https://www.scmp.com/rss/324168/feed Resty Woro Yuniar is a Jakarta-based reporter who covers Indonesian current affairs and Southeast Asia's tech scene. She was previously Indonesia correspondent at the BBC and tech reporter with The Wall Street Journal en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar A genocide complaint filed with Indonesian prosecutors against Myanmar’s newly elected President Min Aung Hlaing marks a further step by rights activists to hold the country’s military rulers accountable for their alleged international crimes, regardless of where they were committed. The complaint, lodged on Monday with Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office (AGO), accuses the former military chief of genocide against the Rohingya, including mass rape, forced eviction, killings and arson attacks... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349532/indonesian-activists-target-myanmars-president-genocide-case-against-him?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349532/indonesian-activists-target-myanmars-president-genocide-case-against-him?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:00:12 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia is accelerating the transition to clean and renewable energy while pushing for more investments in oil and gas projects, critical minerals and rare earth mining, amid the global energy crisis triggered by the Middle East conflict. In the past week, Jakarta signed a raft of deals with international partners to develop renewable and fossil fuel projects, aimed at achieving energy security as an insurance against the impact of heightened geopolitical tensions. Green energy could also... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348911/indonesia-rebalances-energy-policy-iran-war-spurs-new-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348911/indonesia-rebalances-energy-policy-iran-war-spurs-new-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 06:20:59 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar The killing of three Indonesian peacekeepers in southern Lebanon is a stern test of Jakarta’s Middle East policy, with analysts saying the incident has raised questions over the risks of overseas deployment in Gaza and the region, as well as limits to global accountability. Several Indonesian lawmakers and observers said the deaths had exposed how little protection diplomatic positions could offer during a spiralling conflict, arguing that Jakarta should reassess its role in Lebanon and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348679/indonesian-peacekeepers-deaths-spur-calls-middle-east-exit-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348679/indonesian-peacekeepers-deaths-spur-calls-middle-east-exit-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:13:29 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar The firing of an Indonesian immigration officer at a Batam seaport, following reports of extortion of foreign tourists, has raised questions about the prevalence of such practices across the country’s entry points. Batam, in Indonesia’s Riau Islands province, is a popular destination for visitors from nearby Singapore as it boasts scenic beaches an hour’s ferry ride from the city state. The island’s appeal has recently been marred by allegations of extortion by immigration officers at Batam... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348544/extortion-widespread-indonesias-entry-points-officers-firing-sparks-concern?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348544/extortion-widespread-indonesias-entry-points-officers-firing-sparks-concern?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:40:54 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Every year, roughly half of Indonesia’s 288 million people pack into trains, buses, ferries and cars and head home. The mudik, as the great Eid ul-Fitr exodus is known, is one of the largest annual human migrations on Earth and a ritual of return that defines the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. This year, the Ministry of Transportation estimates that 143.9 million journeys will be made. But it could hardly arrive at a worse time for the government’s finances. Oil prices have surged... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3346886/oil-price-spike-threatens-break-indonesias-budget-144-million-hit-road-eid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3346886/oil-price-spike-threatens-break-indonesias-budget-144-million-hit-road-eid?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 10:30:11 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Powerful waves have chewed away large sections of Bali’s iconic Kuta Beach, raising fresh concern about the future of the Indonesian island’s most famous stretch of sand. Officials say the latest damage, driven by recent rough seas, has intensified a long-running problem of coastal erosion that experts warn is being worsened by extreme weather and decades of coastal development on the resort island. Abrasion along Kuta’s shoreline is not new, but officials say this year’s extreme weather has... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3346510/balis-kuta-beach-disappearing-coastal-erosion-crisis-threatens-famed-shoreline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3346510/balis-kuta-beach-disappearing-coastal-erosion-crisis-threatens-famed-shoreline?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 09:35:38 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s appointment of two Chinese companies to run waste-to-energy (WtE) projects in two cities – part of President Prabowo Subianto’s push to reduce mounting rubbish in landfills while generating power – has sparked a debate over costs, efficiency and whether the initiative will deliver on its waste-reduction goals. Danantara, the Indonesian state wealth fund, on Friday announced that it had chosen Wangneng Environment as the operator of a WtE plant in the city of Bekasi, while Zhejiang... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3346252/why-indonesias-waste-energy-goal-may-not-be-quick-fix-landfill-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3346252/why-indonesias-waste-energy-goal-may-not-be-quick-fix-landfill-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s involvement in US leader Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” is drawing growing criticism at home as the war in the Middle East intensifies scrutiny of President Prabowo Subianto’s closer engagement with Washington. Critics have urged Jakarta to withdraw from the board and reconsider related policies, including plans to send troops to Gaza and a recent trade arrangement with the United States, while Prabowo has defended his stance as being consistent with the country’s non-aligned... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346114/indonesias-role-us-led-board-peace-under-scrutiny-amid-iran-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346114/indonesias-role-us-led-board-peace-under-scrutiny-amid-iran-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:00:54 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia went to Washington to negotiate a trade deal and came home with more than 200 obligations to America’s nine. A day after the signing, the US Supreme Court struck down the legal basis for the tariff threat that had driven the whole exercise – for a time, at least. Detractors have likened this “agreement on reciprocal trade” to a blank cheque and a surrender of Indonesia’s sovereignty. The government, for its part, calls it a win-win. The deal was signed by President Prabowo Subianto on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345752/indonesias-us-trade-deal-faces-sovereignty-reckoning-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345752/indonesias-us-trade-deal-faces-sovereignty-reckoning-home?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 03:00:33 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia will begin restricting access to some social media platforms for users under 16 from March 28, marking one of the region’s toughest moves yet to curb children’s exposure to harmful online content. Communications and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid announced the measure on Friday, saying the government had signed a regulation that would gradually stop children under 16 from holding accounts on platforms deemed “high risk”. Hafid said the rule would apply to platforms such as... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345763/indonesia-ban-under-16s-high-risk-social-media-platforms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345763/indonesia-ban-under-16s-high-risk-social-media-platforms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia could face a sharp fiscal squeeze if the US-Israel war on Iran pushes oil prices higher, analysts warn, as this risks inflating the country’s fuel subsidy bill at a time when global ratings agencies and investors are already scrutinising Jakarta’s budgetary discipline. A prolonged war could force policymakers into a difficult choice: maintain fuel subsidies and risk breaching the legal deficit ceiling – potentially unsettling investors further – or cut funding to keep the budget within... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345705/indonesia-faces-fiscal-squeeze-iran-war-drives-oil-prices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345705/indonesia-faces-fiscal-squeeze-iran-war-drives-oil-prices?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 08:03:50 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has wasted no time positioning himself as a diplomatic broker in the Middle East, offering to mediate between Iran and the United States even as the bombs are still falling. The problem, critics say, is that Indonesia stopped being neutral the moment it joined US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace”. Jakarta’s offer came on Saturday, hours after US and Israeli strikes began hitting Iran. Prabowo was willing to travel to Tehran in person if all parties... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345279/indonesias-us-iran-peace-broker-bid-faces-long-odds-we-are-nothing-them?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345279/indonesias-us-iran-peace-broker-bid-faces-long-odds-we-are-nothing-them?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:55:39 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar A confrontation between a foreign tourist and residents on a popular Indonesian holiday island has reignited debate over the regulation of mosque loudspeakers in the Muslim-majority country. The dispute, involving a New Zealand national on Gili Trawangan, has drawn fresh attention to whether related government guidelines on the use of such speakers should instead become a binding law. On February 18, the woman disrupted a Koran recitation night session at a musalla – a small prayer room – near... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3344616/row-over-speakers-indonesian-island-1000-mosques-sparks-debate-compromise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3344616/row-over-speakers-indonesian-island-1000-mosques-sparks-debate-compromise?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 10:31:05 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s decision to accept a deputy commander post in the United States-led International Stabilisation Force (ISF) for Gaza has placed it in a position to play a prominent role in the mission as it prepares to deploy thousands of troops to the war-torn enclave. While the Indonesian government has stressed that its personnel would focus on protecting civilians and supporting humanitarian efforts, analysts say the ISF’s broader objectives – including the disarmament of Palestinian armed... