Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Andrie Yunus testifies on July 14, 2025, during a judicial review hearing against the revised Indonesian Military (TNI) Law at the Constitutional Court in Jakarta.

A brutal warning shot: The decisive moment for Indonesia’s fragile democracy

This cycle of impunity sends a clear and dangerous message: those who silence dissent through violence operate with the implicit protection of the state’s inaction.

3 months ago

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Gulf states navigate US-Israeli war on Iran

The GCC countries are between a rock and a hard place as regards shaping the outcome of the ongoing Middle East conflict, assuming that Washington doesn't have a clear-cut strategy for the region. ...

3 months ago

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The trillion-rupiah slumber: Why is public money sleeping in banks?

Hundreds of trillions of rupiah meant to build infrastructure, create jobs and stimulate local economies are simply gathering dust in bank vaults. ...

3 months ago

The Latest

A phone user shops online on Oct. 13, 2025, for shoes in Semarang, Central Java.

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Trust as the new currency of Indonesia’s e-commerce

Indonesia's e-commerce industry in 2026 is entering a more mature phase, shifting from low-trust, price-driven marketplaces toward authenticity-led “mall” environments anchored by authorized sellers.

3 months ago

The ASEAN secretariat building in Jakarta was inaugurated in August 2019 in conjunction with the 52nd anniversary of ASEAN.

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ASEAN at 60: Why the region needs a visionary secretary-general

ASEAN needs a secretary-general that can act as both secretary and general - someone capable of convening difficult conversations, anticipating emerging conflicts and articulating a compelling vision for ASEAN’s role in the world.

3 months ago

The Thai bulk carrier "Mayuree Naree" spews smoke near the Strait of Hormuz after being struck on March 11, 2026, in this handout photo released by the Royal Thai Navy. The Thai Navy has said that at least 20 crew members were rescued from the vessel.

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The Strait of Hormuz: Is international law under siege?

The ongoing US–Israeli attacks on Iran appear to contradict the spirit of international law and have contributed to heightened instability in the Middle East.

3 months ago

The art of charity: A visitor takes a close look at a statue on display during an art exhibition featuring collaborative works by Acehnese artists at the Aceh Arts and Culture Park in Banda Aceh, Aceh on Feb. 11, 2026. Featuring 96 works, the exhibition, titled “Creating and Giving”, was held to support victims of the November 2025 flash floods in Aceh.

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When geopolitics fractures the world, culture keeps societies whole

In a world fractured by geopolitical rivalry and rising polarization, the quiet resilience of cultural expression, from Aceh to the global stage, may be the most enduring foundation for social peace.

3 months ago

Giving season: Muslims share food and drinks during iftar on Feb. 20, 2026, as they gather to perform the tarawih (Ramadan evening prayers) at Times Square in New York City, the United States.

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Neon crescent: Navigating faith and fasting in the heart of Las Vegas

For young Muslims, the urban, commercial environment of Las Vegas does not just challenge their faith; it transforms how they express it.

3 months ago

Fashion designer Didiet Maulana poses in his home office, from where he provides online entrepreneurship classes, in this undated photo.

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Feudalism, meritocracy and why innovation becomes performative

Indonesia has mastered the aesthetics of innovation through endless incubators and certificates, yet true ventures are consistently traded for the safety of status and hierarchy. Until the culture stops rewarding symbolic participation and starts embracing the risk of public failure, entrepreneurship will remain performative rather than practiced.

3 months ago

Dozens of protesters hold a rally to condemn United States and Israeli attacks on Iran and Palestinians while holding posters reading 'US Imperialists, President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka are a US puppet regime' on March 3 in front of the US Embassy in Jakarta.

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Public diplomacy: The hidden cost of war

History repeatedly shows that military success does not necessarily translate into strategic success

3 months ago

People stand on the roofs of their houses in Tehran and watch plumes of smoke rise from a series of explosions on March 1, 2026, following the opening salvo of the joint United States-Israeli attacks on Iran.

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The hegemon's veto: Why Washington cannot accept a nuclear Iran

The US campaign against Iran’s nuclear program is not a mission of peace but a violent maintenance of empire; an attempt to bomb a rival into submission before the logic of deterrence makes the hegemon's presence obsolete.

3 months ago

Members of the United Nations Security Council vote on a resolution by Russia and China on Sept. 26, 2025, to delay by six months the reimposition of sanctions on Iran during the 80th UN General Assembly in New York City, the United States.

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Middle powers and the struggle in a US–China world

Can “middle powers” bolster existing multinational institutions like the United Nations? Can they cooperate where their interests align to safeguard shared goods?

3 months ago

A person points at a page on the Marinetraffic website that shows commercial shipping traffic on the edge of the Strait of Hormuz near the Iranian coast, on March 4 in Paris.

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The Hormuz crisis and Indonesia’s food security time bomb

The Strait of Hormuz crisis has exposed our energy fragility. But the far graver threat, one that could unravel the nation, is food.

3 months ago

People wait in a queue to refuel their vehicles on Sunday near a fuel station in Dhaka.

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Oil shocks and crashes: Where are we headed with the 2026 crisis?

Past oil shocks reshaped energy policy and fuel use. With electric transport and renewable power expanding rapidly, the latest disruption may reinforce trends already reducing the world’s reliance on oil.

3 months ago

A Garuda Indonesia Airbus A330 lands on July 13, 2021, at Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport in Blang Bintang, Aceh.

