Stories about Indonesia from June, 2013
Southeast Asia: The Great Haze of 2013
Since last week, a thick haze has enveloped Singapore and some parts of Malaysia caused by forest fires mainly in Indonesia. The haze brought air pollution levels to a record high in the region. Malaysia placed two districts under state of emergency while Singaporeans were advised to remain indoors.
Haze Chokes Singapore and Malaysia
Air quality in Singapore and West Malaysia hit hazardous levels after forest fires swept neighboring Indonesia. It's the worst haze in recent years in Southeast Asia. Malaysia has suspended school in affected states while Singapore advised its citizens to prepare for a prolonged haze. Indonesia has already formally apologized for the haze.
Indonesia Fuel Price Hike Ignites Protests
Indonesia's decision to raise fuel prices has ignited a lot of debates and protests as well. Thousands of students and workers trooped to the streets to condemn the new fuel price scheme. However, the government insists the price hike is necessary to save the economy.
Investigative Journalism in Indonesia
Akhlis Purnomo laments the state of investigative journalism in Indonesia. …there has not been much of investigative journalism in Indonesia. Most of them are not even investigative, but more like reportage on everyday issues….These are then labelled as investigative by producers and TV stations.
Environment Impact of Mining in Indonesia
An article published at mongabay.com exposes the destructive environment impact of mining in remote Indonesian towns.Some scholars fear that “parts of Indonesia now have the highest levels of mercury contamination on earth.”
How Southeast Asian Leaders Use Twitter
Twitter has been a very useful tool for Southeast Asian leaders who needed to communicate directly with their citizens. Indonesia's Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is the most popular leader in the region with 2.4 million followers. Meanwhile, Malaysia's Najib Razak is his country’s most popular Twitter personality with 1.6 million followers. The Philippines' Noynoy Aquino is also a prominent Twitter user with 1.5 million followers.
Protests Over ‘Religious Tolerance’ Award for Indonesian President
Some Indonesians think their president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, does not deserve the World Statesman Award given to him by a US-based interfaith group. When the award was announced, many people immediately pointed out that the president has done little to address the growing religious intolerance and religious violence in the most populous Muslim country in the world.
