https://www.scmp.com/rss/326788/feed Aisyah Llewellyn is a British freelance journalist based in Medan, Indonesia. She writes primarily about Indonesian law and human rights and her work has appeared in the Post, Al Jazeera and CNN. She also writes an Indonesian true crime newsletter named Hukum. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Chinese businesses in Indonesia have issued an unusually blunt warning to President Prabowo Subianto that a wave of tougher rules is hurting investor confidence, exposing growing tension between Jakarta’s push for control of the resources sector and foreign capital that has helped power the country’s nickel boom. Several ministers in Jakarta have pushed back, saying Indonesia must prioritise sovereignty over its natural resources, while stressing the government remains open to dialogue and has... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353847/indonesia-pushes-back-after-chinese-business-group-complains-tougher-rules-hurt-investors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3353847/indonesia-pushes-back-after-chinese-business-group-complains-tougher-rules-hurt-investors?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 02:00:12 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn A chilling voice note from her husband was all the warning Indonesian housewife Shanty Shanaya received of his impending kidnapping in some of the world’s most treacherous waters. “I’m about to be attacked,” her 33-year-old husband, Captain Ashari Samadikun, said in the April 21 voice note threaded with fear as a group he assumed to be pirates approached. He was captaining the Palau-flagged MT Honour 25 tanker, which was carrying fuel from Oman to Somalia – a route once notorious for pirates who... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352643/indonesian-captain-among-crew-held-somali-pirates-strike-again-horn-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352643/indonesian-captain-among-crew-held-somali-pirates-strike-again-horn-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 11:49:19 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn A horrific train crash that killed 16 passengers on the outskirts of Jakarta has prompted Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto to pledge 4 trillion rupiah (US$230 million) to overhaul level crossings across Java after officials identified one such intersection as a key point in the chain collision. The pledge targets one of the key weaknesses in Indonesia’s rail network: crossings that are unguarded, poorly maintained or haphazardly created by local communities. Transport analysts said the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352157/deadly-train-crash-indonesia-exposes-severe-safety-gaps-dangerous-crossings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352157/deadly-train-crash-indonesia-exposes-severe-safety-gaps-dangerous-crossings?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 10:16:18 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Herman Susanto and Dwi Aksan were heading from Indonesia’s capital Jakarta to the satellite city of Cikarang after a long day at work on Monday when disaster struck. Susanto, the head of the Indonesian Workers’ Federation, and his colleague, Aksan, were in the third carriage of a commuter train crammed with workers going home at around 9pm when it stopped to let passengers alight at Bekasi Timur station. The two men had hoped to rest before they reached their final stop, but instead, they found... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3351713/survivors-describe-chaos-blood-and-twisted-metal-after-indonesia-train-crash-kills-15?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3351713/survivors-describe-chaos-blood-and-twisted-metal-after-indonesia-train-crash-kills-15?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:33:12 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Indonesia’s blasphemy law has once again come under scrutiny after former vice-president Jusuf Kalla was reported to police over remarks linking past Muslim-Christian conflicts to beliefs about martyrdom. The case is unusual because it involves Christian complainants against one of the most senior Muslim figures in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation and reflects what critics have long called the law’s central flaw: its susceptibility to politicised use. Kalla, a career politician... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351325/indonesias-blasphemy-law-religious-protection-or-political-purpose?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351325/indonesias-blasphemy-law-religious-protection-or-political-purpose?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 09:54:11 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn As divorce rates continue to rise in Indonesia, more single mothers are bearing the brunt of financial hardship and struggling to collect court-ordered child support from former spouses. For some women, help comes from an initiative unique in the country: the East Java city of Surabaya bars men from accessing public services if they fail to pay court-ordered child support. First introduced in 2023, the scheme has been used to block administrative access to more than 8,000 men, according to Irvan... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350439/indonesias-surabaya-bans-absentee-fathers-public-services-dodging-child-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350439/indonesias-surabaya-bans-absentee-fathers-public-services-dodging-child-support?