By June, the economic impact of the pandemic had been felt by the most marginalized in Indonesia, particularly sex workers. Restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 meant fewer people paid for sex, resulting in a loss of earnings. Protecting sex workers and ensuring they have access to health...
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...
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,...
Despite the commonplace homophobia in Asian societies today, no nation can deny a presence of LGBT practices in its history. A few years ago, most Indonesians probably didn’t know what the acronym LGBT—lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender—stood for. And yet for the past few months, it...
Jakarta’s support for the death penalty shows the lack of trust Indonesians have in law enforcement. The usual stereotype that tourists have of Indonesians is that they are approachable, welcoming and accepting. Anyone who reads Elizabeth Pisani’s Indonesia, etc. might think that we are a...
The summit provides Indonesia with an opportunity to become a major global player. In a meeting scheduled for March 6-7 in Indonesia, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will discuss concrete steps to solve the Palestinian crisis. A total of 57 member states aim to produce a Jakarta...
East Timor won its independence in 1999 with the blood and courage of its people. But the tiny democracy was then bullied by Australia, says John Pilger. Secret documents found in the Australian National Archives provide a glimpse of how one of the greatest crimes of the 20th century was...
Indonesia must craft a long-term policy to clamp down on tax evasion. As the largest Southeast Asian country with abundant natural resources, Indonesia still encounters difficulties in strengthening its economic base. Even though it started to show signs of recovery following the reformation era...
Muslims and non-Muslims in Indonesia will not be divided. Today, Indonesians are mourning. Our people were taken away from us, and dozens of others were injured as a result of horrendous acts of terrorism in Jakarta that you claimed responsibility for. Several hours later, Indonesian authorities...
Genocide in Myanmar and cannibalism in South Sudan are mere trifles compared to the catastrophic forest fires in Indonesia. The brown and yellow races mingle where the borders of Bangladesh, Myanmar and India meet. Less than seven decades ago, these lands were part of the British Empire. Largely...
The case of Freeport is a clear illustration of Papua and the Indonesian government being held hostage by global capitalists. Papua, formerly known as Dutch New Guinea, is the western half of New Guinea, an island in the Pacific. For decades, Papua has been a region associated with conflict...
The cultural diversity of the Asian-African Commemoration Conference is admirable. If you were in Bandung, Indonesia in April, you wouldn’t have been able to avoid the 2015 Asian-African Commemoration Conference. The streets...
