Making raw material supply more competitive for light manufacturing

Reliance on imports for raw materials makes businesses highly vulnerable to exchange rate fluctuations, rising international shipping costs and global supply chain disruptions.

3 months ago

Media spotlight: President director of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, Wamildan Tsani Panjaitan (center), talks to the media during a press conference in Jakarta on Jan. 2, 2025.

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The grip of military capitalism on state-owned enterprises in Indonesia

Albeit vaguely, the revised TNI Law allows active military personnel to hold civilian and SOE posts, effectively legitimizing military economic involvement de facto.

3 months ago

Participants march during a protest organized by the Indonesian Women's Alliance (API) on the 50th International Women's Day demanding labor rights, gender equality and protections, in Jakarta on March 8, 2025.

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Online scams, human trafficking reflect job hunger, starvation

In Indonesia's manufacturing and service industries, workers compete for jobs but due to market forces, 30 percent of them earn below the minimum regional wage.

3 months ago

Crowds of people visit a shopping mall on April 9, 2023 in Serang, the capital of Banten province.

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Leading in the fog: What business, policy and academia must rethink

Indonesia has invested considerably in e-government and regulatory reform, but many such efforts remain trapped in single-loop logic—streamlining procedures without revisiting their purpose.

3 months ago

Police officers stand in formation during roll call on May 9, 2025, in preparation for a two-week operation until May 23 to curb thuggery and street brawls across Jakarta.

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Tax incentives fall flat when thuggery rules on the ground

The government must first tackle the mafia-style organizations polluting the streets in industrial zones, or else it is just pouring trillions in tax incentives into the gutter.

3 months ago

People sit atop the hull of a snorkeling boat that capsized in large waves near Nusa Penida, Bali, as they wait to be rescued on March 21, 2025, in this handout photo provided on March 22 by the Klungkung Police.

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Tourist safety should be the highest priority, even in peacetime

Governments across the world are failing to provide security and safety to tourists, despite the recovery of tourism earnings since COVID-19, in some cases even surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

3 months ago

A worker oversees a production line on April 30, 2025, at a steel factory in Lahore, Pakistan.

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Carbon pricing is advancing despite Trump

Carbon pricing and other mechanisms like the CBAM have the potential to unleash a decarbonization wave across global industries, regardless of the current US stance.

3 months ago

Attendants await visitors on July 16, 2024, next to a thermal nuclear reactor model during the 26th China Beijing International High-Tech Exhibition at the National Convention Center in Beijing.

Academia

Borrowed standards, buried sovereignty: Indonesia’s nuclear dilemma

When it comes to nuclear development, Indonesia must dig deep to ask the tough questions to expose the underlying geopolitical currents and whether what we're being offered will truly lead to energy sovereignty, or if we're being cast as the proverbial canary in the coal mine.

3 months ago

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