A clash between officers and inmates broke out at the National Police's Mobile Brigade headquarters' detention center in Depok (West Java), not far from Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta, on Tuesday evening (08/05). Reportedly, five officers and one inmate have been killed. One officer is still being held hostage. Several other officers are being treated in a local hospital. Although still unconfirmed it is believed that these rebellious inmates are convicted Islamist militants.

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On Monday morning (23/01) hundreds of Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) members conducted a protest march from the Al Azhar Mosque in South Jakarta to Police headquarters on Jalan Sudirman in Central Jakarta to protest against the questioning of FPI leader Rizieq Shihab. Jakarta Police summoned the FPI leader for questioning regarding a speech that was published on the FPI's YouTube channel.

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An Indonesian police plane, on route to Batam, has reportedly crashed between the islands of Mensanak and Sebangka (between Sumatra and Singapore), possibly killing all 13 people on board. The airplane was a twin-engine police jet. Near the crash site items have been recovered that are believed to be parts of the plane. Earlier, Indonesian authorities announced contact with an airplane was lost, 50 minutes after take-off from Pangkal Pinang on the island of Bangka.

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The crime rate in Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta fell slightly in 2015. Whereas in 2014 there occurred 44,687 crime cases in Jakarta, the following year the number had fallen to 44,304 cases, a mere 0.87 percent decline (year-on-year). Inspector General Tito Karnavian, Chief of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police Command, said this decline is an indication that effectiveness and efficiency of crime prevention has improved. In 2015 one out of every 513 people in Jakarta became victim of crime.

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It took about six hours for Indonesia’s Constitutional Court (Mahkamah Konstitusi) to read out the lengthy 300-page verdict in the case that was filed by defeated presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, who claimed that the result of Indonesia’s July 2014 presidential election was invalid due to large-scale violations and fraud that allegedly occurred during the voting and counting processes. During the read out it became increasingly clear that the Constitutional Court would reject Subianto’s claims due to a lack of evidence.

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Throughout my life in Indonesia I have noticed that when dealing with government institutions, for example when arranging a residence permit (KITAS/KITAP), a work permit (IMTA) or a building permit (IMB), there are two options: (1) do everything according to official guidelines (based on laws, regulations, and policies) but expect to see a delay, or (2) pay a higher price at the start but ‘get things done quickly’.

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Positive macroeconomic data of Indonesia - involving the significantly lower trade deficit in 2014 and easing inflation - had a good impact on the Indonesia rupiah exchange rate on Tuesday (03/02) although prior to closing the currency somewhat slid after Australia's central bank cut its interest rates causing speculation of further policy easing around the Asia Pacific region in a move to support sluggish growth and avert deflation. Most emerging Asian currencies strengthened on Tuesday against the US dollar on stronger risk appetite.

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Both Indonesia’s rupiah exchange rate and stocks strengthened on Tuesday (27/01) as concerns about Greece exiting the Eurozone somewhat eased while the positive market sentiments that were caused by the European Central Bank’s recently unfolded quantitative easing program are still felt. Indonesia’s benchmark stock index (Jakarta Composite Index) gained 0.33 percent to 5,277.15 points, while the rupiah appreciated 0.31 percent to IDR 12,469 per US dollar based on the Bloomberg Dollar Index.

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