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:30:21 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Promotional posters for the horror film Aku Harus Mati (“I Must Die”) have been taken down in parts of Indonesia after sparking backlash from child protection experts, who say the campaign’s stark language and imagery are especially alarming amid what officials have called a “child suicide emergency”. The row has struck a nerve in a country where concerns over child mental health and suicidal ideation have been mounting, turning what might otherwise have been dismissed as provocative horror... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3349702/indonesia-horror-film-posters-trigger-child-suicide-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3349702/indonesia-horror-film-posters-trigger-child-suicide-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 06:00:25 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Bali’s reputation as a carefree tropical escape has been shaken by a string of brutal crimes, including the kidnapping and dismemberment of a Ukrainian man and the fatal stabbing of a Dutch visitor. The cases – some involving foreign suspects and bearing the hallmarks of organised or premeditated violence – have fuelled growing alarm, prompting residents and visitors to the Indonesian holiday island to ask: Is Bali becoming a stage for international crime? Observers say the cases do not indicate... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3348805/bali-rocked-spate-murder-cases-indonesian-island-more-dangerous-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3348805/bali-rocked-spate-murder-cases-indonesian-island-more-dangerous-now?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 10:30:07 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn A survey showing workers in Indonesia as the happiest in Asia-Pacific has prompted discussions about the factors underpinning their positive attitudes relative to their regional peers. A workplace report published this month by employment marketplace Jobstreet by SEEK found 82 per cent of Indonesian respondents said they felt somewhat or extremely happy at work, the highest level among eight regional markets surveyed. The headline figure inevitably begs the question: does the result reflect... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3346545/top-world-why-indonesian-workers-are-happiest-asia-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3346545/top-world-why-indonesian-workers-are-happiest-asia-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn When 22-year-old Fandi Ramadhan phoned home from detention last May, he told his mother he had no idea drugs were aboard the ship he had just started working on as an engine-room oiler. Indonesian prosecutors, however, allege he knew about the illicit cargo and are now seeking the death penalty for him and five other crew members of the Thai-flagged vessel Sea Dragon, after authorities said they found nearly two tonnes of methamphetamines on board in what officials called the largest drug... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3344830/indonesias-bid-execute-6-cargo-ship-crew-drug-case-sparks-liability-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3344830/indonesias-bid-execute-6-cargo-ship-crew-drug-case-sparks-liability-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 05:48:13 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Indonesia’s capital is now officially the world’s most populous city, but for many among the 42 million people who call the greater Jakarta metropolitan area their home, the ranking is less a badge of honour than a symbol of endurance. Jakarta overtook Tokyo late last year under new UN criteria that also factor in the city’s wider metropolitan area, moving it to the top of the global rankings by population. For its residents, the title reflects the harsh realities of daily life – perpetually... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343360/indonesians-weigh-peril-and-promise-life-jakarta-world-most-populous-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343360/indonesians-weigh-peril-and-promise-life-jakarta-world-most-populous-city?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 06:00:10 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Concerns about baby trafficking networks in Indonesia have resurfaced amid renewed scrutiny of cross-border adoptions involving Singapore, with experts warning that illegal syndicates continue to exploit economic vulnerability and gaps in enforcement. The issue has drawn particular attention in Singapore following allegations that infants were trafficked from Indonesia into the city state for adoption, prompting authorities on both sides of the border to review existing safeguards and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3341579/why-rampant-baby-trafficking-growing-concern-indonesia-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3341579/why-rampant-baby-trafficking-growing-concern-indonesia-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 03:00:10 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn A rare case of matricide in Indonesia in which a girl, 12, was arrested for the murder of her mother has put the country’s treatment of juvenile suspects in the spotlight. The child, identified only as AL due to her age, is suspected of having killed her mother, Faizah Soraya, in the early hours of the morning on December 10, when the older woman was asleep in their home in the North Sumatran city of Medan. Soraya was found with 26 stab wounds to her body after AL allegedly attacked her with a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3339131/indonesias-juvenile-justice-system-under-scrutiny-after-girl-12-kills-mother?