Adam Schwarz receives a “Hero of Aceh” award from BRR director Kuntoro Mangkusubroto during the Founding Fathers' Dinner in Jakarta on April 7, 2009.

Memories of ‘Pak’ Kun

Since 2005, Aceh has been conflict free. For Pak Kun, it was one of his proudest "build back better" accomplishments.

8 months ago

Why did Indonesia release the Bali Nine now?

Clearly, Prabowo sees this as a way of engineering a reset both for Indonesia’s relations with a range of countries, as well as his own reputation. ...

8 months ago

Academia

The good, the bad, and the canceled: Examining the perils of the digital guillotine

The world’s challenges no longer remain as distant abstractions but tangible realities that young minds are pushed to confront. ...

8 months ago

The Latest

President Prabowo Subianto addresses the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Lima, on Nov. 14, 2024.

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Is Indonesia losing its interests on oceanic affairs?

Nearly seven decades after the Djuanda Declaration, it is a good time to reflect on Indonesia’s interest on oceanic affairs, especially under the new presidency of Prabowo Subianto.

8 months ago

A woman lifts a flag of the Syrian revolution bearing a portrait of late rebel fighter and famous chanter Abdel-Basset al-Sarout during celebrations to mark this week's ouster of president Bashar al-Assad in the central Syrian city of Homs on Dec. 13, 2024.

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What did we miss in Syria?

The regime simply collapsed like a house of cards. Victory went to the side that was actually willing to fight and die for its cause.

8 months ago

Security troops walk past the National Convention Center in Vientiane on Oct. 6, 2024, during the ASEAN Summit.

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Reconfiguring the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration

The AHRD remains a document of relevance and ambivalence.

8 months ago

Former prime minister of Malaysia and Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin arrives at the court in Gua Musang in Kelantan state on Aug. 27, 2024, after being charged with sedition over monarchy remarks.

Academia

Malaysia’s weakened opposition

While the coalition has been hurt by corruption charges against some of its leaders, its main obstacles are internal.

8 months ago

Strategic sector: Containers of Dutch tech giant ASML, which supplies chipmaking machines to the semiconductor industry, are pictured in Veldhoven, the Netherlands, on March 27.

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Successful industrial policy requires industry experts

Like competitive and open markets, industrial policies can play a vital role in boosting productivity and economic growth while helping governments resist undue corporate influence.

8 months ago

National Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo (second left) stands onstage with Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) chief Sr. Comr. Wahyu Widada (right), Corruption Eradication Corps (Kortas Tipidkor) chief Insp. Gen. Cahyono Wibowo and the police's graft prevention special task force head Herry Muryanto (second right) on Dec. 9, 2024, during the launching of a book on anti-corruption at the Police Staff College's auditorium in Jakarta.

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Competing antigraft campaigns

A new police corps may create overlapping roles among existing institutions in investigating corruption cases.

8 months ago

A visitor stands next a display showing parts of an electric vehicle (EV) during the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show 2024 in Tangerang, Banten, on July 18, showcasing the latest cars from 55 global automotive brands.

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Sustainability industry, Indonesia's next global competitive strategy

Indonesia’s venture into the EV industry is a good start in entering into the bigger, burgeoning sustainability industry.

8 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.

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ASEAN's strategic role in securing critical minerals

ASEAN nations hold significant reserves, production capacities and processing facilities that support the global economy.

8 months ago

Seeing the future: A man walks past a banner about artificial intelligence at the world's biggest book fair in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on Oct. 16.

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Closing the AI skills gap in 2025

Capitalizing on the opportunities that AI presents will require updated approaches to education and training.

8 months ago

Sovereign decision-making?: Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape (right) shakes hands with Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Parliament House in Canberra, on Dec. 7, 2023.

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Australia punts on cash-for-favors in Pacific to squeeze out China

In the past, agreements giving one nation temporary control over another’s sovereignty have usually been part of the decolonization process and are not entered into lightly by independent states.

8 months ago

Rising tide: A coal power plant is seen along the north coast of Jakarta on July 4.

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15% of humans live near the coast and the number is growing fast

Coastal regions are hubs of economic activity and infrastructure development, often playing critical roles in national and global economies. However, rapid population growth is accelerating human and environmental risks.

8 months ago

Personality or policy?: Then-presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto (center) dances onstage at a gathering with supporters on Feb. 14 after the presidential polls closed.

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How to win an election, the Indonesian and American way

Contemporary elections transcend traditional politics, blending economic strategy, media savviness and personal branding to achieve victory.