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344477/why-indonesias-lead-role-gaza-peacekeeping-force-carries-high-political-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344477/why-indonesias-lead-role-gaza-peacekeeping-force-carries-high-political-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 10:31:59 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto has called for a nationwide drive to replace corrugated zinc roofs with clay tiles, saying he wants to shed what he describes as a “rusty” image while cooling homes, reviving a struggling industry and boosting the country’s appeal to tourists. But analysts warn that the plan – dubbed gentengisasi, or “mass roofing” – could burden the environment, require costly structural upgrades and face resistance outside Java island. “I see in all our cities,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3344043/why-prabowos-push-clay-roofs-rusty-indonesia-may-face-brick-wall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3344043/why-prabowos-push-clay-roofs-rusty-indonesia-may-face-brick-wall?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 08:00:13 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar The deaths of three children by suspected suicide in recent weeks have shocked Indonesia, with child protection advocates saying they should serve as a “wake-up call” for the nation to pay more attention to young people’s well-being and mental health, particularly in remote and disadvantaged areas. In one case, reports that a child had asked for money for basic school supplies shortly before his death raised questions about whether state welfare programmes were reaching families most in need,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3343916/child-deaths-indonesia-spark-plea-address-mental-health-and-poverty-wake-call?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3343916/child-deaths-indonesia-spark-plea-address-mental-health-and-poverty-wake-call?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 10:30:08 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia is trying to engineer a Ramadan spending boost, rolling out transport fare cuts and food handouts to shore up consumption during its busiest shopping season, but economists question how far the temporary support can go in lifting growth. The 12.83 trillion rupiah (US$762 million) stimulus package unveiled ahead of the Muslim fasting month, which culminates in Eid ul-Fitr, is meant to keep people travelling and shopping despite rising food prices and softer purchasing power. In a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343826/will-indonesias-us762-million-ramadan-stimulus-be-positive-boost-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343826/will-indonesias-us762-million-ramadan-stimulus-be-positive-boost-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 10:00:23 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar As Western pressure tightens on traditional buyers of Russian crude, analysts say Indonesia’s status as a fast-growing net oil importer with limited fiscal headroom could position it as a potential new market for Moscow’s discounted supplies. But any shift towards Russian barrels would carry diplomatic risks, they add, particularly as Jakarta seeks to conclude sensitive trade negotiations with Washington and avoid complicating ties with the US and its allies. Indonesia has already come under... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343702/western-pressure-russian-oil-trade-brings-indonesia-focus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343702/western-pressure-russian-oil-trade-brings-indonesia-focus?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 05:59:30 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar After deadly floods and landslides swept through Sumatra last year, Indonesia’s government has moved to revoke permits blamed for damaging forests – ensnaring a flagship China-backed hydropower project and rattling investor confidence in one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing renewable energy markets. The decision, unveiled last month by President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, has been welcomed by environmental groups as a long-awaited show of teeth. But it has also raised questions about... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343515/indonesias-us167-billion-china-backed-dam-limbo-why?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343515/indonesias-us167-billion-china-backed-dam-limbo-why?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:11 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s largest Islamic organisations appear to be recalibrating their stance on Palestine by softening earlier criticisms of President Prabowo Subianto’s decision to join US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace”, in what analysts describe as a shift from prioritising Palestinian independence to broader security issues. The adjustment, which followed a closed-door meeting at the presidential palace earlier this month, has fuelled a debate on whether major Muslim groups are being nudged... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343365/why-indonesias-muslim-groups-are-revisiting-palestinian-issue-board-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343365/why-indonesias-muslim-groups-are-revisiting-palestinian-issue-board-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 04:00:19 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar The arrest of nearly 40 Indian nationals in Bali for allegedly running an online gambling operation has renewed concern about Indonesia’s tourist visa regime, which analysts warn is vulnerable to abuse by foreign criminal groups posing as travellers. The case highlights the scale of Indonesia’s struggle against online gambling, an industry that authorities say continues to generate billions of rupiah in transactions each month despite repeated crackdowns. Bali police said the suspects entered... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3343199/indonesias-tourist-visa-scheme-vulnerable-abuse-bali-gambling-bust-renews-concern?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3343199/indonesias-tourist-visa-scheme-vulnerable-abuse-bali-gambling-bust-renews-concern?