President Prabowo Subianto (left) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Nov. 9, 2024.

China’s Two Sessions: What I’ve learned and why it matters for Indonesia

China is charting a course toward deeper global integration, innovation and sustainable growth, a path where Indonesia stands as a natural partner.

3 months ago

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Budget efficiency contrast in ASEAN: Tales from Indonesia and Vietnam

The Indonesian government is carrying out massive budget efficiencies. At almost the same time, Vietnam is also doing the same thing. What is the difference between the two? ...

3 months ago

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Critical minerals diplomacy: Zelensky vs. Trump and lessons for Indonesia

Critical minerals have become a focal point in global geopolitics, shaping energy strategy and national security policies. ...

3 months ago

The Latest

Free to decide: More Indonesian millennials are choosing to delay their marriage. (Unsplash/Adita Saxena)

Academia

Technology predictions for 2025 and beyond

By embracing a community-centric, data-forward model, we’re building a future where technology augments human resilience, enabling communities to navigate an increasingly unpredictable world with confidence and autonomy.

3 months ago

Defending their rights: Rohingya refugee women look to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) delegations on April 22, 2024, during a meeting at a temporary shelter at a government building in Banda Aceh, Aceh.

Academia

Rohingya women: The grassroots advocates behind genocide arrest warrants

Shanti Mohila, a group of Rohingya women who bravely fight for justice, should be celebrated this International Women’s Day.

3 months ago

Students belonging to the Association of University Student Executive Bodies (BEM SI) rally on Feb. 17 in Jakarta. In the protest, titled Indonesia Gelap (Dark Indonesia), the students called for the revocation of budget cuts in the education sector, which they said would heavily impact tuition fees and scholarship funds.

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Indonesia Gelap: A public fear over a seized country

Democracy, which should serve as a tool to channel the aspirations of the people, is instead being hijacked by an oligarchy seeking to preserve its power.

3 months ago

Punk band Sukatani take to the stage in this undated photo from their performance in Subang, West Java.

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Sukatani controversy: Music and resistance to hegemony

Social media has transformed power dynamics by providing a platform for voices that were previously marginalized.

3 months ago

Blame game: United States President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meet on Feb. 28 in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC.

Academia

Zelensky-Trump clash sparks global rethink by US allies

As they watched Zelensky evicted from the White House last month after an unprecedented live televised quarrel with Trump and Vance, some of the United States' closest allies began to swiftly reappraise decades of foreign and defense policy.

3 months ago

Muslims buy food to break their fast on March 13, 2024, during the holy month of Ramadan .

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Understanding economic challenges in the first quarter of 2025

Various indicators suggest that the economy remains in a difficult state.

3 months ago

She means business: Lismukrindun, one of the women taking part in the Wonder Women program, prepares her emping waluh (pumpkin crackers) on Aug. 12, 2020, in Bojonegoro, East Java. The program aims to promote female micro-entrepreneurs in the country.

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Savvy and financially literate: A pathway to women's empowerment

In Indonesia, women make up 54 percent of borrowers from high-interest online loan providers, making them more susceptible to loan sharks and debt collectors, which may often pursue intimidation tactics.

3 months ago

United States President Donald Trump raises his fist on Tuesday as he addresses a joint session of Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC.

Academia

Climate Trump and future of NetZero

The geopolitics of climate change are ultimately about which governance model will pay and manage the transition to net zero.

3 months ago

People watch carbon trading activity on a digital screen on Jan. 20 at the Indonesian Stock Exchange building in Jakarta.

Academia

Innovation in MRV technology for enhancing carbon trading governance

MRV technologies are vital not only for tracking emissions, but also for ensuring transparency and credibility in carbon markets.

3 months ago

Weaving resilience: Local women weave handbags during an exhibition of micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) products at Cenderawasih Sports Hall in Papua on Aug. 23, 2022. To support the Love Indonesian Products movement, Bank Indonesia invited 60 MSME players to the event, which lasted until Aug. 27.

Academia

Empowering women entrepreneurs, MSMEs can drive inclusive growth in ASEAN region

Although women across ASEAN have access to basic digital tools, many lack the skills or confidence to scale their businesses, protect and use their intellectual property, enter global supply chains, and access networking opportunities that could enable them to grow their ventures.

4 months ago

Pressing the patriarchy: Activists hold signs during a peaceful demonstration against gender-based violence on Nov. 25, 2024, in Jakarta. The protesters urged the government to push for resolution in cases of gender-based violence and to increase legal protections for women.

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Femicide: The final stage of violence in patriarchal society

Judges often treat femicide cases as ordinary homicides without delving deeper into the patriarchal structures that enable femicide as a systemic crime.

4 months ago

Ready to go: Rows of newly produced Honda cars are seen in this undated photo. Over 2,000 Honda cars from Thailand, which are the first batches of cars to enjoy zero percent import duty under the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA), have been imported to Vietnam.

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American recidivism must prompt ASEAN to future-proof itself

Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) attempt to "restore" American dominance through economic protectionism and geopolitical confrontation mirrors Odysseus’ futile attempt to reclaim an old order that no longer exists.

