Indonesia

by Mathias Hariyadi | INDONESIA

Over 20,000 faithful participated in the grand celebration for the anniversary of the archdiocese, cradle of spiritual and social initiatives that have become a model for the entire Church in Indonesia. Cardinal Suharyo thanked those who worked in Semarang ‘for its living legacy of service and mission.’

by Mathias Hariyadi

Disaster caused by improper mining techniques, according to investigations. Alarms had already been raised previously. The owner and chief engineer are suspected of negligence. Mining suspended on Mount Kuda and state of emergency declared for seven days.

| 03/06/2025
| INDONESIA
by Steve Suwannarat

Violence is on the rise and increasingly involves younger participants, including children from primary schools. Authorities have so far responded with limited action, while social media platforms continue to amplify the phenomenon. Many of the confrontations are sparked by trivial reasons. Among the underlying causes are growing frustration and aggression during childhood and adolescence.

| 30/05/2025
| INDONESIA
by Mathias Hariyadi

The Indonesian president has welcomed his French counterpart on an official visit. Prabowo opens to normalising ties with Israel, but ties it to the establishment of a recognised Palestinian entity. A shared hope for a “just and lasting” solution in the region.

| 29/05/2025
| INDONESIA - ISRAEL - FRANCE
by Mathias Hariyadi

The Karina Foundation held its biennial meeting in Jakarta from 21 to 24 May at the headquarters of the Bishops' Conference. The event brought together operators, bishops and international partners to boost the commitment to cooperation and integral human development. Fr Fredy Rante Taruk highlighted “working closely with government stakeholders”.

| 26/05/2025
| INDONESIA

A process of revision of school textbooks has been announced to mark the eightieth anniversary of independence in August. Critics slam the initiative as an attempt to rehabilitate the late military dictator Suharto by omitting some controversial episodes involving the current president. The impact on the new generations is particularly worrisome since they have no direct memory of the regime's crimes and because of this, they tend to support Prabowo.

| 20/05/2025
| INDONESIA
by Mathias Hariyadi

In West Java province, an explosion occurred during the controlled detonation of old bombs. A group of civilians, present in the restricted area without authorisation, were caught in the blast—reportedly scavenging for bomb fragments to sell. The explosion is the latest in a long series of similar incidents; another occurred on 9 May. These events raise concerns over the security of military sites.

| 13/05/2025
| INDONESIA
Editor's choices
 
by Dario Salvi
An attack this morning hit the Church of the Holy Family, leaving at least six people seriously injured and causing damage to the building. Among those hit was the parish priest, Fr Romanelli. The Patriarchal Vicar for Israel and Palestine: “They ...
| 17/07/2025
| ISRAEL - PALESTINE
 
A new report accuses Chinese state-owned companies of supporting the Burmese junta's arms production for over a decade, particularly at the DI 21 military plant, where aerial bombs used against the population are manufactured. This ongoing support ...
| 17/07/2025
| RED LANTERNS
 
by Vladimir Rozanskij
Cotton remains one of the country's main exports, but earnings are steadily declining. The problem stems from the large increase in cotton production in other countries, such as the United States and India, where stocks are at historic highs. And ...
| 16/07/2025
| TAJIKISTAN
 
by Dario Salvi
The founder of the Religious Freedom Data Center views settler attacks as a “disturbing development”. Israeli ministers and police legitimising it is worrying. A Judeo-centric ideology has “taken root”, but minority rights are ...
| 10/07/2025
| ISRAEL – PALESTINE
 
In the Upper House elections scheduled for 20 July, the ultra-nationalist party founded by Kamiya Sohei is trailing just behind the Liberal Democrats in the polls, who are at risk of losing their majority. Anti-globalists, opposed to LGBTQ+ rights and ...
| 10/07/2025
| JAPAN
 
According to anonymous sources, the dissident who publicly challenged "dictator Xi Jinping" in October 2022 and inspired the "blank paper" protest against the zero-COVID policy has been tried and convicted. Human rights groups are calling on Beijing ...
| 09/07/2025
| CHINA
 
The 62-year-old missionary in Bangladesh was elected this morning by the General Assembly underway in Rome. For the next six years, he will lead the institute founded by Bishop Angelo Ramazzotti, now present with 400 missionaries in 20 countries around ...
| 07/07/2025
| ITALY
 
by Alessandra De Poli
Four years after the death of the Jesuit who dedicated his life to defending the land rights of India’s indigenous peoples, the Bagaicha centre, which he founded in the State of Jharkhand, continues to fight for the poor. Despite threats and continuous ...
| 05/07/2025
| INDIA
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”