Valuable cache: Workers load fresh fruit bunches on Sept. 7, 2024 at an oil palm storage facility in Lampisi village, West Tanjung Jabung regency, Jambi.

Why EUDR's implementation can and must be postponed

The latest and strongest opposition to the EUDR was expressed by 29 associations of European traders, farm producers, civil society organizations and even newspaper publishers.

7 months ago

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The seven deadly traits of the EUDR

The EU has no serious plan to handle its own agriculture emissions, while at the same time busily ruling on other countries' agricultural policies. ...

7 months ago

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‘Genjer-genjer’ and the historical burden it carries

Universal adaptability explains long history of Genjer-genjer, beginning with its composer, Muhammad Arief's original intention which was to depict the story of the misery of the people during Japanese colonialism. ...

7 months ago

The Latest

Protesting farmers from Deli Serdang regency, North Sumatra arrive on Friday, Aug. 7. 2020, in Jakarta. They are part of 170 farmers that walked thousands of kilometers from their homes to the capital city to protest what they perceive as President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's failure to implement agrarian reform.

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Genuine agrarian reform should prioritize landless people

Agrarian conflicts have damaged society, culture and development, and downgraded the fulfillment and protection of human rights.

7 months ago

Looming conflict?: A China Coast Guard ship shadows Philippine fishing boats carrying volunteers from Atin Ito (This Is Ours) Coalition during a civilian-led mission on May 16, 2024 to distribute fuel and food to fishers in the disputed South China Sea.

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ASEAN and the South China Sea: Constraints and pathways

While ASEAN has no formal arrangements for de-escalating or resolving a conflict involving a member state, given that it is not a military alliance but a trade bloc, it has at least three cards up its sleeve: the bloc's TAC and ARF, as well as the EAS.

7 months ago

Counting numbers: Public accountants examine on May 31, 2019 the financial reports of 2019 election candidates at the General Elections Commission (KPU) in Central Jakarta.

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Accountants may be replaced, but not their professional judgment

In a broader business context, accountants will be required to use this judgment to determine strategies and investments based on both current and projected financial information.

7 months ago

Resilient pursuit: Activists of the Justice for Victims Solidarity Network partake in the Kamisan (Thursday) rally on Sept. 19, 2024 in front of Merdeka Palace in Central Jakarta, to demand the settlement of past human rights violations, including the mass killings following the abortive coup on Sept. 30, 1985 that was blamed on the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

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The ghosts of G30S: Deconstructing the 'red scare'

The aftermath of the so-called G30S incident on Sept. 30, 1965, as well as the normalization of violence during Soeharto's authoritarian regime, continues to shape sociopolitical discourse that leads to nostalgia and disillusionment.

7 months ago

Members of a K-pop fan club, along with a child from the indigenous Batin Sembilan community, take part in a forest restoration project on Feb. 9, 2024 in the Harapan Rainforest in Batanghari regency, Jambi.

Academia

Indonesia takes global lead with developing world's climate narrative

Indonesia has taken the global lead in presenting the climate narrative of developing nations in its white paper on just transition, which also serves as a reference framework for its peer countries in navigating their way toward equitable development and prosperity.

7 months ago

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi takes a selfie with participants of the ASEAN Youth Dialogue on Development for Sustainable Development Goals in Jakarta on April 11, 2023.

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How relevant is ASEAN to Southeast Asian citizens?

It is a real pity that ASEAN does not want to play a role beyond its comfort zone in areas where it could, at least figuratively, stand out.

7 months ago

Zero emissions: Passengers hop on a Transjakarta electric bus at Senayan Traffic Circle stop in South Jakarta on Sept. 9, 2024.

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Singapore's EV transition could spark Indonesia’s green evolution

Singapore’s early and consistent development of EV infrastructure offers a potential model for Indonesia, especially in urban areas where reducing reliance on fossil fuels is critical.

7 months ago

Laboratory staff performs a bacterial resistance test at the Persahabatan Hospital laboratory, Jakarta. A resistance test is a test performed to determine the sensitivity of bacteria to an antibiotic.

Academia

Global commitment to action needed to ensure future of modern medicine

While alarms on AMR have been blaring ever louder, solutions have not been developed fast enough, especially in the research and development of antibiotics.

7 months ago

Academia

Unlocking Indonesia’s tourism potential with sustainability

Indonesia is a vast archipelago of 17,504 islands, straddling the equator and boasting a rich tapestry of unique cultures and ethnic groups. Yet, despite this incredible diversity, the full potential of Indonesia’s tourism sector remains untapped.

7 months ago

Showing the money: A woman displays cash aid she received from the government at the Tangerang district government office in Banten on Aug. 12, 2024.

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Understanding the economic thoughts of Sumitro, Prabowo’s father

Bohm’s “shrinking perspective” and Fisher’s “impatience” theories that lower-income people tend to sacrifice their future for the sake of today’s material rewards, remain valid in the Indonesian context.

7 months ago

Big catch: National Police spokespersons show on July 1, 2019, photographs of Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist group leader Para Wijayanto and various seized items at a press conference in Jakarta. The JI leader was arrested with his wife at a hotel in Bekasi, West Java.

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Navigating the complex path of deradicalization: Lessons from JI

Programs that encourage critical thinking and religious literacy help individuals differentiate between authentic teachings and extremist distortions.

7 months ago

Home Minister Tito Karnavian (left) presides over the inauguration ceremony of three interim governors on June 24, 2024 at the ministry in Jakarta (from right): Agus Fatoni for North Sumatra, Elen Setiadi for South Sumatra and Maj. Gen. (ret) Hassanudin for West Nusa Tenggara.

