TheJakartaPost

Analysis: Influencer's arrest in Myanmar shows RI's weak overseas protection

An Indonesian national, identified by the initials AP, was arrested in Myanmar for illegally entering the country and engaging with the Karen National Union (KNU), an armed group designated as a banned organization by local authorities. ...

1 month ago

Prabowo’s EU triumph

The IEU-CEPA is projected to significantly reduce import duties, with up to 80 percent of Indonesian exports to the EU set to enjoy zero tariffs within the first two years of the agreement's implementation. ...

1 month ago

The Latest

A person opens the home page for Grok on social media platform X on a computer in Jakarta in this photo illustration created on April 16.

Human development in the age of AI

AI raises urgent questions about equity, agency and the role of human values in shaping our digital future.

1 month ago

Iranians leave Turkey through the Razi-Kapiköy border crossing, north-eastern Turkey on June 18. Flights to Iran were suspended on June 18 after Israel launched an attack on Tehran's nuclear facilities, sparking a deadly confrontation.

The curious case of strikes on Iran, a threat to the rules-based global order

There was no instant or overwhelming necessity for self-defense to justify Israel's attack on Iran.

1 month ago

A Palestinian mother and her daughter rush for cover on July 4 during an Israeli strike in the Al-Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip.

Israeli soldiers’ voices, a tool for peace?

The voices of conscientious scholars and IDF members have been drowned out in the domestic and global pro-Palestine and pro-Israel public opinion war.

1 month ago

Activists and supporters of Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) hold placards on June 25 as they condemn United States strikes on Iran during a protest in New Delhi.

Letter to Editor: Indian embassy responds

The Indian Embassy responds to the a remarks on India’s position on Palestine in an opinion piece published on July 14.

1 month ago

This photo shows the DeepSeek app on a mobile phone in Hong Kong on Jan. 28, 2025.

AI: China’s unbeatable new export

China is not merely moving more goods; it is exporting a new production model powered by automation, AI and state-guided industrial optimization.

1 month ago

President Prabowo Subianto (left) and Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba inspect the guard of honor at the presidential palace in Bogor, West Java, on Jan. 11.

Prioritizing agriculture in the Indonesia-Japan partnership

It will be a more strategic discussion if Indonesia is open to discuss what steps Japan took to transform its economy from a farming base into an advanced economy.

1 month ago

A woman walks past a candidate list at a polling station during a revote in Surabaya, East Java on Feb. 24, 2024, following logistical problems which affected some ten polling stations across the city during the Feb. 14 presidential and legislative elections.

Making space for electoral innovation to realize democracy

Electoral regulations should impact the reform of representational and accountability systems, improve the quality of public deliberation and increase access to information.

1 month ago

Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto.

Analysis: Prabowo’s nationalist image in question amid rampant hate crimes

When a mob rampaged through Maria Veronica Nina’s villa in Sukabumi, West Java, she would have had every right to feel vengeful for the hate crime committed against her property.

1 month ago

Rescuers search for missing victims of a ferry accident on July 5 in the waters off the Bali Strait near Jembrana, Bali. Hundreds of rescuers were involved in the search for missing passengers.

No more business as usual

Sea transportation accidents remain rampant as vessels are routinely overloaded, aging fleets are poorly maintained and passenger manifests often bear little resemblance to reality.

1 month ago

A student washes a semiconductor chip diced from a wafer at the Inter-university Semiconductor Research Center at Seoul National University in Seoul on April 30.

Building resilience in ASEAN’s semiconductor supply chain

ASEAN must invest heavily in semiconductor-focused infrastructure, including cleanroom facilities, wafer fabrication facilities and advanced packaging tailored for AI, automotive and next-generation computing.

1 month ago

The front page of The Jakarta Post newspaper with a photo of the Francis Scott Key Bridge following its collapse after being hit by the container ship Dali in Baltimore, Maryland, the United States on March 26, as seen in a photograph taken on March 27, 2024 in central Jakarta.

Social media domination in Indonesians’ news consumption

Trust in news is falling as more and more people turn away from TV, print and online news sources.

1 month ago

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right), accompanied by United States President Donald Trump (center), attends a dinner in the Blue Room of the White House on July 7 in Washington, DC.

Middle East politics and the hazards of the US' principled realism

Trump’s current foreign policy on the Middle East is not only driven by military might, but it is determined by technology, investment and transactional pragmatism.

1 month ago

Fishermen carry baskets on March 25, 2024, to their vessels in Labuan Bay in Pandeglang, Banten, to move their catch to a fish market.

Rethinking ocean finance

Humanity is not investing nearly enough in ocean sustainability.

1 month ago

Industry in crisis: Workers leave a PT Sri Rejeki Isman (Sritex) factory on Oct. 24, 2024, in Sukoharjo, Central Java.

Bold reform and decisive policies to rejuvenate the textile industry

To restore industry competitiveness, what’s urgently needed is not just legislation, but also targeted action.

