Indonesia Society News: Social Issues & Education

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As forests fragment, arboreal bridges offer orangutans a lifeline

Habitat fragmentation limits orangutan movement between populations, potentially reducing genetic exchange and raising the risk of inbreeding, with implications for the species’ long-term survival.

2 days ago
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UIII marks first commencement ceremony for doctoral graduates

The graduating class came from UIII’s four schools of Islamic studies, social sciences, economics and education sciences, including 99 international graduates from 22 countries. ...

4 days ago
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Forestry reform critical as wildfires threatens health, ecosystems

The plan to revise the 1999 Forestry Law may fail to address decades-long poor governance in the sector that has resulted in wildfires in large parts of Sumatra, Kalimantan and Papua throughout this year’s dry season, civil groups say. ...

4 days ago

The Latest

Society

Ex-foreign minister Retno becomes one of first SUAR award recipients

Former foreign minister Retno LP Marsudi, who currently is the UN secretary-general’s special envoy on water, has received an award from SUAR, a business news site established a year ago, in the first edition of SUAR Prize.

5 days ago
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Pressure piles on Indonesia to contain wildfire haze

In a statement issued late on Tuesday, the Transportation Ministry’s civil aviation director general, Lukman Laisa, said his office had not received a flight clearance request for Malaysian aircraft to carry out a waterbombing mission in areas hit by wildfires.

5 days ago
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Teacher hiring plan draws regional autonomy concerns

Top government officials in Jakarta have called the plan to transfer nonpermanent teachers' contracts under regional administrations to the central government a solution to regional fiscal pressure and underpaid contract teachers.

1 week ago
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Power must match responsibility, Yudhoyono tells conference

Yudhoyono told the conference that no nation should be too powerful to respect the rules and no nation should be too small to shape the future.

1 week ago
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Behind the white coat: The human cost of being an intern doctor in Indonesia

Six deaths in six months have put the country’s medical internship program under scrutiny, exposing concerns over workloads, supervision and protection for those who speak up.

1 week ago
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Govt urged to expedite NTT earthquake recovery

Nearly 60,000 people are still taking shelter across the quake-hit regions, with the province facing potential threats from aftershocks that can crumble buildings and other structures already damaged in the initial earthquake on Aug. 15, according to seismologists.

1 week ago
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Wildfire smoke drives surge in respiratory infections

Indonesia is seeing a sharp increase in respiratory illnesses as a prolonged dry season fuels widespread land and forest fires, with health facilities in parts of Kalimantan and Sumatra reporting thousands of additional cases in recent weeks amid worsening air quality.

2 weeks ago
Society

Make it rain: Indonesia chases clouds to stem El Nino fires

Indonesia believes cloud seeding can help it tackle a wildfire season that experts say is on track to be among the worst in years, driven by a strong El Nino.

2 weeks ago
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Economic woes, disasters dim Independence Day celebrations

Indonesia’s 81st Independence Day celebrations took on a subdued tone in parts of the country this year, with some communities scaling back festivities or opting out altogether amid economic pressures, political discontent and a series of devastating natural disasters.

2 weeks ago
Society

Free meals drive leaves remote kitchen investors deep in debt

Mounting debts are the latest blow for an initiative that has struggled with governance issues, supply chains problems, mass food poisoning cases and financial cutbacks since it was launched last year, leaving kitchens idle, children unfed and investors owing tens of millions of dollars.

2 weeks ago
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Inequality worsens as wealth gap widens

The economic disparity is most apparent in the eastern part of Indonesia, such as Sulawesi and Papua, where extractive industries, which are done by businesses led by wealthy people and driven by Jakarta-centered development, have exacerbated the wealth rift.

2 weeks ago
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Free meal expiry labels criticized as inadequate

The government’s plan to put expiration date labels on free nutritious meal packages has drawn criticism that it could shift responsibility for food poisoning onto beneficiaries while leaving deeper food safety problems unaddressed.

