It’s been nearly a month since the passage of the military bill, and yet the government remains silent in the face of criticism. The final draft cannot be accessed, the president has not signed it, while some people have been camping outside the parliamentary building for more than a week now to show their resistance to the glaring injustice. The police have repeatedly tried to dissolve them, but they won’t give up until the government is willing to meet them in the middle.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education plans to reintroduce majors in high school, which have previously been abolished by then Minister Nadiem Makarim with the implementation of Merdeka Curriculum. Students will again be required to choose between science, social studies, and language majors, while high schools need to adjust to the ever-changing curriculums every few years.

The recent meeting between Prabowo Subianto and Megawati Soekarnoputri earlier this week was not just an ordinary political courtesy. It was a moment the public had been anticipating since the presidential and legislative elections.

News of a private meeting between Prabowo Subianto and seven senior journalists has stirred public interest. What appeared to be a casual, off-the-record conversation in fact carried deep political significance—especially when viewed alongside recent remarks by Satryo Soemantri Brodjonegoro, former Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology.

Lists of Indonesian celebrities and influencers who voted for Prabowo-Gibran pairing in the 2024 Presidential Election have been widely shared across social media platforms since the passage of the military bill (RUU TNI) last Thursday. Some of them remain silent to this day, while a few others have quickly denied the accusation. Who are they and what do their denials possibly imply?

Within a week, Indonesia has been experiencing a wave of mass protests following the House of Representatives’ decision to pass the controversial military bill (RUU TNI). Starting from Thursday (20/03) until Tuesday (25/03), thousands of people in several cities all across the country flocked to local parliament buildings to call for annulment of the military bill. This series of mass protests has one thing in common, that it ended in chaos and involved acts of violence by armed forces stationed at the location.

Recently, the public has once again been shocked by a series of legal violations involving members of the TNI and Polri. These range from the abuse of civilians, extortion practices, involvement in criminal networks, to the abuse of power beyond their main duties and functions. Ironically, these violations are occurring amid the government’s strong push to expand the authority of both institutions. Does broader authority actually increase the potential for misconduct?

A new wave of threats against press freedom has resurfaced after Tempo faced serious pressure following the publication of its investigative report. Not only has it been subjected to cyberattacks, Tempo is also facing more systematic threats in the form of legal complaints and political pressure. Recently, Tempo’s office was terrorized by the delivery of a pig’s head and rats—an act of intimidation reminiscent of the darkest periods of press suppression. This situation was further exacerbated by the blunder of Hasan Nasbi, Head of Presidential Communication Office (PCO) of the Republic of Indonesia, whose statement was seen as worsening the situation and reinforcing the perception that there is a deliberate effort to silence the press.