1 month ago

A worker arranges fruit on a truck at a palm oil plantation in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan

Analysis: Agrinas Palma shakes up leadership to undertake palm oil mission

State-owned palm oil producer PT Agrinas Palma Nusantara, established just last March through a spin-off from a state-owned construction firm to refocus on the agriculture sector, has unexpectedly restructured its board of directors (BoD) and board of commissioners (BoC). The leadership shake-up comes as the company carries a mandate to manage illegal palm oil plantations seized by the government. The confiscated land, which spans hundreds of thousands of hectares (ha), was taken from companies found to have violated laws such as the Forestry Law, including several prominent palm oil firms also active in downstream production.

1 month ago

Louder than words: An activist holds a poster criticizing Culture Minister Fadli Zon's statement denying the 1998 mass rapes during a Kamisan (Thursday) silent protest on June 26 in front of the State Palace in Jakarta.

Interview premium

Discourse: There are more 1998 mass rape victims than recorded

The rewriting of history is always aimed at supporting the ruling, authoritarian government, as many cases around the world have shown, said former attorney general and human rights campaigner Marzuki Darusman.

1 month ago

Former coordinating maritime affairs minister Indroyono Soesilo (center), who is touted to be the next Indonesian ambassador to the United States, leave the House of Representatives Commission I meeting room at the Senayan legislative complex in Jakarta after attending a confirmation hearing for ambassadorial candidates nominated by President Prabowo Subianto on July 5.

Envoys matter

Diplomacy under the Trump administration requires grit and resolve and we are not that sure if and when Indroyono is confirmed, he will bring much to the table.

1 month ago

Interactive nutrition education: A preschool teacher introduces children to the “Isi Piringku” (My Plate) program at Batu City Hall, East Java. The program, supported by the Batu city administration and Danone Indonesia, aims to promote balanced nutrition and help prevent childhood stunting, a critical public health issue highlighted in the call for a national nutrition resilience protocol.

Indonesia Needs a National Nutrition Resilience Protocol

In a world marked by growing political instability, climate disruption, and volatile global trade, Indonesia’s food and nutrition security can no longer be left to chance.

1 month ago

A general view of the opening session of the first National History Seminar, held on Dec. 14, 1957, in Yogyakarta.

Revising history: A return to an incomplete narrative?

The rewriting of national history is a calculated move to bolster an increasingly authoritarian government, as it relies solely on scholars and historians with ties to those in power.

1 month ago

Tech effect: A student collects data for electronic voter identification on Jan. 24, 2024, at SMA Kartika XIX-1 senior high school in Bandung, West Java. The Bandung administration reached out to high school students to achieve its target figure for first-time voters registered for the 2024 general election.

Why governing algorithmic politics in electoral law matters

Today, political consultants employ generative and predictive AI to process voter data and tailor campaign materials to support candidates.

1 month ago

President Prabowo Subianto looks on during the first plenary session of the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 6. BRICS leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday are expected to decry United States President Donald Trump's “indiscriminate“ trade tariffs, saying they are illegal and risk hurting the global economy.

Trump’s letter makes BRICS a strategic bet for Indonesia

BRICS, though not a replacement for existing alliances, must be used as leverage.

1 month ago

Two US Marines take up positions on the West Front of the US Capitol as preparations are made prior to the 59th inaugural ceremony for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in Washington, DC on Jan. 20.

Analysis: Prabowo’s nominee for Washington post proves to be an anti-climax

President Prabowo Subianto’s choice of a senior bureaucrat to be Indonesia’s new ambassador to the United States is somewhat anticlimactic, casting doubts on whether he has picked the right person for the right job, and at the right time.

1 month ago

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim delivers a speech on July 9 during the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Beyond ASEAN centrality

A lack of unity may be what is wrong with ASEAN today

1 month ago

Off-season downpour: A woman (left) attempts to drain water from inside her home on Monday as floods hit her neighborhood following heavy rainfall in Jakarta.

Investing in nature for the economy and humanity amid climate chaos

Indonesia could explore Transfer of Development Rights (TDR), channeling funds from urban development to conserve valuable natural areas like riverbanks or wildlife habitats.

1 month ago

Then defense minister and president-elect Prabowo Subianto (left) speaks with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape on Aug. 21, 2024, during their meeting in Port Moresby.

PNG’s ASEAN bid: Rhetoric versus reality

In addition to challenges posed by Indonesia, PNG's longstanding ambition to join ASEAN encounters substantial hurdles, chiefly stemming from domestic issues.

1 month ago

What the RI² flags might really be telling us

Yellow or red flags in the Research Integrity Risk Index (RI²) received by Indonesian universities should not be seen as punishment but as a systemic signal that deserves thoughtful interpretation and reform.

1 month ago

Containers and cargo vessels are seen at sunset at a port in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China. Indonesia recorded the biggest trade surplus in nine years in July as exports rose for the third consecutive month while demand for imports remained weak amid the pandemic.