Publications
Evidence with a purpose.
Reports, policy briefs, press releases, books, and public commentary in one searchable archive.
Should China really be teaching Indonesia how to negotiate?
Opinion article by Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat Bhima Yudhistira, published in Asia Times.
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Sulawesi Has Exceeded Its Environmental Carrying Capacity as Extractive Industries Continue to Expand
Jakarta, 15 September 2026 — A new study by the Center of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS) finds that Sulawesi has exceeded its environmental carrying and assimilative capacity. Based on a multidimensional assessment of air, water, land, social conditions, and policy controls, the island recorded an aggregate score of 4.5 out of 5, placing it in the “beyond limits” category. The report, Beyond Limits: The Failure of Environmental Carrying and Assimilative Capacity (D3TLH) to Control the Expans
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Over-the-Top Industry Governance in Indonesia
The Over-the-Top (OTT) industry, widely referred to as digital platforms in Indonesia, has become the backbone of the national digital economy, yet its fiscal contribution still falls far short of the economic value it generates. This study finds that with digital transaction value reaching approximately Rp1,350 trillion, digital tax revenue amounted to only Rp32.32 trillion, producing a digital tax coefficient of 0.27, a figure that reflects a systemic failure to capture digital economic value
Read publicationDisaster-Prone Indonesia, Reckless Fiscal Policy
Opinion article by Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat Bhima Yudhistira, published in Fair Observer.
Read publicationChina’s Indonesian nickel boom runs into a limestone wall
An opinion article by Viky Arthiando Putra Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, published in Asia Times.
Read publicationIndonesia-UAE ties need to go beyond the dam
Opinion article by Bhima Yudhistira Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, published in Middle East Monitor.
Read publicationIndonesia’s Government Seeks Public Donations for NTT Disaster: Where Are Its Priorities?
Opinion article by Isnawati Hidayah, published in The Conversation.
Read publicationMBG terus menuai korban: 50 ribu siswa keracunan, miliaran duit warga terbuang
An opinion article by Isnawati Hidayah Media Wahyudi Askar, published in The Conversation.
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Disasters and MBG Food Poisoning Cases Escalate as Indonesia Cuts Disaster Agency Budget by 75%: Constitutional Court Must Urgently Review the 2026 State Budget Law
Disasters are intensifying across Indonesia, yet the 2026 budget for the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has been cut by 75.62% to just IDR 491 billion. This allocation amounts to only around 0.4% of the estimated IDR 123.1 trillion in economic and health losses caused by forest and land fires. At the same time, at least 50,000 people have reportedly been affected by suspected food poisoning linked to the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Programme. The resulting socioeconomic losses are e
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Are the People Being “Poisoned” by the Government? Tens of Thousands Affected by Suspected MBG-Related Food Poisoning, Yet the Crisis Is Treated as Trivial
Key Findings from CELIOS Memo #MBG Series 6 The 43,838 victims are not isolated incidents—they reflect a systemic failure. In the first three days of September alone, more than 1,908 people were affected in incidents linked to at least six different SPPG kitchens. MBG-related food poisoning has caused up to IDR 40.38 billion in socioeconomic losses, including medical expenses, productivity losses, and out-of-pocket costs. Nearly IDR 12 billion of these costs must be borne directly by the victims’ families.
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Fenced-Off Land, Locked-Up Water: The Tangled Web of Energy Projects and the Seizure of Living Space in East Java
This book documents conflicts over control of the sources of livelihood in several parts of East Java through three main sections. The first section highlights agrarian inequality in Ijen, Bondowoso, where plantation workers and farmers have lived for generations without secure land rights and face conflicts with state-owned plantations and the expansion of geothermal projects. The second section discusses the water crisis in Batu City. Water, which should belong to everyone, has become a commodity controlled by a handful of pe
Read publicationIndonesia Told BRICS It Wants Climate Teamwork. Its Own Fires Show Why That Matters
Opinion article by Bhima Yudhistira Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, published in the Jakarta Globe.
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