Indonesia

During the Cold War, some proxy wars engaged by the US, against the spread of communism, were highly discussed or contested. Other ‘wars’ against communism and its adherents were being played in the shadows and dealt with discretion. In 1965, the US successfully conspired with the government of Suharto to eradicate the communists in Indonesia, and was fully complicit in the mass murders of more than hundreds thousands of human beings.

Unarmed Chinese and Indian soldiers clashed at the borders last December. Indonesia passed a new controversial law which then made the exception for tourists. While this year, Koreans become one year younger, and Japan's nuclear plants are soon to be reoperated.

In this month's news article, we present the North Korean leader revealing his daughter to the world, a deadly earthquake of 5.6 magnitudes in West Java of Indonesia, one of the drivers of the protests against the zero-COVID policy in China, and the ASEAN Summit hosted in Cambodia.

Tidbits from last month's news: South Korea elects new leader, Nobel Peace Prize laureate's electoral success in Timor-Leste, standstill in Russia-Japan relations, increasing conflict in Indonesia's Papua region and China's "zero-COVID" policy.

Chocolate is an irresistible treat that is well-loved around the world. As a chocolate lover, baker, and cookbook author, it became important for me to know the origins of chocolate. While doing research, I discovered that Indonesia is the world’s third-biggest exporter of cacao. Furthermore, the movement of having sustainable farming practices within the cacao industry has been gaining a lot of traction in the last decade.

A military coup in Vietnam! Leadership turnover in Laos and the CCP's planning for the Lunar New Year. Indonesia's plane crash. And Tokyo Olympics: YES or NO?

During these tough times of the pandemic, the LGBTQ+ community in Indonesia has provided a lot of help and support to the people. But have the people and the government shown much support or acceptance towards the LGBTQ+ community in turn?

Pleasing ancient royal courts, calming stressed minds and inspiring experimental compositions by Claude Debussy and metal bands — the list of creative uses and reuses of Indonesian gamelan music seems endless. Its versatility does not come by surprise as nearly two millennia left their traces on this ancient musical genre. What constitutes its popularity and admiration, or its unique sound, takes you on a journey of musical theory, colonial history and spiritual customs.

Vehement protests in Thailand, diplomatic tensions in Beijing and tensions in Myanmar! Ah, and a new PM in Japan and a...curious case of smuggling in Vietnam!