Academia: Opinion Articles &amp; News Commentary

The Land Bank paradox: For profit or justice?

Masked as agrarian reform, the national Land Bank is quietly dispossessing the rural poor to serve corporate profit, and a rushed new bill is about to make it permanent.

7 hours ago

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Two schoolchildren look over a densely populated informal settlement in the Kebon Melati neighborhood of Jakarta, on Aug. 7, 2026. Statistics Indonesia reported that the country's poverty rate stood at 8.07 percent in March 2026, with 22.93 million people living below the poverty line, down by 430,000 from September 2025.

Global development's missing ingredient

Faith-based institutions committed to human dignity and pluralism can play an instrumental role in building the infrastructure required for grassroots organizing at scale.

8 hours ago

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, leaders of participating countries gather for a family photograph during the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on Sept. 13, 2026.

Delhi's BRICS moment: A bite without teeth

New Delhi Declaration holds an 11-nation bloc together, but ducks the Middle East, and Washington breathes easy.

9 hours ago

Coal is loaded onto barges at a jetty operated by the group along the Kedang Kepala River in Senyiur village, East Kutai regency, East Kalimantan, in this file photo.

The Bayan valuation mystery: When markets need answers, not speculation

When a $26 billion giant is targeted for $4.8 billion, the real casualty isn’t price—it’s trust.

10 hours ago

A police tape reads “Crime scene [...]“ in this undated illustration of a crime scene.

Opinion premium

Analysis: Death of mirror seller: Investigation puts state on trial

The death of Bambang Setiawan, a 60-year-old mirror seller from Pejompongan in Central Jakarta, should have been a straightforward homicide case. He left his house at 10 p.m. to switch off the lights in his shop 500 meters away, during unrest following the Aug. 27 demonstrations near the Senayan Legislative Complex in Central Jakarta. He was found unconscious, removed by police and pronounced dead at Mintohardjo Hospital. Ten days later, the case has become a mirror for everything wrong with how Indonesia polices protest.

10 hours ago

Social aid recipients receive a sack of rice from the government's food reserves distribution program at Dumai Post Office in Riau on Oct. 29, 2024.

Editorial premium

Faulty tool costs fortune

When pedicab drivers are labeled wealthy while a millionaire lawmaker qualifies for state aid, Indonesia’s high-stakes welfare registry proves that confusing data shortcuts with genuine reform costs real lives.

11 hours ago

interview

US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) president and CEO Brian McFeeters poses in an undated picture.

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Clear business climate ‘dealmaker’ amid rising protectionism, USABC says

Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta (left) and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn talk on Aug. 1, 2025, at the ASEAN Secretariat in South Jakarta.

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ASEAN should aim for South China Sea of peace, Timor-Leste president says

Munich Security Conference CEO Benedikt Franke

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Middle powers must make choice in rebuilding global order

Deputy Statistics Indonesia (BPS) chief Sonny Harry Budiutomo Harmadi poses for a portrait at the BPS headquarters in Jakarta, in this undated photograph.

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Economic Census helps businesses spot market opportunities: BPS

Commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy Vice Adm. Harold Liebergs.

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International cooperation key in facing emerging naval threats: Dutch Navy commander

Deputy Creative Economy Minister Irene Umar gestures during an interview with The Jakarta Post at the ministry office in Autograph Tower, Thamrin Nine, Central Jakarta, on May 7, 2026.

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Creative economy needs stronger inter-ministerial ties: Deputy minister

Trade Minister, Budi Santoso gestures while speaking during a special interview with The Jakarta Post on April 22 at the Ministry Of Trade office in Jakarta.

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RI seeks new suppliers, export markets as tensions mount: Trade minister

insight

Insight: The strategic role of PT SMI in fiscal policy and economic expansion

Indonesia’s future economic growth will not be determined solely by the size of government spending, but also by how effectively development financing is managed.

7 months ago

Insight: Rethinking work: Driving sustainable growth in the digital age

The digital age has redefined how we live, communicate and work, but perhaps nowhere is this shift more critical than in the field of medicine and public health. As healthcare systems integrate digital technologies, the traditional roles of medical professionals are being reshaped.

1 year ago

Insight: Innovations in managing and developing human capital

Over the past few years, the role of human resources (HR) has expanded far beyond administrative tasks. HR professionals today are expected to drive innovation, enhance the employee experience and align people strategies with business goals. With the help of technology, these responsibilities have become more manageable, and in many ways, more impactful.

1 year ago

Insight: AI and Efficiency: Sacrifices The Next Generation

Introduction: From One Disruption to Another

1 year ago

Insight: Securing a healthier future: The importance of Indonesia's plasma fractionation facility

The global health crisis brought on by COVID-19 tested healthcare systems worldwide, and Indonesia was no exception. As one of the world’s most populous nations, the nation faced immense challenges yet demonstrated resilience and adaptability in navigating the pandemic.

1 year ago