Rebecca Ratcliffe – At least 20 people are missing following violent protests that have gripped cities across Indonesia over the past week, a human rights group has warned.

Nandito Putra, Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati announced that the government will not impose new taxes or raise tax rates in 2026. Despite this, the state revenue target in the 2026 State Budget (RAPBN) is set to increase by 9.8%, reaching Rp3,147.7 trillion.

Sukarjito, Jakarta – Certain groups have been exploiting recent public demonstrations and hijacking their agenda once situations turned anarchistic, an analyst said.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto's plan to promote police officers injured during recent protests has sparked criticism from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH). The LBH argues that these promotions are inappropriate while many protesters are still injured or have died.

Basten Gokkon – Researchers have developed the first model to map how supply and demand interact in Indonesia's highly lucrative songbird trade, revealing patterns that could help curb poaching pressure on rare and threatened species.

Agencies, New York, United States – The United Nations on Monday called for investigations into alleged use of disproportionate force after six people were killed in protests across Indonesia sparked by anger over lawmakers' lavish perks.

Jakarta – The death of Affan Kurniawan on August 28, 2025, was a tragedy. The 21-year-old online motorbike taxi driver was run over by a Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) tactical vehicle while he was in a crowd using their right of expression in a demonstration demanding the dissolution of the House of Representatives (DPR).

Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – Indonesia's National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has found that 1,683 individuals were arrested by the police during the mass demonstrations in Jakarta from August 25 to 31, 2025. They were apprehended by the Jakarta Metro Police.

Aep Sopandi, Bandung – A total of 48 tear gas canisters were found around the campuses of Pasundan University (Unpas) and Bandung Islamic University (Unisba) on Jalan Tamansari, Bandung, following clashes on Monday night. The canisters were discovered by cleaning and security staff while clearing the campus area on Tuesday morning.

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – Indonesia's actor and influencer Andovi Da Lopez was among the demonstrators at the main gate of the House of Representatives (DPR) complex on Monday, September 1, 2025. Together with other influencers, he brought demands named "17+8 People's Demands".

Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto lavished civilian honors upon more than 140 figures last week, some of them posthumously, an act that hardly fulfills the intended purpose of the state awards for at least two reasons.

Jakarta – The wave of demonstrations in Jakarta and several other regions over the past week has formulated a number of demands to the government regarding improvements in bureaucratic governance and law enforcement.

Vedro Imanuel Girsang, Jakarta – The West Java Regional Police have denied allegations that their officers fired tear gas directly at Bandung Islamic University (Unisba). According to the police, the smoke entered the campus area after being carried by the wind from the street.

Ilona Estherina, Jakarta – Three economic and public policy research institutions, or Think Tanks, released a statement following the outbreak of demonstrations in several regions. They are Indef, Core Indonesia, and The Prakarsa. The economists believe that the recent turmoil reflects the government's failure to manage a fair economy.

West Papuan civil society and solidarity networks are calling for urgent action over a brutal Indonesian security forces crackdown that has led to a wave of arrests and political repression.

Protests erupted in Sorong, in the western part of the Melanesian territory, on Wednesday over the transfer of 4 political prisoners out of the territory.

Mita Amalia Hapsari, Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – Police in the Indonesian capital have arrested more than 1,200 people following a week of violent protests marked by looting and vandalism, Jakarta Police Chief Inspector General Asep Edi Suheri said on Monday.

Andrew Tito, Jakarta – Indonesian police said Monday that the security situation in Jakarta and other regions has returned to "conducive" levels after a week of violent demonstrations, as joint patrols by police, soldiers, and community groups were rolled out to prevent further unrest.

Michael H. Hadylaya, Jakarta – In The Hunger Games, the Capitol glitters while the districts starve. The elites feast, dress extravagantly and stage parades as if hunger were a distant rumor. That was fiction, but in Indonesia today, the parallels feel striking.

Indonesia is weighing the acquisition of Italy's decommissioned aircraft carrier as part of Jakarta's push toward a blue-water navy.

Newsweek contacted the Indonesian Ministry of Defense and the Italian Embassy for comment via email.

Why it matters

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto stated that while the right to protest is guaranteed by law, demonstrations must follow strict rules, including obtaining a permit and concluding by 6:00 p.m.

Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – Indonesia's armed forces have dismissed rumors that the government is preparing to impose martial law following violent demonstrations in Jakarta and several other regions.

Deputy Armed Forces Commander Gen. Tandyo Budi Revita on Monday stressed that the speculation was "completely false" and ran counter to the military's constitutional role.

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition believes that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has failed to understand the people's aspirations during the recent wave of protests.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia announced Monday that it had extended its surplus streak for the 63rd month following a $4.17 billion positive trade balance in July.

Mohammad Muajijin, Kediri, East Java – The Regent of Kediri, Hanindhito Himawan Pramana, has called on looters to return cultural artifacts stolen during violent demonstrations on Saturday that left government offices burned and the Bagawanta Bhari Museum ransacked.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Last week's protest in Jakarta resulted in infrastructure damage. The total loss exceeded Rp55 billion. Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung Wibowo stated that several damaged infrastructures, including shelters, toll gates, and closed-circuit television (CCTV).