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 02:00:33 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar The faint outline of a hand in a cave in Indonesia’s Sulawesi has been recognised as the world’s oldest known rock art, shattering a long-held scientific theory that human artistic expression first flourished in Ice Age Europe. Dating back at least 67,800 years, the faded stencil was found hiding beneath a more recent chicken sketch in Metanduno cave on Muna Island. Researchers say the finding, which was published in the scientific journal Nature on January 21, proves that ancient humans in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3342713/indonesias-68000-year-old-handprint-birth-human-art?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3342713/indonesias-68000-year-old-handprint-birth-human-art?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 05:00:09 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar The waste woes of tourism hotspot Bali have come under intense scrutiny after Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto shamed island authorities for what he said were improper steps to tackle the problem. But even as Balinese officials scramble to clean up their beaches, experts point to structural problems endemic to the issue, such as overtourism, lack of enforcement and insufficient education among locals. Prabowo publicly dressed down Bali’s governor, Wayan Koster, and his regents earlier this... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3342523/balis-waste-woes-under-scrutiny-prabowo-slams-indonesian-officials-slow-response?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3342523/balis-waste-woes-under-scrutiny-prabowo-slams-indonesian-officials-slow-response?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 10:01:34 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342030/indonesian-actress-memoir-starts-national-conversation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342030/indonesian-actress-memoir-starts-national-conversation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar The appointment of President Prabowo Subianto’s nephew to the leadership of Bank Indonesia (BI) has reignited debate over whether Southeast Asia’s largest economy can preserve the central bank’s independence – a question closely watched by foreign investors and currency markets. While some analysts warned that any perception the central bank could become more responsive to government financing needs risks capital outflows and pressure on the rupiah, others said Bank Indonesia’s collective... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3341563/bank-indonesias-autonomy-under-scrutiny-prabowos-nephew-joins-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3341563/bank-indonesias-autonomy-under-scrutiny-prabowos-nephew-joins-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 11:30:07 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s decision to join US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” has raised eyebrows at home, with critics zeroing in on how it deviated from Jakarta’s values by serving the interests of only the US and Israel instead of Palestine. Some observers, however, argue that the move is “consistent” with Indonesia’s proactive foreign policy stance and allows it access to major powers. President Prabowo Subianto was among several world leaders flanking Trump at Thursday’s signing of the board’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341420/indonesias-move-join-trumps-board-peace-stirs-debate-foreign-policy-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341420/indonesias-move-join-trumps-board-peace-stirs-debate-foreign-policy-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 09:52:57 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia has placed “resilience” at the heart of its foreign policy this year, pitching it as a way to keep the country from being buffeted by intensifying rivalry among the world’s major powers. But analysts say the concept, though rhetorically appealing, lacks clear objectives and a long-term strategy – running the risk of Jakarta’s diplomacy becoming more transactional and drifting away from its stated values of non-alignment, multilateralism and respect for international law. In his annual... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341038/resilience-indonesias-new-foreign-policy-buzzword-it-just-rhetoric?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341038/resilience-indonesias-new-foreign-policy-buzzword-it-just-rhetoric?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar When Indonesian actress Aurelie Moeremans released her memoir earlier this month, she never intended for it to start a national conversation over abuse and consent. Her book, Broken Strings: Fragments of Stolen Youth, recounts how she was groomed as a teenager – and how long it took her to understand what had happened. The story has struck a nerve across Indonesia, where parents, educators and officials are now asking how such harm could have happened unseen. Made freely available online, the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3341036/indonesian-actress-exposes-fake-marriage-and-grooming-viral-memoir?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3341036/indonesian-actress-exposes-fake-marriage-and-grooming-viral-memoir?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 05:30:10 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s efforts to deepen trade with the United States while maintaining close economic ties with China are being tested after a report revealed Washington had linked lower tariffs to the purchase of US-made maritime surveillance drones for use near the South China Sea. The development has highlighted the balancing act facing Jakarta, which analysts say is seeking to preserve strategic flexibility as trade negotiations with Washington increasingly intersect with security and geopolitical... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3340557/us-drone-demand-puts-indonesias-strategic-balance-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3340557/us-drone-demand-puts-indonesias-strategic-balance-test?