South East Asia

The government is cutting red tape to boost the economy. Many new Thais have been waiting for their papers for years and now will finally have access to several rights. Without this amnesty, children born to parents from ethnic minorities would have needed 44 years to receive citizenship.

After more than a year of sede vacante, Pope Francis appointed Fr. Agustinus Tri Budi Utomo to lead the diocese in East Java. The local community celebrated the announcement with a solemn mass. Fr. Didik, as he is nicknamed by the faithful, returns to his Church of origin after having been a missionary in a more remote area of the country

House Human Rights Committee chairperson highlights this aspect of the former president’s statement at yesterday's hearing in which he acknowledged that he had given orders to "encourage" suspects to react, to justify killings by policemen. For lawyers and activists, his words are " damning evidence” of guilt.

In the first nine months of the year at least 435 people were killed by the military. It was 113 in 2021. This is compounded by artillery strikes and air attacks against houses, schools and religious buildings, as well as massacres and arson attacks by troops in the field. The junta uses fear as a weapon. At least a thousand civilians trapped in fighting in Rakhine State.

During a recent meeting in the Indonesian capital, Caritas Internationalis Secretary General Alistair Dutton highlights the devastating effects of climate change on vulnerable communities. Caritas Indonesia, which was set up in response to a natural disaster, as Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo said, continues its commitment against malnutrition and human trafficking.

On the sidelines of the synod sessions, the wheelchair made in Phnom Pen, representing universal dignity, was gifted to the Pontiff. Named after the longest river in Indochina, it improves the existence of people affected by mines and cluster bombs. Jesuit Enrique Figaredo, apostolic prefect of Battambang: it is a ‘sacrament’ because it changes the inner life of those who receive it.

The Malaysian priest who participated in the drafting of the final document that the Synodal Assembly is discussing: ‘Dialogue here is part of the experience we live every day within a pluralistic culture’. Indian Cardinal Ferrao, Filipino David and Melkite Patriarch Absi elected to the General Council of the Synod.

AsiaNews met the bishop of Ha Tinh, in the north of the country, among the participants at the Synod that concludes this weekend. Waiting for the signing of full relations between Hanoi and the Holy See. Faith and spirituality are ‘very important’ elements, as is the ‘evangelisation’ of migrants and the diaspora. Concern over tensions in the seas and wars in the Middle East.

Reactions in Indonesia to the choice of the bishop of Bogor who asked Francis to be removed from the list of bishops who will receive the purple on 7 December. Bishops' Conference president Antonio Subianto Bunjamin: “Bishop Paskalis knows what is best for him, for the diocese and for the Church”.

Two groups of participants graduated after an 18-week psycho-spiritual program run by the Philippine Jesuit Prison Service Foundation (PJPS). For Teresita Tanseco-Cruz, with "One step at a time, we keep rebuilding lives.” This allows young inmates at the New Bilibid Prison, a medium-security facility in Muntinlupa, to rediscover faith and hope. “I learned to forgive myself,” said Mark, one of the participants.

A grenade landed on the building on Friday; no one was hurt or killed. Myanmar's military junta said it would launch an investigation to find those responsible. Discontent towards China is rising in Myanmar, while Beijing asked ethnic militias to stop fighting in Shan State.

Elected by parliament, he takes over from Tô Lâm who became party secretary (the most senior post in the country) after the death of Phú Trọng. The goal is to maintain political stability in the country at a time of an internal power struggle and anti-corruption campaign. In his first speech, Cường promised to boost defence and an independent, multilateral foreign policy.