A Tracking Device
The discovery of a tracking device on the vehicle used by former UGM Student Executive Board chairman Tiyo Ardianto should concern many regardless of their political preferences. Whether the device was installed by political opponents, private actors, or someone acting independently, the incident revives an uncomfortable question: are critics of power once again being subjected to intimidation beyond the boundaries of democratic contestation?
Students return to the streets
Thousands of police personnel had been deployed across Jakarta to secure student demonstrations centered around Bundaran HI. The immediate trigger may be a protest organized by BEM UI, but the emerging picture suggests something broader: a growing convergence of student organizations, campus groups, and local activist networks expressing concern over Indonesia’s political and economic direction.
Who will pay for PPPK promise?
The recent wave of governors appearing before the House of Representatives with a similar plea—more money to pay government contract employees (PPPK)—should serve as a warning sign for policymakers.
A new wave of demonstrations
As the government stumbles from one controversy to another, students are once again at the forefront of safeguarding democracy. They will hold a demonstration in Jakarta today, adding to the growing list of mass protests that have taken place across several regions of Indonesia over the past week. Their demands focus not only on the country’s increasingly troubling economic conditions, but also on a range of policies implemented by the Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming administration.
The end of the honeymoon?
Only a few months ago, President Prabowo Subianto enjoyed one of the highest approval ratings ever recorded for a newly elected Indonesian leader. Surveys by Indikator Politik and Poltracking consistently placed public satisfaction between 72 and 80 percent.
From free meals to landfills: How many poblems should the military solve?
Recent reports suggest that the Indonesian Military (TNI), particularly the Army, will be involved not only in waste cleanup operations but also in the revitalization of landfills and the construction of modern waste-management facilities in several regions. The initiative follows a pattern that has become increasingly visible under the current administration.
The new chapter of MBG?
The leadership transition at the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has ushered in new policies for the MBG program. Among the most notable is the plan to cap the number of SPPGs per sub-district. At the same time, BGN is exploring the possibility of utilizing school canteens, particularly in 3T regions. These policies may seem unrelated, but both are rooted in the same challenge: how to adapt MBG implementation to the vastly different conditions across Indonesia.
The curious timing of new debate on civilians in the Police
When National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo recently stated that civilians could occupy certain positions within the Indonesian National Police (Polri), the announcement was presented as a discussion about institutional openness and modernization. Yet the more interesting question is not whether civilians can work in Polri. They already do.
Beyond the acid attack
As Indonesia awaits the verdict in the case of Andrie Yunus, much of the public debate has focused on a single number: the 2.5-year prison sentence sought by military prosecutors for four soldiers accused of carrying out the acid attack against the KontraS activist, Andrie Yunus.
Latest survey of Poltracking
A new Poltracking survey shows that 72.2 percent of Indonesians are satisfied with the government’s performance, while public trust stands even higher at 74.2 percent. On paper, those numbers suggest a comfortable political position. Yet a closer reading of the same survey reveals a less reassuring reality.