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 09:32:19 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia begins its tenure as president of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) this month under a cloud of contradiction, with officials hailing the prestige of the largely ceremonial role even as activists raise uncomfortable questions about the country’s own rights record. The 47-member body, a subsidiary of the UN General Assembly, has a mandate to promote and protect human rights globally. Indonesia’s ambassador was elected president on January 8 after being put forward as the Asia‑Pacific... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340202/false-pride-indonesias-un-rights-role-clashes-its-domestic-record?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340202/false-pride-indonesias-un-rights-role-clashes-its-domestic-record?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar A police complaint against one of Indonesia’s best-known comedians has reignited debate over satire, blasphemy and free expression in the world’s third-largest democracy. The case involves 46-year-old stand-up comic and actor Pandji Pragiwaksono, whose Netflix special Mens Rea – an unfiltered performance touching on politics, law and democracy – was recorded in Jakarta before an audience of around 10,000 people on December 30. Pandji’s routine pokes fun at Indonesia’s political elite, taking aim... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3339880/indonesian-comic-hit-blasphemy-complaints-over-netflix-jokes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3339880/indonesian-comic-hit-blasphemy-complaints-over-netflix-jokes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 10:30:13 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s ambitious free nutritious meals programme has fed more than 55 million people in its first year, a scale-up President Prabowo Subianto has hailed as a major step in tackling childhood malnutrition, even as critics warn that rapid expansion has come at the expense of oversight, food safety and fiscal discipline. Launched with fanfare last year, the scheme provides free meals to schoolchildren, infants and pregnant women, with the government framing it as a long-term investment in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3339775/indonesia-hails-999-successful-free-meals-scheme-amid-food-safety-oversight-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3339775/indonesia-hails-999-successful-free-meals-scheme-amid-food-safety-oversight-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 12:46:06 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar For Indonesia, much of the past year was more a marathon than a sprint, with Southeast Asia’s largest economy recording steady growth despite global headwinds, a tighter budget and mounting pressure on jobs and household spending at home. Now, Jakarta sees 2026 as the right time to pick up speed, setting its sights on an annual economic expansion of no less than 6 per cent. Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa insists the target is attainable through improved policy coordination and stronger... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339414/indonesia-eyes-6-growth-2026-despite-jobs-time-bomb?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339414/indonesia-eyes-6-growth-2026-despite-jobs-time-bomb?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s Bali is weighing a regulation that would require foreign tourists to disclose how much money they have had in their bank accounts over the past three months, the island’s most far-reaching proposal yet in a drive to deter low-spending visitors and promote what officials call “quality tourism”. Governor Wayan Koster said the measure would be included in Bali’s Draft Regional Regulation on Quality Tourism Management, which he said was nearing completion in the island’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3339223/why-bali-wants-check-tourists-bank-balances-and-why-it-may-be-hard-enforce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3339223/why-bali-wants-check-tourists-bank-balances-and-why-it-may-be-hard-enforce?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 02:00:20 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s long-delayed overhaul of its criminal justice system took effect last week, with the government hailing the “historic” change that would usher in a “more humane” era of law enforcement, even as rights groups warn they could further narrow space for dissent and private life. The new Criminal Code and revised Criminal Procedure Code came into force on Friday, ending decades of debate over how to replace Dutch-era statutes that officials said no longer reflected Indonesian society. It... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338939/indonesias-humane-new-criminal-code-sparks-warnings-about-civil-liberties-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338939/indonesias-humane-new-criminal-code-sparks-warnings-about-civil-liberties-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2026 10:16:01 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar A decision by a court in Switzerland this week to hear a climate lawsuit brought by four Indonesian fishermen against cement giant Holcim has been welcomed by campaigners as an important step for climate justice, even as they warned the legal fight could still stretch on for years. On Monday, the Cantonal Court of Zug ruled that it would admit the lawsuit, allowing the case to proceed to a full assessment on its merits. The complaint accuses Holcim, a Swiss company based in the town of Zug, of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3337656/indonesian-fishermens-climate-lawsuit-switzerland-against-cement-giant-proceed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3337656/indonesian-fishermens-climate-lawsuit-switzerland-against-cement-giant-proceed?