On July 1, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) celebrated its 100th anniversary. During his commemorative speech at Tiananmen Square, President Xi Jinping claimed that China has never oppressed the people of any other country. Xi is clearly ignoring China’s treatment of Taiwan. Since 2016,...
Indonesia has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. At the time of publishing, there have been more than 19,000 confirmed cases and over 1,200 deaths. Due to a lack of testing — just 776 people per 1 million in a country with a population of 268 million — the number of infections is...
On April 28, the United Arab Emirates sent 20 tons of medical aids for the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus in Indonesia. This equipment is expected to help around 20,000 medical personnel in dealing with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. While the assistance was...
As the coronavirus spreads fast in Indonesia, experts believe that the country will become Asia’s new epicenter. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has been criticized for not implementing a nationwide lockdown. Yet such measures would not be a silver bullet to contain COVID-19, the disease...
At the time of publishing, around 9,800 Indonesians are confirmed to have contracted the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Although the central government had been slow in enforcing self-quarantine measures, the hashtag #dirumahaja (or #WorkFromHome) is trending on social media as more...
On October 20, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Maruf Amin were officially sworn in as the president and vice president of Indonesia after winning the election in April. Three days later, President Jokowi officially installed his new cabinet. The figures in the new cabinet come from various circles:...
In recent weeks, Indonesia has been in the headlines due to forest fires. Having spread throughout the country in Southeast Asia, the regions of Jambi, South Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi have been severely affected while Riau Province has been the worst hit. According to the National...
The outcome of the election may be unclear, but the next president of Indonesia should take notes on how to do business with China. On April 17, Indonesians went to the polls to vote for a new president. Although the official result will be announced in May, “quick counts” by polling...
With an election on the horizon, President Jokowi needs to justify his spending on Indonesia’s infrastructure. On April 17, Indonesians will head to the polls for a presidential election. To help choose the best person for the job, election debates have been held between the two candidates,...
The Asian Para Games can bring change to Indonesia so it can be more friendly to people with disabilities. The 2018 Asian Para Games is currently taking place in Jakarta. The multi-sport event is held every four years for athletes with physical disabilities. A total of 2,762 athletes with...
After another earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia, it is clear that people are not taught what to do in the event of natural disasters. Indonesia has once again been hit by a natural disaster. On September 28, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake followed by a tsunami struck the cities of Palu and...
As Indonesians brace themselves for another election in 2019, they must stop politicizing religion and identity. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia is set to hold its presidential election in April 2019. Citizens will choose a candidate to lead the nation until 2024, and the excitement can be felt...
The Jokowi government must reexamine the political map in Indonesia to better understand its supporters and opponents. On May 14, a suicide bombing took place at a police headquarters in Surabaya, Indonesia. The perpetrators were a family of five riding on two motorbikes. The incident took place...
Once again, blasphemy has caused a stir in Indonesia — this time over what counts as fiction. In April, Indonesians were shocked by a statement made by a well-known lecturer in philosophy at the University of Indonesia. In a televised debate, Rocky Gerung said that “Scriptures are fictional...
In this guest edition of The Interview, Dikanaya Tarahita and Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat talk to Mawar Sari Hidayat, a teacher at an Indonesian special-needs school. Education is a major problem for disabled people in Indonesia. Regular schools are often unwilling admit and accommodate those with...
