Author: Rangga Putri

WEST SUMBAWA, Indonesia — More than a decade ago, Amiruddin would climb aboard a small fishing boat under the cover of night armed with around 10 bombs. Amir, as he is commonly known, and his accomplices motored for around half an hour from the western shoreline of Indonesia’s Sumbawa Island to waters off the small island of Paserang. Then the men would detonate the explosives over the reef below, Amir told Mongabay Indonesia. “I have done all the illegal fishing practices,” Amir said. “It’s because the yield was so great.” Amir, who is in his late 30s, has ventured out…

JAKARTA, Oct 31 (Reuters) – Indonesia is finalising a regulation that opens up carbon capture and storage schemes to more industries and allow green house gases from abroad to be stored in the country, a government official said on Tuesday. Indonesia’s existing regulatory framework for implementing carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture, storage and utilisation (CCUS) currently only applies to the oil and gas sector. The country aims to set itself up as a carbon storage hub, utilising its depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs and saline aquifers, said energy ministry senior official Tutuka Ariadji. “This regulation will have a wider…

SYDNEY/HONG KONG, Oct 11 (Reuters) – Indonesian courier services startup J&T Global Express is aiming to launch its Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) on Monday to raise $500 million, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said, in the city’s second largest new share sale in 2023. The sources could not be named as the information has not yet been made public. J&T did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company had earlier aimed to raise at least $1 billion via a Hong Kong IPO in the second half of 2023, Reuters reported in February.…

Nusa Dua, Bali (ANTARA) – Indonesia has agreed to strengthen economic cooperation with Cabo Verde, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea, respectively. At a bilateral meeting with Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Cabo Verde Miryan Viera, Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi welcomed Viera’s proposal for the two countries to cooperate in several sectors, according to a statement of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday. Those sectors are the blue economy, infrastructure, and tourism. Marsudi stated that she would bring together Minister Viera and Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, for…

Brussels (21/10 – 75) In May 2022, tens of ethnic Pamiri protesters were killed by security forces as demonstrations were violently suppressed and an “anti-terrorist operation” was launched in the east of the country. Activists, local leaders, journalists and bloggers were arrested and sentenced in unfair trials. Many reported being tortured. Access to information, including through the media and internet, remained heavily restricted. Domestic violence remained widespread with victims rarely securing justice or support. Afghan refugees continued to be detained and deported. Tajikistan’s economic and political life continued to be tightly controlled by the president, in the 30th year of…

Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN Hou Yanqi emphasized in celebration of China’s 74th National Day that China’s growth is not to advance alone, but to advance together with other countries in the region. JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Strategic and inclusive cooperation between ASEAN and China, Japan and South Korea is the key to regional growth and stability. This was conveyed by the Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN Hou Yanqi at the commemoration of China’s 74th National Day in Jakarta, Tuesday (26/9/2023). “Our relationship is equal and mutually respectful. “The ASEAN Plus Three (China-Japan-South Korea) mechanism will be mutually beneficial cooperation for all,” said…

A bright future is on the horizon for Thailand’s transport and logistics system. The Transport Minister, Suriya Juangroongruangkit, has recently outlined his ambitious plans for the country’s railways and maritime sectors. Revealed during his inaugural speech, these policies are set to be formally announced next week. Suriya believes that by focusing on these areas of transport improvement, Thailand can significantly enhance its competitiveness in logistics, a sector brimming with growth potential. Suriya’s key priority is the timely completion of the country’s double-track rail projects. These projects are crucial to the nation’s infrastructure, with one of the most significant being the 29.7-billion-baht upgrade between Khon Kaen…

It has long been assumed within the upper reaches of the CCP that Laos and Cambodia had become vassal states of the PRC, and would do the bidding of Beijing whenever openly or covertly asked to do so. Such an opinion ignores the fact that both Laos and Cambodia have a rich civilisational heritage. The Laotians and the Cambodians are a proud people, aware of the immense depth of their cultural and historical heritage, and would never allow themselves to once again come under the control of a foreign power. With each passing generation, such self-confidence and self-assurance has grown,…

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines trails its Southeast Asian counterparts in terms of the contribution of the digital market to the entire economy, according to a study. Data compiled by Tech for Good Institute (TFGI) showed that in the Philippines, the contribution of digital economy to gross domestic product (GDP) stood at only 9.4 percent. When compared to Southeast Asian countries of the same size, Vietnam credits 14.26 percent of GDP to the online economy, followed by Malaysia (14 percent), Singapore (13 percent) and Thailand (13 percent ). The Philippines was slightly ahead of Indonesia, placing the share of its…

JAKARTA (The Straits Times/ANN): The regional summit of South-East Asian leaders concluded on Thursday with some strides made towards tackling the Myanmar crisis, little progress on the South China Sea territorial dispute and a whopping US$38 billion (S$52 billion) worth of deals in the bag, analysts say. Expectations were high that Indonesia – chair of Asean in 2023 – would make breakthroughs in resolving the Myanmar conflict, given its vocal criticisms against the atrocities committed there after a military coup in 2021 wrested power from the democratically elected government. Indonesia is also a founding member of the 10-nation grouping, and…