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Dec 2025 00:00:15 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar China has emerged as a broadly positive partner for Indonesia in the public mind, according to a new survey, driven by visible economic engagement and investment on the ground, even as public support stops short of seeing Beijing as a full strategic partner. The 2025 China–Indonesia Survey, released on December 18 by Jakarta-based think tank Centre of Economic and Law Studies (Celios), suggests Indonesians increasingly view ties with Beijing through a transactional lens, welcoming economic and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3337520/economic-pragmatism-powers-indonesians-positive-view-china-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3337520/economic-pragmatism-powers-indonesians-positive-view-china-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 10:51:46 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia is pressing ahead with plans to restore parts of Sumatra devastated by a late November cyclone, pledging billions of dollars and a new coordinating body, even as experts warn that rebuilding in the same area risks a repeat of the disaster. Flash floods and landslides that hit Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra on November 26 killed more than 1,050 people and left 192 missing, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). The disaster displaced about 577,600 residents... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3336923/experts-warn-indonesia-not-rebuild-disaster-prone-zones-sumatra-recovery-starts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3336923/experts-warn-indonesia-not-rebuild-disaster-prone-zones-sumatra-recovery-starts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:00:46 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar A week after a deadly fire tore through a Jakarta office building and killed 22 people, labour groups and urban planners say the tragedy is a stark example of how weak enforcement, “back-room dealings” and risky conversions of office space continue to endanger workers in Indonesia’s capital. The blaze broke out on December 9 at a seven-storey building in central Jakarta rented by drone operator Terra Drone Indonesia, where employees became trapped inside as smoke spread through the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3336766/deadly-indonesia-fire-fuels-claims-back-room-dealings-safety?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3336766/deadly-indonesia-fire-fuels-claims-back-room-dealings-safety?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 10:00:37 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s flagship programme to provide millions of schoolchildren with free nutritious meals is back in the spotlight after a delivery van linked to the initiative ploughed into a group of students in Jakarta last week, leaving 21 children and a teacher injured. The accident on Thursday has raised fresh questions about safety and oversight in what critics call the “chaotic” roll-out of the signature initiative of President Prabowo Subianto, which has a 71 trillion rupiah (US$4.2 billion)... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3336641/calls-halt-indonesias-free-meal-drive-after-horror-crash-injures-21-children?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3336641/calls-halt-indonesias-free-meal-drive-after-horror-crash-injures-21-children?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 00:00:11 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia should tread carefully before deepening ties with Russia, analysts said, after President Prabowo Subianto made an unplanned visit to Moscow this week, raising questions about the diplomatic and economic costs of closer engagement – including how Washington could respond. Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Prabowo on Wednesday, hailing 75 years of what the Kremlin described as “solid and steady” diplomatic relations between the two countries. The visit was Prabowo’s second to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3336244/indonesia-urged-tread-carefully-russia-courts-prabowo-energy-and-defence-offers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3336244/indonesia-urged-tread-carefully-russia-courts-prabowo-energy-and-defence-offers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2025 10:30:09 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia has confirmed it will not ban holiday rental platform Airbnb after Bali said it was considering doing so to curb unlicensed hotels and villas that have mushroomed on the island. The split underscores the growing tension between Bali’s push to rein in illegal accommodations and Jakarta’s preference for regulation over platform bans. Analysts also say that a ban on Airbnb alone would not fix deeper problems such as unregistered guest houses, weak enforcement and foreigners subletting... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3336074/indonesia-closes-door-airbnb-ban-after-bali-governor-seeks-curb-unlicensed-rentals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3336074/indonesia-closes-door-airbnb-ban-after-bali-governor-seeks-curb-unlicensed-rentals?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 10:30:08 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto has revived debate over how the country chooses its regional leaders by using a major gathering of his governing coalition to urge political elites to “be brave” and consider scrapping direct elections. Prabowo and his supporters argue that shifting to indirect regional elections would cut wasteful spending and curb vote buying, but analysts and activists warn that abandoning direct polls would undercut democratic accountability and risk reversing hard-won... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335918/indonesias-prabowo-urges-elites-be-brave-change-how-regional-heads-are-selected?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335918/indonesias-prabowo-urges-elites-be-brave-change-how-regional-heads-are-selected?