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Improving the effectiveness of central-regional governance

The government's move to give greater authority to regional administrations is founded on the results of two decades of regional autonomy, and aims to improve both public spending and welfare within the broader national framework.

7 months ago

A Bekasi customs and excise official displays confiscated illegal cigarette packages set to be destroyed in Bekasi regency, West Java on Dec. 6, 2023.

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The unseen struggle to curb the country’s smoking addiction

The quest to quit smoking is one fraught with social pressures and stigma, despite the economic toll it takes on an individual and the local economy.

7 months ago

On the sidelines: Leaders of the Quad strategic alliance (from left) United States President Joe Biden, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi pose for a photo as they hold a meeting on the sidelines of the Group of Seven Summit in Hiroshima, Japan on May 20, 2023.

Academia

Quad continues its outreach to ASEAN, helps build its future

For the first time, the Quad coast guards will launch a ship observer mission in 2025 to improve interoperability and coordination in the Indo-Pacific.

7 months ago

Timor-Leste's Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao greets United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres upon his arrival in Dili, Aug. 29, 2024, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the country's referendum and independence.

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With each emboldened voice, Timorese reclaim history

Similar to the ignorance of nationals of former colonizers, like the Japanese, Dutch and British, any suggestion of Indonesians’ cruelty in East Timor sounds incredulous.

7 months ago

Gone with the sand: A ship (right) tows a barge carrying sea sand bound for Singapore on Feb. 10, 2015, in Riau Islands waters. The government banned sea sand exports in 2003, but the practice remained rampant until the prohibition was lifted last year.

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Sea sand exports: Singapore gains, Indonesia loses

The environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and erosion of coastal communities outweigh the short-term economic benefits of exporting marine sediment to Singapore or other countries.

7 months ago

People hold up the land certificates they received on Jan. 26, 2024 during a comprehensive systematic registration program (PTSL) held at Kertajati International Airport in Majalengka, West Java, as part of the Agrarian and Spatial Planning Ministry’s aim to distribute 120 million land certificates by the end of 2024.

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Collaborative governance a pathway to resolving agrarian conflicts in RI

Political will is not enough to ensure the success of agrarian reform, particularly in conflict resolution, and requires the more comprehensive approach of collaborative governance that involves both civil society and vulnerable groups.

7 months ago

Beirut residents gather on Sept. 20, 2024 at a building targeted by an Israeli strike in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital.

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Israel's second front with Lebanon has begun

Netanyahu's government has thrust Israel into a second front with Hezbollah in Lebanon, leaving the paramilitary group with little choice but to retaliate, thereby achieving its goal of a prolonged, regional war.

7 months ago

President Joko “Jokowi“ Widodo attends the inauguration of deputy ministers on July 18, 2024, at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.

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Goodbye (and good riddance) to Jokowi; hello Mulyono

Jokowi is guided more by realpolitik than reform, with 21 out of 34 of his cabinet ministers linked to his political backers.

7 months ago

University students rally on Aug. 7, 2024 at Merdeka Building in Bandung, West Java, calling on the government to accelerate the country’s transition to clean energy.

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Putting a face to the country’s emissions reduction plan

The government needs to apply the more holistic approach of landscape resilience in formulating Indonesia's climate commitments to achieve climate justice for all.

7 months ago

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida looks at new banknotes with Bank of Japan (BOJ) governor Kazuo Ueda at the BOJ headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, on July 3, 2024.

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Japanese people okay military buildup under hypocritical constitution

Western countries and even ASEAN do not mind the amendment, because for them the constitution is no longer relevant amid the assertiveness of China.

7 months ago

Fallen house: Palestinians remove on Sept. 4, 2024 the rubble of houses destroyed by Israeli strikes in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, amid the Israel-Hamas war.

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Who might contribute to a temporary international mission to Gaza and why?

With their history of jihadi-inspired unrest and terrorism, both Indonesia and Malaysia have an interest in a swift resolution to the Gaza conflict.

7 months ago

Former president director of state energy company Pertamina, Karen Agustiawan (center), leaves the courtroom of the Jakarta Corruption Court following a verdict hearing on June 24, 2024. The court sentence her to nine years in prison after finding her guilty in a corruption case pertaining to Pertamina's procurement of liquefied natural gas (LNG) between 2001 and 2021.

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Legal uncertainty remains big challenge for investors

The two landmark graft cases of Karen Agustiawan show that anything bad can happen to any investor dealing with state-owned enterprises or regional governments.

7 months ago

Every vote counts: A woman casts her ballot for the presidential and legislative elections at a polling station in Banda Aceh, on Feb. 14, 2024.

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ASEAN should envision standardized democratic principles by 2045

ASEAN can pioneer a more democratic pathway by supporting political parties that operate transparently, champion the public's voice and ensure robust mechanisms for accountability.

7 months ago

New wings: Indonesian Air Force officers walk on Jan. 24, 2024 past Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in East Jakarta. The transport planes were among the new aircraft procured by Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto.

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Gap fillers: Between TNI operational and budgetary constraints

While the government has shown great commitment to continuing its modernization efforts, it could be years before these platforms become fully operational.

7 months ago

Children use mobile devices on June 21, 2022 to access the internet using a free Wi-Fi service provided by the Karanganyar village administration in Ciamis regency, West Java.

Academia

ASEAN must do more to protect children from online sexual abuse

ASEAN leaders must seize the opportunity presented by this week's forum on child online protection in Bali to create better protections for the region's children in cyberspace, from policies to law enforcement training and community awareness.

7 months ago