Soldiers carry a body bag to a waiting aircraft on March 23, 2025, in Anggruk district, Yahukimo regency, the Papua Highlands, following a skirmish between the Indonesian Military and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement (OPM).

The hard road to effective conflict resolution in Papua

A comprehensive strategy that addresses the long-standing legacy of mutual distrust as well as deeply rooted cultural factors, including traditional warfare, is needed to effectively resolve the unending conflict in Papua.

6 months ago

Academia premium

What’s eating Europe’s food system?

As value creation shifts away from producers, profits are increasingly concentrated among a few powerful processors and retailers. ...

6 months ago

Academia premium

Urgent need to safeguard Indonesia’s agricultural future

Without intervention, ongoing land use changes are placing significant pressure on Indonesia’s food supply. ...

6 months ago

The Latest

People take part in a candlelight vigil at Monterey Park City Hall on Jan. 24, 2023, three days after 11 people were gunned down in a mass shooting at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in the Asian-majority city near Los Angeles, California.

Academia

A civilizational response to Islamophobia and Sinophobia

The upcoming ASEAN-GCC-China Summit, hosted under Malaysia's ASEAN chairmanship, seeks to address the civilizational "diseases" of Islamophobia and Sinophobia by drawing on the traditional values and wisdoms of Islam, Confucianism and their confluence in the Malay region.

6 months ago

Heavy equipment load and unload freight on Sept. 10, 2024, at the International Container Terminal (JICT) of Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta.

Academia

Asia, Pacific must reinforce trade resilience amid global uncertainty

The shifting global trade landscape presents an opportunity for the Asia-Pacific to emerge stronger, if countries look more inwardly to improve domestic resilience and intraregional coordination while helping to lift others that might be more vulnerable to external pressures.

6 months ago

Newly installed regional heads march in formation on Feb. 27, 2025, during a weeklong glamping retreat at the Military Academy in Magelang, Central Java.

Academia premium

Decentralization in Indonesia revisited, 25 years on

A shift from a symmetric to asymmetric model of decentralization is needed to improve regional outcomes and impacts across sectors, especially in effective governance, economic growth and civic participation.

6 months ago

Devastated: People assess damage in destroyed buildings on May 15 following Myanmar military airstrikes in Kyauktaw town in Myanmar's western Rakhine State.

Academia

Can Malaysia save ASEAN’s credibility on Myanmar?

The junta cynically declared a farcical temporary truce until May 31, yet its airstrikes have continued unabated, turning disaster zones into killing fields.

6 months ago

Senior moment: A caregiver gives an elderly woman a balloon at Pengayoman care home in Semarang, Central Java, on June 3 during the celebration of National Elderly Day.

Academia premium

Developing a compassionate, elderly-friendly city

Urban spaces must be intentionally designed to meet older adults' unique needs, creating safe, accessible and dignified environments rather than alienating or hazardous ones.

6 months ago

This wind power plant in Sidrap regency, South Sulawesi, generates 75 Megawatts, making it the largest of its kind in the country.

Academia premium

The expensive green delusion

If solar and wind truly were cheaper, the world's poorer nations would have an inexpensive path to leapfrog from energy poverty to energy abundance.

6 months ago

Members of South Korean girl band BLACKPINK perform on March 11, 2023, during their BORN PINK concert at the Gelora Bung Karno sports complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

Academia premium

Danantara and Indonesia’s untapped cultural economy

Danantara has a rare opportunity to expand the country's economic vision into one that embraces its many cultures as a strategic asset for investment, toward a future that is truly Indonesian.

6 months ago

Stern beginnings: President Prabowo Subianto (center) addresses reporters on Monday after Danantara’s first town hall meeting at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

Academia premium

Prabowo’s paradox: Building healthy democracy as lasting legacy

Prabowo’s close relationship with Jokowi raises a question as to whether this is a shared vision or a case of elite co-optation.

6 months ago

Academia premium

Updating Indonesia’s antitrust law for the digital age

Indonesia’s current primary competition legislation is outdated and ill-equipped to address the challenges posed by the digital market.

6 months ago

Pope Leo XIV leads a holy mass for the beginning of his pontificate, in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City on May 18, 2025.

Academia premium

Leo XIV: A listening papacy in a world of noise

By listening rather than making statements, Pope Leo is not inactive. Instead, he has shown a different form of leadership.

6 months ago

A person receives a message from the Financial Services Authority (OJK) on Sept. 10, 2023, asking Indonesian citizens to be wary of online lending platforms.

Academia premium

Inclusion without understanding: Potential risk in financial future

The growing gap between financial inclusion and financial literacy presents a considerable structural challenge.

6 months ago

United States President Donald Trump speaks on May 16, 2025, at the US-United Arab Emirates Business Roundtable in Abu Dhabi.

Academia premium

The future of American soft power

American soft power has certainly had its ups and downs over the decades, and while US democracy is likely to survive another four years of Trump, the country will find it costly to regain the trust and restore the ties he has destroyed.

6 months ago

Building mutual trust: (left to right) Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Foreign Minister Sugiono, along with their Chinese counterparts, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Defense Minister Dong Jun, attend a press briefing after the first meeting of China-Indonesia joint foreign and defense ministerial dialogue at the Diaoyutai State Guest House on April 21 in Beijing.