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 10:30:16 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia is confronting its deadliest natural disaster in more than two decades as floods and landslides ravage Sumatra, overwhelming local authorities and prompting scrutiny of how President Prabowo Subianto’s administration is managing the crisis. Officials insist relief efforts have moved quickly, given how the scale of devastation demanded complex coordination, but critics and segments of the public argue the response has felt slow and at times tone-deaf, a perception analysts said could... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3335781/indonesia-faces-second-tsunami-after-sumatra-floods-jakartas-response-enough?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3335781/indonesia-faces-second-tsunami-after-sumatra-floods-jakartas-response-enough?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 10:31:30 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar What happens when a democracy begins to fear its own internet? In Indonesia, that question is no longer hypothetical, as the government threatens to pull the plug on major online platforms many of its people rely upon. When Jakarta warned last month that it could block major platforms like Cloudflare and Wikipedia, the move was justified as a crackdown on online gambling – a vice officially outlawed in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation. But for tech industry players and free-speech... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335389/jakarta-vs-internet-indonesias-gamble-digital-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335389/jakarta-vs-internet-indonesias-gamble-digital-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 07:30:08 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar The recent rediscovery of Rafflesia hasseltii, an extremely rare giant parasitic red flower, in a forest in Indonesia’s West Sumatra has sparked a backlash after Oxford University’s initial social media post credited only its scientist, leaving out the local researchers who made the search possible. Analysts say the uproar reflects long-standing grievances over how Western researchers and their Global South counterparts are recognised in joint projects, and the lingering legacy of colonialism in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3335090/joy-rare-indonesian-flower-find-wilts-over-oxfords-failure-name-local-researchers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3335090/joy-rare-indonesian-flower-find-wilts-over-oxfords-failure-name-local-researchers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 02:00:39 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia is facing renewed calls to curb deforestation and tighten oversight of forest concessions after a rare tropical cyclone tore across Sumatra, unleashing floods and landslides that have killed more than 700 people and left hundreds missing. The disaster has prompted a nationwide debate over whether the tragedy was driven primarily by climate change-fuelled extreme weather or by decades of ecological destruction in a region that has been transformed by plantations, mining and large-scale... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3334963/indonesias-cyclone-tragedy-exposes-lethal-cost-forest-destruction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3334963/indonesias-cyclone-tragedy-exposes-lethal-cost-forest-destruction?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 06:30:09 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia has unveiled a long-awaited permanent residency scheme aimed at strengthening ties with its diaspora and attracting global talent, but analysts warn that lingering restrictions could still deter the very people Jakarta hopes to bring home. The Global Citizenship of Indonesia (GCI) programme, announced on November 19, is widely seen by observers as Jakarta’s attempt to resolve a decades-old dilemma over dual citizenship – an option the government has repeatedly considered but ultimately... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334537/will-indonesias-new-global-citizenship-scheme-spur-diaspora-return?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334537/will-indonesias-new-global-citizenship-scheme-spur-diaspora-return?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 11:30:07 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s plan to build a new capital in East Kalimantan is facing renewed scrutiny after the Constitutional Court struck down a regulation granting investors land rights of up to 190 years – a decision welcomed by indigenous groups but seen by developers as a potential deterrent to investment. The ruling highlights the mounting challenges confronting Nusantara, a 466 trillion rupiah (US$28 billion) development conceived by former president Joko Widodo as a smart, green city to replace the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3334392/indonesia-blindsided-nusantaras-190-year-land-right-law-nullified-court?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3334392/indonesia-blindsided-nusantaras-190-year-land-right-law-nullified-court?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 04:00:10 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s pledge to send troops to Gaza as part of a US-backed international stabilisation force (ISF) has prompted warnings by analysts that the Muslim-majority nation could be drawn into combat operations or accused of abandoning the Palestinian cause. They said Jakarta’s long-standing support for Palestinian statehood was in contrast with the ISF’s mandate – particularly if the latter involves disarming Hamas – and the move could spur claims that Indonesia is siding with the US and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334234/indonesias-gaza-peacekeeping-pledge-raises-risk-clash-hamas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334234/indonesias-gaza-peacekeeping-pledge-raises-risk-clash-hamas?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Nov 2025 10:00:33 +0000