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Garuda’s 50 Boeing planes deal: Between ambition and survival

Garuda’s multi-billion dollar bet on 50 new Boeing jets will either modernize Indonesia's skies or ground the carrier in debt, depending entirely on whether the deal prioritizes operational logic over political optics.

3 months ago

Containers are loaded and unloaded on Feb. 4 at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta.

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Indonesia’s CPTPP accession: Unlocking opportunity

As the global trading system continues to face pressures and shocks, CPTPP offers a unique platform for ambition: to deepen trade, expand opportunities for businesses and uphold high standards.

3 months ago

Luojiashan tanker sits anchored in Muscat on March 7, 2026, amid the United States-Israeli war with Iran that has disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

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Neither the US nor Iran can halt sea trade, insurance can

While missiles capture the headlines, it is the silent calculations of the insurance market that truly hold the power to paralyze global trade.

3 months ago

An elderly person carries a staple food package on March 10, 2026, that was distributed at the courtyard of the Darussalam Palangka Raya Great Mosque in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan. The provincial administration held a low-cost market operation providing various food staples at prices below market rates to help stabilize supply and prices ahead of the Idul Fitri holiday.

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Indonesia’s fiscal crisis in plain sight

Rising food prices coupled with rising fuel prices, could form a dangerous recipe for social unrest.

3 months ago

A pedestrian wearing a mask is seen walking in front of the Tosari Transjakarta bus shelter in Central Jakarta on Dec. 8, 2025.

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Clean air cannot wait for Asia’s megacities

Transportation emissions pose our most pressing challenge and our greatest opportunity.

3 months ago

A cargo ship waits its turn to cross the Panama Canal in Panama City on March 2, 2024.

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China’s global port network is clustering near riskiest trade routes

The scale of China’s involvement in overseas ports has fueled debate over whether these investments are purely commercial or serve broader strategic goals.

3 months ago

Residents crowd to choose snacks on Feb. 22, 2026, at the Pasar Takjil Ramadan Bendungan Hilir in Central Jakarta. The Benhil Ramadan market draws large numbers of visitors during the holy month of Ramadan, seeking a variety of iftar dishes, including fried snacks sold for Rp 4,000 (24 US cents) each, 'bubur sumsum' (rice porridge) priced at Rp 15,000 to Rp 20,000 per serving, fried chicken at Rp 15,000 to Rp 20,000 per piece and other foods for breaking the fast. The market opens at 2 p.m.

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Celebrate victory, honor the Earth: The guide to a sustainable Idul Fitri

Recognizing how deeply our daily lives connected to forest and plantation products with deforestation risks, we hold the power to drive sustainable consumption and production.

3 months ago

Tensions soar: A fireball rises from the site of an Israeli air strike on Monday in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut. Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war last week when Iran- backed militant group Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during United States-Israeli strikes.

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Autocratic and self-interest driven leadership started the Iran war

From a liberalist perspective, the war highlights a failure of the norms-based system and a lack of commitment to peaceful dispute resolution.

3 months ago

Personnel from a joint military and police team remove the bodies of a Smart Air pilot and copilot on Feb. 12 at Korowai airfield in Boven Digoel regency, South Papua.

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Distorted development fuels long-lasting violence in Papua

Economic development in Papua has become a "ticking time bomb," where exclusionary policies and resource exploitation have not only failed to bring peace but are actively fueling a new cycle of violence.

4 months ago

A civil society member holds a poster on Nov. 6, 2025, during a rally opposing the government's plan to grant former president Soeharto a national hero title near the Merdeka Palace in Central Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto granted Soeharto the title of national hero on Nov. 10, in a ceremony at the State Palace in Central Jakarta.

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Before Iran and Venezuela, there was Indonesia

History records US’ many previous attempts to subvert, shape and subordinate Indonesia in the decades after its independence.

4 months ago

Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel attend a Christmas security briefing on Dec. 24, 2025, at the National Monument (Monas) complex in Jakarta.

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Remilitarization and the fight for civil supremacy

Widespread remilitarization initiatives demonstrate how state administrators are unwilling to carry out the people’s demands and 1998 reform mandates.

4 months ago

Cargo ships and tankers are seen on Feb. 25, 2026, in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Fujairah, in the United Arab Emirates.

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Mideast oil shock signals supply crunch

The sudden and acute disruption to Middle East oil supplies caused by the US-Israeli war with Iran is forcing buyers to tap every available barrel, rapidly dismantling forecasts of an oil glut this year.

4 months ago

Water world: The Pertamina Hulu Energi (PHE) Offshore North West Java (ONWJ) oil and gas rig is pictured in the waters off Indramayu, West Java, on April 2, 2023.

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Fossil fuel subsidy reform is now a fiscal imperative

Reforming fossil fuel subsidies is no longer just an environmental or efficiency goal; it is a matter of fiscal survival of the country.

4 months ago

A Padang Disaster Mitigation Agency worker fills buckets with clean water on Jan. 18 for residents in Vila Tarok, Pasa Ambacang, Kuranji district, Padang, West Sumatra. The Pauh and Kuranji districts are facing a clean water crisis after wells dried up and dams and irrigation systems were damaged by flooding in Nov. 2025.

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Water cooperation and the test of multilateralism

Country-led action on water, guided by a common vision and supported by a more aligned UN system, can demonstrate that multilateralism is capable of reform and results.

4 months ago