8 months ago

A Laos policeman looks on during the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits in Vientiane, Laos on Oct. 11, 2024.

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Confronting impunity crisis in Southeast Asia

In Southeast Asia, impunity not only silences dissent and erodes public trust, but also perpetuates cycles of repression and inequality.

9 months ago

Balinese women carry offerings on their heads on Oct. 16, 2024, as they proceed to the site of a ritual in the Alas Kedaton tourist area in Kukuh village, Tabanan regency, Bali.

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Tourism and turmoil: Can Bali survive the price of its own success?

Bali’s booming tourism sector has come at a steep price: the erosion of cultural authenticity, environmental degradation and deepening social inequality.

9 months ago

Protecting democracy: A protester holds a poster with an image of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol during a candlelight rally calling for the ouster of the president in Gwanghwamun in Seoul, on Dec. 5.

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Can South Koreans protect their democracy?

Many South Koreans have been reflecting on their decision to elect Yoon, questioning the motives of the People Power Party.

9 months ago

Private communications: Smartphones and a computer screen display the logos of Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and their parent company Meta in this picture taken on Jan. 12, 2023.

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Will your encrypted messages remain private in Europe?

Many governments and authorities see encryption not as a human-rights safeguard, but as an obstacle.

9 months ago

People take part in a rally against the LGBTQ community in Bogor, West Java, on July 14, 2023.

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Stop with the LGBTQ scapegoating

LGBTQ scapegoating should not only alarm queer activists but also civil society as a whole.

9 months ago

Strengthening ties: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (left) visits United States President Joe Biden in the Oval Office of the White House, Washington DC, on Nov. 13.

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Navigating Indonesia-US relations amid global and domestic changes

Indonesia's growing economic ties with China complicate its diplomatic position, necessitating careful engagement as it acts as an intermediary among global powers.

9 months ago

Workers sort fish being unloaded from a boat at Muara Baru fishing port in North Jakarta on Oct. 9, 2024.

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Protecting our archipelago from illegal fishing

Indonesian waters are still prone to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing by both foreign and domestic vessels

9 months ago

Another go-round: A farmer shows support for then-presidential candidate Donald Trump on Aug. 10 near Hawkeye, Iowa, the United States

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Trump’s pro-corporate populism cannot last

The US president-elect is not the first Republican politician to purport to serve both commerce and the forgotten man.

9 months ago

French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech in Paris on June 9, 2024, after the polls closed for the European Parliament elections.

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French troubles won't undermine Europe’s strong foundation

Rather than becoming a catalyst for a new eurozone crisis, the recent collapse of the French government, along with a similar collapse in Germany and the looming threat of a second Trump administration, could instead propel the bloc to take a big step in economic development.

9 months ago

Year-end economy: A worker makes Christmas decorations at a workshop in Huaibei, in China's eastern Anhui Province on Dec. 10.

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China’s fast-changing economic adjustments

The combination of rising uncertainty and falling confidence is casting a dark shadow over the Chinese economy.

9 months ago

Vital voices: Human rights activists and families of victims of atrocities gather on Oct.3 outside the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta for a rally to demand settlement of past human rights violations..

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Against the tide: Defending human rights and civic freedoms in Southeast Asia

Governments across the region are employing increasingly sophisticated and repressive tactics to silence dissent, stifle opposition and suppress independent voices.

9 months ago

United States president-elect Donald Trump arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, the US, on Nov. 13, 2024, prior to meeting with President Joe Biden and members of Congress in Washington, DC.

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Trump’s second term could deepen Indonesia-China relations

For Southeast Asia, where many nations walk a tightrope between Washington and Beijing, Trump’s combative approach toward China requires a recalibration of policy.

9 months ago

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Indonesia must regain credibility as an honest broker

The so-called consensus document recently signed between Indonesia and China is being viewed as a diplomatic gaffe, as it implies that the Prabowo administration has conceded to the existence of overlapping claims vis-à-vis Beijing's nine-dash line.

9 months ago

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Did COP29 fail women?

The true battle being waged was for the future of climate finance, and women’s role in it.

9 months ago

Women in kebaya and sarong take part in a parade on May 5, 2023, to celebrate the 476th anniversary of Semarang, the provincial capital of Central Java.

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Cultural heritage and international cooperation: Keeping things in perspective

The general public should keep in mind that UNESCO inscribing an element on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage is not about exclusive ownership, but rather about sharing them toward inclusiveness and integration among humanity.

9 months ago

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