Indonesia has tightened security ahead of Christmas celebrations, by deploying thousands of security forces to guard churches across the archipelago.
Read more…Indonesia tightens security ahead of Christmas celebrations
South East Asia News
Interfaith News from Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Brunei, Timor Leste
Vietnam: Church and Civil Society respond to draft law on religion
A group of 27 civil society organizations have called on Vietnam to edit a controversial draft law on religion, saying it is wide open to abuse. Lawmakers in Vietnam are expected to pass a new law on religion that religious leaders and rights monitors have long warned will likely worsen oppression.
Read more…Vietnam: Church and Civil Society respond to draft law on religion
Myanmar: UNICEF hails joint interfaith declaration seeking tolerance
In the light of upcoming elections in Myanmar and amid reports of rising religious intolerance, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Wednesday welcomed a joint statement by the leaders of four main religious groups in the country calling for tolerance and respect of religious freedom as essential conditions for every child to grow and develop to their full potential.
Read more…Myanmar: UNICEF hails joint interfaith declaration seeking tolerance
Churches condemned and torn down in Indonesia’s Aceh following religious violence
Authorities in Indonesia’s conservative Aceh province have begun tearing down several Christian churches after hardline Muslims demanded their closure citing a lack of building permits and religious violence.
Read more…Churches condemned and torn down in Indonesia’s Aceh following religious violence
Myanmar: Anti-Muslim Buddhist Group Gains Political Clout
“There should be lawmakers in parliament who are reliable for the country,” Ashin Tilawkar Biwonsa said in an interview. ”There might be some people, especially Muslims, who are working on weakening Buddhism, so we need strong people for our religion.”
Read more…Myanmar: Anti-Muslim Buddhist Group Gains Political Clout
Bangladesh urged to tackle religious intolerance
Islam dominates in Bangladesh, with Muslims comprising about 90 percent of the country’s 160 million people. Hindus represent about 8 percent, while Christians and Buddhists represent only a small percentage of the population.
Vietnam moves closer to passing restrictive religion bill
Vietnam is moving closer to passing a restrictive law on religion, Christian groups have warned. The country’s most powerful political organ, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, discussed the bill Aug. 14 with few signs major amendments would be made before passing next year, said the religious freedom advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide.
Read more…Vietnam moves closer to passing restrictive religion bill
Lulik – the Heart of East Timor
The Uma Lulik are East Timorese sacred huts
All at sea: what lies behind Southeast Asia’s migrant crisis?
The plight of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers from Myanmar and Bangladesh, left adrift without food and water for nearly a week, has all the hallmarks of a full-blown humanitarian crisis. Yet despite statements of concern from governments, aid agencies and human rights groups, there is little sign of a coordinated plan to address the issue. Boats have been spotted off the coasts of Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, apparently abandoned by human trafficking gangs who operate across maritime and land borders and shunned by regional powers.
Read more…All at sea: what lies behind Southeast Asia’s migrant crisis?
Buddhist-Muslim Meeting Pushes for Peace
“Yogyakarta Statement” – Responding to Interreligious Tensions
As reported in The Jakarta Post, the Muslim and Buddhist leaders of Southeast Asia and South Asia released the Yogyakarta Statement to refute the “use of Islam and Buddha in the politics of discrimination and violence.” As a result of the “Overcoming Extremism and Advancing Peace with Justice” meeting, which drew leaders from Buddhism and Islam to Indonesia, the Yogyakarta Statement was released Thursday, March 5. The Sri Lanka Council of Religions for Peace President, Bellanwila Wimalaratana Anunayake Thera, was there to speak as a representative of the Buddhist community in Sri Lanka at the Borobudur temple in Magelang.