South East Asia

Religious leaders and intellectuals from the National Conscience movement speak out in a country engulfed in protests and unrest, while President Prabowo threatens a harsh response. Cardinal Suharyo calls on Indonesians to have the courage to acknowledge weaknesses and errors in every branch of government (executive, legislative, judicial). The demands of the people must be met and elite privileges must be challenged.

At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin, China refers to the general as the “acting president of Myanmar”, enhancing the military junta’s credentials. For its part, India plans to send a delegation to monitor Myanmar’s December elections, after signing several new economic agreements with its neighbour. Xi Jinping promised to admit Myanmar as a full SCO member, consolidating Myanmar's integration into Chinese-led regional platforms.

The warning issued by the Bishops' Conference on the occasion of the ‘Season of Creation 2025’ scheduled from 1 September to 4 October. Cardinal David: becoming ‘responsible stewards of the earth’ on a ‘path of justice, peace and love’. Corruption and malfeasance are denounced as ‘the real disaster’ that is ‘sinking the Philippines’.

Faced with a wave of demonstrations marking the first real crisis of his government, the president has cancelled some of the controversial measures approved by parliament, but at the same time is crying conspiracy. The Bishops' Conference: ‘Any policy or plan that burdens society and undermines justice should be reconsidered or cancelled. And the security forces should act as protectors of all.’

The 2025 Ramon Magsaysay laureates have been announced. Dubbed the Nobel Prize of Asia, the award was established to honour the memory of the late Philippine president. Fr Villanueva has been recognised for his work with the poor. One of the staunchest critics of Duterte's brutal policies, which have caused thousands of deaths in the country, he exemplifies the real possibility of changing lives, an example of “faith that acts in love”, according to Cardinal David. Also honoured by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation are Shaahina Ali, a Maldivian activist, and Indian NGO Educate Girls.

Yesterday marked the 68th anniversary of Merdeka, Independence Day, a time to assert a patriotic spirit that contrasts with a reality marked by discontent. Protests against the prime minister are mounting over the rising cost of living, declining opportunities, and lack of reform. Without quick results, people will “keep going to the streets,” expert tells AsiaNews.

Some 22 heads of state and government will attend the "expanded" summit of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation in Tianjin opening tomorrow. Vietnam’s Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính will attend as China's “invited guest”. The meeting will focus on growing economic co-operation but also competition in the South China Sea.

Triggered by an allowance increase for parliamentarians, the protests were exacerbated by a harsh police crackdown, during which an armoured vehicle ran over a motorcycle taxi driver. In South Sulawesi, the regional parliament is set on fire. The backdrop to the discontent was Prabowo honouring certain prominent individuals. A retired general blames foreign forces. The Catholic NGO slams violence against protesters, calling for action “to restore democracy to its rightful course”.

Today's news: North Korea's economy is experiencing record growth thanks to Russian military contracts. The United States revokes visas for Mahmoud Abbas and 80 Palestinian officials to prevent them from attending the UN General Assembly. China released a list of "authorised sources" for news on digital platforms. In Japan, a government-sponsored video simulation shows the effects of a possible volcanic eruption of Mount Fuji.

According to the Constitutional Court, the prime minister violated her duty of integrity because of what she said in a controversial phone call, whose audio was released by Cambodia’s Hun Sen. The military-aligned party is moving toward a deal with Anutin, a former Shinawatra ally in government. Meanwhile, Thailand’s military warns that it is ready to respond to further "provocations" from Phnom Penh.

A study published by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) finds a significant increase in the importance of religion compared to similar surveys in 2013 and 2018, but it is taking on "individualised and digital" connotations. Places of worship are losing their central role, while the use of online platforms to reach the faithful is growing.

According to the Ministry of Higher Education, 10,000 visas are set to be cancelled. A wave of arrests, especially in the provinces of Chiang Mai and Phuket, suggests widespread abuse of long-term residence permits. Private universities have also been implicated, but they deny all wrongdoing, blaming instead corruption among public officials.