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View all search resultsIndonesia 2025: In frames, beyond words
A year of promise, protest and loss, captured in images that linger. This photo gallery bears witness to a turbulent 2025, when photographs carried the weight of memory and words fell short.
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Logs swept in by flash floods weeks earlier lie piled on Dec. 14, 2025, where homes once stood along a river in Aceh Tamiang, North Sumatra. Floods and landslides triggered by extreme weather linked to Cyclone Senyar struck three northern Sumatran provinces in late November, killing at least 1,140 people and damaging more than 170,000 houses. Nearly 400,000 people remained displaced as of Dec. 28, with 163 still unaccounted for. (AFP/Yasuyoshi Chiba)
I
ndonesia’s archipelago, bound by seas and sustained by vast natural wealth and human diversity, long known as the “Emerald of the Equator”, marked its 80th year of independence in 2025 with a familiar truth: each passing year tells a different story, shaped by forces both human and elemental.
The months that followed were defined by sharp contrasts. New government programs and policies emerged with ambitious promises, yet some unintentionally stirred unrest, particularly among young Indonesians, whose voices grew louder across cities and regions. Alongside these tensions came moments of celebration and pride, as Indonesian athletes rose on international stages, briefly lifting the nation’s gaze from the ground beneath its feet.
A little prayer
One of the most debated initiatives of the year was the free nutritious meals (MBG) program, aimed at supporting the country’s future generations. What began as a symbol of social investment soon became mired in controversy, from costly state-funded procurement to food poisoning incidents reported at several schools. Public confidence wavered as the program became a recurring flashpoint in national discourse.
Flags of dissent