Sukarjito, Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Indonesia has suspended five lawmakers whose controversial remarks about parliamentary perks and displays of privilege inflamed public anger, triggering violent protests that swept across the country.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has acknowledged that police officers sometimes make mistakes while enforcing the law, which can lead to casualties during demonstrations.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has declared the arson attack on the South Sulawesi Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) building, which resulted in the deaths of four civil servants, an act of treason.

The Indonesian Civil Society Coalition wishes to convey several things:

Akmalal Hamdhi, Jakarta – Indonesia recorded deflation of 0.08 percent in August 2025 on a month-to-month basis, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS). The figure is deeper than the 0.03 percent deflation seen in August last year.

Rama Sukarta, Muhammad Ghafur Fadillah, Jakarta – Indonesia's economy remains fundamentally strong despite a week of nationwide protests and violent unrest, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said on Monday.

Antara, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia (BI) will continue to remain in the market to maintain the stability of the exchange rate and the adequacy of rupiah liquidity post the recent protests.

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – The Indonesian Minister of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) Meutya Hafid has revealed the existence of a significant amount of funding used to finance provocation and the spread of violent content on social media. This finding was obtained from monitoring the digital space in the past few days.

Hanin Marwah, Jakarta – Amnesty International regrets the instruction from Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to law enforcement officers to take firm action against what is considered anarchic masses in demonstrations.

Agencies, Jakarta – Students and civil society groups called off protests on Monday after a week of escalating anger over lawmakers' pay and the police response, citing fears of heightened security measures after deadly riots over the weekend.

Hanin Marwah, Jakarta – Amnesty International criticized Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's statement mentioning efforts to take legal action against subversion and terrorism in the recent week-long unrest following demonstrations. Prabowo made this statement accompanied by the leaders of political parties in a press conference at the palace on Sunday, August 31, 2025.

Rebecca Ratcliffe – Indonesian political parties have agreed to cut some lawmakers' perks, including a controversial $3,000 housing allowance, the president said, as security measures were stepped up in an attempt to halt protests that have gripped the country for a week.

Jakarta – Lawmakers at the House of Representatives returned to work on Monday with members of key commissions kicking off fresh rounds of deliberations on crucial legislation.

Members of Commission I overseeing defense and foreign affairs on Monday resumed their session to discuss details of the 2026 state budget with the leadership of the Indonesian Military (TNI).

Ricki Putra Harahap, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto vowed Monday that he "will not retreat even a step" in confronting rioters responsible for violent unrest across Jakarta and several provinces over the past week, while insisting that legitimate demonstrators should not be blamed for the chaos.

On 28th and 29th August 2025, tens of thousands of Indonesian workers protested across provinces and sub districts such as Manokwari, Semarang, Solo, Magelang, Medan, Bengkulu, and Tegal with the epicenter of protest in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta.

Yovanda Noni, Antara, Samarinda – Twenty-two students from Mulawarman University, East Kalimantan, were caught making dozens of Molotov cocktails that were allegedly intended for use in a protest scheduled for Monday.

Jakarta – Indonesia has made digital declarations mandatory for all international travelers beginning September 1, 2025, through the government's new All Indonesia app.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – Many foreign nationals have shown support for Indonesian online motorcycle taxi (ojol) drivers amidst the recent week-long protests. This phenomenon was captured in a post by user X @sighyam on Saturday, August 30, 2025.

Jakarta – Indonesia is living through one of its most volatile moments since the democratic transition of 1998. What began as scattered unrest has now spilled across cities, fueled by deep economic frustration, perceived elite impunity and a rising sense that the political class has grown deaf to the people's plight.

Elviza Diana, Bengkulu, Indonesia – Yesi held her daughter Helda tightly, but the little one still shivered for days in the tropical heat over Teluk Sepang, a bay on Sumatra's west coast.

"Her cough hasn't stopped for 10 days now," Yesi told Mongabay Indonesia. "I feel so sorry for her."

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia's palm oil exports saw another double-digit increase as of July as shipments of this agricultural commodity – both in crude and processed – hit the $14 billion mark in value.

Basten Gokkon – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has set up a new authority to build a massive seawall along the north coast of Java, a project aimed at shielding millions of residents from flooding and sinking land, but observers reject it as a true solution while highlighting risks, elite bias and lack of consultation.

Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition and the Indonesian Academic Alliance of Concern have responded to a speech by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto regarding the situation that has triggered large demonstrations in a number of regions since last week.

Miriam Bahagijo, New York – The seats were almost full as the lights dimmed and an audio speaker transmitted the decades-old announcement of voice actress Marie Oentoe Tinangon, familiar to most Indonesian moviegoers: "The door to Theater 1 is open."

Antara, Jakarta – Two leaders of prominent Indonesian universities have urged the public to remain calm and exercise restraint in responding to the current political situation marked by demonstrations.

The Rector of the University of Indonesia (UI), Heri Hermansyah, said that the public should express their aspirations while preventing anarchic acts.