2 weeks ago
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Indonesia ramps up efforts to fight forest fires

With more than 107,000 hectares already ravaged by land and forest fires this year, the government is scrambling to strengthen its response as a prolonged dry spell and worsening climate conditions threaten to fuel a wider fire season.

3 weeks ago
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MUI warns against men in dresses for Independence festivities

Amid a rising tide of anti-LGBTQ sentiment in Indonesia, the council said in a statement such behavior was "haram" or forbidden.

3 weeks ago
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Patient death, doctors' mockery expose healthcare cracks

The death of a National Health Insurance (JKN) patient after waiting hours for a hospital bed, coupled with insensitive social media remarks by healthcare workers responding to his earlier complaint, has intensified scrutiny of Indonesia's strained healthcare system and professional ethics.

3 weeks ago
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Food waste issue looms over free meals rollout

An assessment issued in April by Jakarta-based think-tank Center for Economic and Law Studies (Celious) estimated that between 62 million and 120 million packages of meals prepared and disbursed under the program were wasted each week. 

3 weeks ago
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Child vape livestream sparks exploitation concerns

A YouTube livestream showing children promoting vape products has drawn condemnation from child protection advocates, who say the incident exposes weak enforcement against online nicotine advertising and the growing exploitation of children in digital marketing.

3 weeks ago
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Scientific paper promoting free meals for Nobel Prize raises eyebrows

The paper, which features President Prabowo Subianto as its coauthor, upholds the free nutritious meal program as a means of strengthening the country’s food security that also stimulates economic growth.

3 weeks ago
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Another doctor suicide highlights mental health concerns in Indonesia’s healthcare

Forensic experts concluded that the doctor died from the effects of a lethal dose of Rocuronium, which caused paralysis of the respiratory muscles and resulted in asphyxia.

3 weeks ago
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Free health screening to shift focus to treatment

The Health Ministry is prioritizing treating hypertension, hyperglycemia and high cholesterol as the conditions may lead to noncommunicable diseases such as stroke, kidney failure and other cardiovascular diseases that can be fatal.

3 weeks ago
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Explainer: Why small protests are drawing outsized attention on social media

Unlike prior mass protests, recent rallies have been smaller in scale and more sporadic, leading some social media users to question why they appear to receive relatively little coverage from news outlets.

3 weeks ago
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Early wildfire surge raises alarm in Indonesia

Indonesia may be heading toward its worst wildfire season in years as fire activity surges ahead of peak burning months, fueled by a prolonged dry spell expected to intensify under a strong El Niño.

3 weeks ago
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Ferry fire raises concerns over lax national maritime safety oversight

The KMP Mutiara Sentosa II fire occurred only a month after a ferry carrying more than 70 passengers sank while sailing near Selayar, a small island off South Sulawesi.

4 weeks ago
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Critics lambaste anti-LGBTQ syllabus plan for religious schools

The government's plan to introduce a syllabus that aims to prevent "the spread of LGBTQ culture” has garnered broad criticism from education and rights observers for its antidemocratic stance and its potential to not only reinforce but also legitimize systemic discrimination against a minority group.

4 weeks ago
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Mixed-marriage families seek priority in dual citizenship plan

The government's proposal to grant dual citizenship only to adults with expertise needed by the state has drawn criticism from mixed-marriage advocates, who say it lacks clear eligibility criteria and unfairly overlooks children with stronger legal claims under Indonesia's citizenship law.

1 month ago
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Court ruling shift focus back to schools, teacher welfare

The Constitutional Court's ruling on the removal of the free nutritious meal program from the education budget should pave the way for long-overdue investment in teacher welfare, school repair and equal access to education, teachers and education experts have said.

1 month ago
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Consulate delivers aid to Indonesians in Malaysian prisons ahead of Independence Day

Official data show that 6,622 Indonesians are currently in Malaysian prisons and 314 Malaysians are in Indonesian correctional facilities, while the two governments are working on a draft agreement on prisoner transfers so they can finish serving their time at home.

1 month ago

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