The uncertainty surrounding the investigation into the arsenic poisoning of human rights defender Munir Said Thalib 16 years ago today exemplifies the government’s denial to take responsibility and ensure justice is served. At least two governments have now failed not only Munir’s family but also the nation, because impunity has been preserved for perpetrators of human rights.

This warming of ties between Arab countries and Israel will certainly pose a challenge as to how Indonesia conducts its diplomacy in the region, especially because Indonesia continues to support the struggle of the Palestinian people.

Instead of depriving the OJK of its banking oversight mandate, the government should help the OJK realign the structure of its organization with its new responsibilities.

If the principle of “equality before the law” is implemented, the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) will be busy monitoring all pieces of content, not in their thousands but in their millions, and enforcing the law against offenders. Logically, many, except the TV industry, will be able to meet the KPI standards.

For virus epicenters like Jakarta, it is time to consider whether the transition to normal activities should be stopped and restrictions reimposed.

Brutality, if persists, is indicative of the failure of the military and police in promoting human rights as a game changer that distinguishes them from their past. Revisiting the curriculum in military and police schools and academies is pressing to end the culture of violence.

Whoever takes over as prime minister will have little chance to redirect Japan’s economic path and foreign policy. First of all, he or she will have to deal with the deadly COVID-19. The new leader will also have to maintain party stability, as several factions will be waiting for the prime minister to make a blunder before the September 2021 election.

Nothing is peculiar about the Brompton fever, despite the signals that the country is on the brink of recession and millions in the lower-middle class are at risk of falling, if they have not already done so, into poverty as a result of the pandemic-induced crisis. But given the lack of bicycle lanes in most parts of Jakarta and other cities in the country, many would argue that prestige, rather than functionality, is behind the Brompton phenomenon.

Public suspicion about the police’s lack of commitment to anticorruption found an answer in a series of conflicts between the corps and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in the past.

The improvements in geographical connectivity have not been adequately supported by improved interinstitutional connectivity. Put another way, the flow of documents from state agencies and companies involved in logistics management is not in synch with the flow of goods.

The government should not forget that a major part of slowing down the pandemic is prevention, which involves the strict implementation of health protocols.

While waiting for the police to complete their probe into what caused the weekend fire, the AGO will face a daunting challenge to prove the incident will not affect its enforcement of the law.

The government, with its ability to spend big to jack up the economy, needs to step up its game.

While many may justify military training as a means to nurture discipline, which Indonesian people may lack, there is no evidence the nation is facing any imminent military threats.

Across the country the bed occupancy rate at hospitals is equally a cause for concern. 

Policymakers will continue to walk on a tight rope with physical distancing, testing, tracing and isolating as their main instruments to fight the virus.

Many would agree that 75 years of age is a hallmark. The government and the public at large might have planned a more festive Independence Day celebration this year, until the pandemic came.

President Jokowi should consider dealing with the health crisis as an implementation of this constitutional mandate.

More than just a matter of complementarity and the need for a tough, tormenting debater to fight along with, the choice of Harris shows Biden is seizing the momentum to write the history of America, and perhaps humankind.

While the capacity of government and local administrations is limited, it should consider cooperating with private labs that are quite common in the cities.

The 5.3 percent economic contraction in the second quarter reaffirms the vital role of the agricultural sector, even though its contribution to gross domestic product has steadily declined to 15.5 percent. 

Whether it is a tragedy or comedy of democracy, we may have to be ready to watch Jokowi campaign for Prabowo in the 2024 presidential election.

The stark difference between Indonesia and countries where students have returned to school – like Japan, South Korea and Israel – is that control of the virus continues to elude Indonesia. Even in the countries that have been able to manage infections, parents remain wary of letting their children attend in-person classes, regardless of strict health protocols. In certain cases, such as one in Israel, schools were closed again after reopening because students and teachers got ill.

It is a rather solemn day for ASEAN to commemorate its 53 years of existence.

Government spending contracted 6.9 percent in the second quarter, a deeper contraction than consumer spending, which saw 5.51 percent negative growth.

Supreme Court Regulation No. 1/2020 stipulates that corruption convicts inflicting at least Rp 100 billion (US$6.88 million) in losses to the state and playing a leading part in the crime can be sentenced to life. 

The growing urban middle-income population has undergone dietary and lifestyle changes in recent years toward more grains and oilseed commodities, vegetables, fruit, fish and chicken. Hence, while the agricultural support policy should continue to aim at keeping our dependence on rice imports very low, the government should allocate more resources to the production of other food crops and horticulture.

In a religious society like Indonesia, clerics, clergymen and other faith leaders gain respect and protection from their congregations as a result of their roles as moral guides who lead their people to God.

For the national economy, Bali’s tourism industry is key. In 2018 alone it contributed Rp 100 trillion to state revenue, according to the Tourism Ministry. 

While the capture of Djoko, dubbed Joker by many, marked an end to an 11-year manhunt, it should kick start more daunting work for the country’s law enforcers. Djoko’s arrest has provided a new opportunity for both the National Police and the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) to revamp the system to deter cops and prosecutors from compromising their integrity.