Academia premium

Shared future: Working together toward the China-Indonesia community

The cooperation between China and Indonesia is of great significance that goes beyond the bilateral scope for shaping regional and global governance.

6 months ago

Point of reference: A man speaks on his phone while entering the World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters on April 12, 2022, in Geneva, Switzerland.

Academia premium

Let’s work together for rule-based trade

The world's critical situation will serve to clarify minds and priorities when we enter the final phase of EU-Indonesia FTA negotiations. We should never let a good crisis go to waste.

6 months ago

A construction project for a National Data Center (PDN) facility in Cikarang, Bekasi regency, West Java, is seen on Feb. 6, 2024.

Academia premium

AI paradox: The hidden cost of smarter machines

Indonesia’s efforts to make artificial intelligence (AI) more efficient can end up crippling its power grid.

6 months ago

President Prabowo Subianto (right) drives a golf cart on May 15 with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after a joint press conference at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta.

Academia

Australia loves Indonesia, but it’s not mutual

Australia struggles to get Indonesia’s attention, and its leverage in Jakarta is limited. Anthony Albanese could begin to change this with one bold move.

6 months ago

Tellers count United States dollar banknotes on May 11, 2023, at the Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) branch on Jl. Thamrin in Central Jakarta.

Academia premium

What Islamic finance brings to climate resilience

Islamic finance is rooted in asset backing and risk sharing, so it is inherently aligned with sustainability principles and well-positioned to finance adaptation efforts, especially in regions most vulnerable to climate change.

6 months ago

Scan and pay: A customer scans a QRIS code to pay for a bowl of bakso (meatball soup) in Tangerang, Banten, on Oct. 17, 2024.

Academia premium

The Age of ASEAN: Building trust in Southeast Asia’s digital future

As ASEAN is positioning to be the heart of digital economy, fostering trust is key in reaping the benefits of growing digitalization and further empowering the vulnerable segments of the population.

6 months ago

Myanmar's Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs Aung Kyaw Moe (from left), Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, China's Premier Li Qiang, Laos' Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin and Timor-Leste's Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao pose for a group photo at the 27th ASEAN-China Summit during the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits in Vientiane on Oct. 10, 2024.

Academia premium

ASEAN and China should join hands in facing trade storms

As a regional mechanism only established in recent years, the RCEP is arguably underperforming compared with its potential.

6 months ago

An Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldier stands guard near the India-Pakistan Wagah border post, about 35 kilometers from Amritsar in India on May 9.

Academia premium

Amid the tension: A demand for free Balochistan

The ongoing plight of the Baloch people has prompted organizations to formally appeal to the United Nations, urging immediate intervention in the humanitarian crisis in Baluchistan.

7 months ago

A university student holds a poster saying “Ndasmu“, a highly derogatory Javanese word which translates into “your head“, on Feb. 20, 2025, during an Indonesia Gelap (Dark Indonesia) protest against President Prabowo Subianto's administration calling for various demands, including reviews of government budget cuts and the free nutritious meal program, in Jakarta.

Academia premium

What Indonesian middle class politics should look like

In protests, the middle class can provide an opening for a change, but once opportunity arises, it is often not ready to claim power.

7 months ago

Maintenance workers clean a Garuda Indonesia aircraft on May 8, 2024, at a hangar at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten.

Academia premium

Diverging fortunes: Garuda Indonesia vs. Singapore Airlines

While the global aviation industry is indeed recovering from the pandemic, the contrast between two national carriers in Southeast Asia is striking.

7 months ago

Students hold posters that read “return soldiers to the barracks“ (right) and “civilian supremacy“ (second right) during a protest against a revision to the Indonesian Military (TNI) Law in Surabaya, East Java on March 24.

Academia

Civil society can help Indonesian democracy survive

Traditional civil society, with the support of students, can do a lot to create and maintain pressure on the government.

7 months ago

People assess damaged buildings following Myanmar military airstrikes in Kyauktaw town in Myanmar's western Rakhine State on May 15, 2025.

Academia

Will US-China tug of war ensue over Rakhine State?

Growing US interest in Myanmar’s Rakhine State could prompt China to ramp up its backing for the military junta in Naypidaw.

7 months ago

European Union flags flutter on Sept. 12, 2024, following the monetary policy meeting of the European Central Bank’s Governing Council in Frankfurt, Germany.

Academia premium

Europe's existential choice: Defend or depend

The stance of the current US administration has awoken Europe and Europeans to an opportunity to review and revitalize our defense capabilities and do our fair share in securing our neighbors and allies, and in so doing, help improve transatlantic relations.

7 months ago

Merchants and buyers pack the Tanah Abang Skybridge that connects the railway station to the famous Tanah Abang textile market in Central Jakarta in this undated photo.

Academia premium

Making raw material supply more competitive for light manufacturing

Reliance on imports for raw materials makes businesses highly vulnerable to exchange rate fluctuations, rising international shipping costs and global supply chain disruptions.

7 months ago

Media spotlight: President director of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, Wamildan Tsani Panjaitan (center), talks to the media during a press conference in Jakarta on Jan. 2, 2025.

Academia premium

The grip of military capitalism on state-owned enterprises in Indonesia

Albeit vaguely, the revised TNI Law allows active military personnel to hold civilian and SOE posts, effectively legitimizing military economic involvement de facto.

7 months ago

Page: 39