4 months ago

Fueling mistrust: Attendants of a gas station owned by state-owned energy holding company Pertamina serve customers on Feb. 27 in Semarang, Central Java. The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has raised a plan to establish a team to verify the octane number of gasoline amid concerns from the public of fuel adulteration, following a graft investigation by the Attorney General's Office (AGO) pertaining to fuel imports and exports by a Pertamina subsidiary.

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Pertamina’s governance crisis and the lingering ghost of corruption

The continued involvement of brokers and middlemen in fuel procurement, coupled with the lack of transparency in tender processes, underscores the ongoing vulnerabilities in Pertamina’s governance structure.

4 months ago

Visitors are silhouetted on July 6, 2023, behind a sign for artificial intelligence at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China.

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Indonesia's AI journey: Innovation or overreach?

AI development isn't just about writing code; it demands powerful computing infrastructure, massive datasets and continuous investment. Can Indonesia, with its underdeveloped cloud and hardware ecosystem, sustain such costs?

4 months ago

Women’s reps: A group of people takes part in a rally supporting women's rights and gender equality in Jakarta to mark International Women's Day on March 8, 2024.

Academia

No turning back: A pivotal moment for women and girls in Asia-Pacific

Closing gender gaps in employment would boost gross domestic product (GDP) by up to 20 percent globally.

4 months ago

Workers wave at the camera on Feb. 28, 2025, as they leave a factory of textile giant PT Sri Rejeki Isman (Sritex) in Sukoharjo, Central Java.

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Beyond Sritex bankruptcy: The deeper troubles of our textile sector

The sector has been grappling with a mix of internal and external challenges, including regulatory hurdles.

4 months ago

Tributes are placed beneath the covered seal of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Feb. 7, 2025, at its headquarters in Washington, DC.

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Making a better case for foreign aid

Advocates of official development assistance rightly argue that it saves lives and serves national interests. But that does not change the fact that the system has been hemorrhaging credibility and resources for years and lacks a convincing narrative.

4 months ago

Police officers from Operation Cartenz Peace patrol in Bintang Highlands regency, Papua Highlands, on Sept. 21, 2023. The operation aims to quell the Free Papua Movement (OPM).

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Human security approach to Papua: Hopes for new government

Poverty rates among Papuans remain high, with inadequate access to education, healthcare and employment opportunities even after 20 years of special autonomy.

4 months ago

Members of the European council pose for a family photo on Dec. 19, 2024, following a meeting at the European Union headquarters in Brussels.

Academia

What China can teach Europe about geopolitical independence

The transatlantic alliance appears to be coming apart at the seams, meaning Europe will need to quickly develop a strategy for harnessing geopolitical hard power.

4 months ago

Myanmar security forces escort people released from scam centers on Feb. 12, 2025, as they board a river ferry in Kyauk Khet, Myawaddy, to cross the border into Thailand.

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Indonesia-Thailand ties: 75 years of friendship, building a dynamic partnership

Building upon our shared cultural heritage and historical ties that date back to kingdoms of old, Indonesia and Thailand look forward to a dynamic partnership committed to peace, security and prosperity for our peoples and the region as a whole.

4 months ago

High-risk occupation: A technician from state electricity company PT PLN stands atop a transmission tower during regular maintenance work on Dec. 27, 2023, in Palu, Central Sulawesi.

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A look at monopoly rights in the new SOEs Law

The granting of rights to a monopoly seems to be increasingly generalized or facilitated.

4 months ago

United States President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Feb. 28, 2025.

Academia

America is gone, Europe must replace it

Yes, Europe is not as powerful as the US militarily; but that does not mean it is weak. In fact, it holds all the cards that it needs.

4 months ago

Palembang Ilir Barat Tax Office employees serve taxpayers submitting their annual tax returns on Feb. 29, 2024.

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From innovation to frustration: Coretax vs. Australia’s tax system

When the tax system falters, it does not merely inconvenience taxpayers, but it also risks undermining public trust in government institutions and stalls broader reform efforts.

4 months ago

A vessel from the Taiwan Coast Guard (front) monitors a China Coast Guard ship on Dec. 12, 2024, while patrolling waters a few nautical miles from Taiwan's northeastern coast.

Academia

ASEAN coalition of willing matters as regional tensions rise

As Trump is pushing the EU to finally get serious about a common defense, a Taiwan crisis will force ASEAN to rise as a geopolitical power.

4 months ago

Activists take part in the Global Climate Strike in Jakarta on Sept. 27, 2024.

Academia

Lack of justice in Indonesia’s climate plan may backfire

Indonesia’s climate documents have failed to adequately address the social and environmental aspects that are fundamental to a just transition.

4 months ago

Indonesia’s largest defense partners by quantity of projects 2015-2024

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Will Turkey and Indonesia’s defense industry cooperation thrive?

Turkey is not Indonesia’s largest defense industry partner by quantity. But the DCA, if materializes, will serve as a strong foundation for further partnership.

4 months ago

Enabling elites: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk with his son X Æ A-Xii join United States President Donald Trump as he signs executive orders on Feb. 11 in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC.

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The coming showdown in Trumpworld

With Trump’s elite supporters prioritizing their own narrow agendas over democratic principles, the risk of a slide toward authoritarianism should be obvious.

4 months ago

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