A Chinese-Indonesian woman is just the latest casualty of Indonesia’s opaque blasphemy law. But despite allegations that the law targets religious minorities, there appears to be little political will to change it.
Tag: Religion
Politics Trumps Human Rights in Indonesia
Between Jokowi and Ma’ruf Amin, and Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno, human rights is likely to be left by the wayside in the 2019 Indonesian presidential election.
Akan Datang: We must know if durians survive in space!
Our weekly round-up of the stories to watch this week: An espionage trial continues in Cambodia, more blasphemy charges are laid in Indonesia, and Malaysia’s new government gets its report card after the first 100 days.
Walking a Tightrope on Religion
Who decides what is or isn’t “heresy”? The Vietnamese government’s reaction towards the World Mission Society Church of God highlights the complexity of a nominally atheist state’s relationship with the faithful.
Akan Datang: A media circus in Singapore as people take to the streets in Vietnam
A look at the stories to watch in Southeast Asia this week: Singapore turns into a media circus for a historic summit, protests break out in Vietnam, and what’s with all the bomb jokes on planes in Indonesia?
Behind Timor-Leste’s Pride
Timor-Leste’s first Pride parade last year was heralded in international headlines as a major win for LGBTQ equality, but advocates and activists say there’s still a long way to go to shift mindsets.
The Making of a Female ISIS Bomber
A conversation with Dian Yulia Novi, the first woman to be convicted for plotting a bomb attack in Indonesia, sheds light on the journey taken towards radicalisation and violence.
Disappeared in Malaysia
The families of four individuals who have disappeared in Malaysia are pressing for answers in a public enquiry with few leads.
Akan Datang: A stunning election, terrorism and that Trump-Kim summit
A weekly look-ahead at Southeast Asia’s major stories.
The Muslim Cyber Army and the Virtual Battlefield
The Muslim Cyber Army is a wide network operating online via social media platforms like Facebook, spreading anti-Jokowi content under the guise of defending Islam. New Naratif infiltrates an MCA group to get a glimpse of how they work.