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3339131/indonesias-juvenile-justice-system-under-scrutiny-after-girl-12-kills-mother?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 05:30:15 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn As Hamdaniyah Surbakti, a 62-year-old resident of Aceh province, began to pick up the pieces of her house that was destroyed by last month’s severe floods, she inevitably thought about the 2004 tsunami that devastated Indonesia and other parts of the world. “It was worse than the 2004 tsunami,” said Hamdaniyah, referring to the recent torrential rains and flash floods that swept across northern Sumatra. “When the tsunami came, it only hit one area around [the provincial capital of] Banda Aceh.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3337530/indonesias-aceh-residents-traumatised-flooding-worse-tsunami?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3337530/indonesias-aceh-residents-traumatised-flooding-worse-tsunami?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 03:00:07 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn When the Indonesian island of Sumatra was struggling to recover from devastating floods last week, local authorities in Aceh turned to an unconventional form of help to clear debris: elephants. The move to deploy four trained elephants in Pidie Jaya Regency, however, has drawn mixed reactions, with some experts praising the effective response to extreme conditions and others criticising it due to the risks faced by the critically endangered species. Triggered by days of torrential rain last... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3336966/indonesian-elephants-tasked-help-flood-recovery-spur-conservation-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3336966/indonesian-elephants-tasked-help-flood-recovery-spur-conservation-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 03:00:11 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Indonesian domestic worker Desi Widiana had spent half her life in Hong Kong, caring for other people’s families while her own waited thousands of kilometres away. Now, her relatives in Sambi village in East Java are waiting again – this time for her final homecoming. Widiana, 40, was among nine Indonesian domestic helpers killed in a massive fire that tore through Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on November 26, leaving at least 160 people dead and thousands homeless. She had come... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3336899/hong-kong-fire-indonesian-helper-was-always-there-others-end?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3336899/hong-kong-fire-indonesian-helper-was-always-there-others-end?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 07:51:00 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn When Indonesian domestic helper Darwati sent her husband a video from Hong Kong, he had no idea it would be the last time he heard her voice. Eli Cahyono, 39, picked up his phone in the small hamlet of Bendasari in Indonesia’s Cilacap Regency on November 26 and saw a video message from his wife. Moments later, disbelief turned to panic. Darwati, 48, was trapped in a blaze tearing through one of the towers at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district. Through the haze of thick black smoke,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3336470/tai-po-fire-victim-sent-frantic-final-video-husband-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3336470/tai-po-fire-victim-sent-frantic-final-video-husband-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 08:08:57 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn When Indonesian farmer Sutiono, 43, saw news footage of the towering inferno at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong on November 26, he immediately called his wife, Siti Khotimah, 40, knowing she worked at the estate. He had spoken to her just hours earlier on that fateful day. She seemed upbeat and was looking forward to returning home for the first time in seven years. Their daughter’s 11th birthday was only a day away. Khotimah had come to Hong Kong to work as a domestic helper and raise money for her... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3335871/indonesian-mum-who-died-hong-kong-blaze-sacrificed-everything-childrens-education?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3335871/indonesian-mum-who-died-hong-kong-blaze-sacrificed-everything-childrens-education?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 06:53:29 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn The last time Sugeng Widodo spoke to his wife, Indonesian domestic worker Sri Wahyuni, something did not feel right for him. It was around 1pm Hong Kong time on November 26, just a few hours before a devastating fire would rip through Wang Fuk Court in the city’s Tai Po district, killing at least 159 people. Wahyuni, 42, would be among the dead – her body found in a room in a fourth-floor flat at the estate, hugging her employer, a 93-year-old woman, according to Widodo, citing information... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3335354/hong-kong-fire-dead-indonesian-helper-found-huddled-ward-hailed-selfless?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3335354/hong-kong-fire-dead-indonesian-helper-found-huddled-ward-hailed-selfless?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 09:22:47 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Suyitno first saw the news of a deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on social media last Wednesday afternoon. Yet, despite the harrowing footage of the estate engulfed in billowing smoke and leaping flames, Suyitno, who lives in the Indonesian city of Malang in East Java and whose wife was working in Hong Kong as a domestic helper, was not immediately concerned. He did not recognise the location as the workplace of his 39-year-old wife Erawati, who had been living on and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3334868/indonesian-helpers-last-call-husband-tai-po-fire-she-asked-me-forgive-her?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3334868/indonesian-helpers-last-call-husband-tai-po-fire-she-asked-me-forgive-her?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 05:55:45 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Heavy monsoon rains have pummelled Indonesia’s Sumatra island over the past week, causing widespread flooding and landslides, and leaving at least 174 dead with 79 missing. Villagers and residential areas were swept away or buried by mudslides, affecting more than 2,000 homes in North Sumatra, according to Indonesia’s Disaster Management Agency. Some 5,000 people across the province had taken refuge in government shelters, the agency added. In the city of Medan, the provincial capital of North... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3334542/deaths-indonesias-flood-hit-sumatra-rise-72-weve-lost-everything?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3334542/deaths-indonesias-flood-hit-sumatra-rise-72-weve-lost-everything?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 10:52:55 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Indonesia has launched emergency vaccination drives after measles outbreaks killed more than 20 children in two provinces, stoking fears of a wider epidemic amid a global resurgence of the virus. The scale and speed of the outbreaks have alarmed health experts, who warn the crisis is not simply the result of faltering immunisation coverage, but also a symptom of growing vaccine hesitancy – fuelled by online misinformation, religious concerns and a legacy of public distrust. This erosion of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3333411/indonesia-us-and-canada-online-hoaxes-fuel-measles-deaths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3333411/indonesia-us-and-canada-online-hoaxes-fuel-measles-deaths?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 00:00:10 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn A year after her childhood friend died in a mass methanol poisoning incident in Laos, British traveller Bethany Clarke is still grappling with grief and a lack of answers. On November 12 last year, Clarke had joined 28-year-old lawyer Simone White and another friend for a spontaneous side trip to Vang Vieng, a riverside party town popular with backpackers. After a night out at a hostel serving complimentary shots, all three fell dangerously ill. White would not survive. Six tourists died in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3332459/survivor-laos-methanol-poisoning-killed-friend-still-empty-and-numb-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3332459/survivor-laos-methanol-poisoning-killed-friend-still-empty-and-numb-year?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 09:00:15 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn The death of an eight-year-old girl in Riau province after being trampled by a wild elephant has reignited concern over Indonesia’s worsening human-wildlife conflict, with conservationists warning that shrinking habitats are pushing animals into increasingly dangerous contact with people. The girl, identified only as Citra, died last Saturday following three days in a coma after suffering severe head injuries in the October 30 incident. She had been fleeing with her family from their wooden home... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3331985/elephant-tramples-indonesian-girl-death-human-wildlife-conflict-escalates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3331985/elephant-tramples-indonesian-girl-death-human-wildlife-conflict-escalates?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Nov 2025 07:00:10 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn In June, video footage of a young Indonesian boy dancing on the front of a wooden longboat, dressed in traditional clothes with large reflective sunglasses, went viral on TikTok. The performance is set to the song “Young Black & Rich”, by American rapper Melly Mike, as the boy sways and rocks on the bow, blowing kisses to the crowds gathered along the riverbanks. 在 Instagram 查看這則貼文 Rayyan Arkan Dikha（@rayyanarkandikha）分享的貼文 By early July, the boy’s moves had... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3327219/sumatran-longboat-festival-spawned-global-obsession-aura-farming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3327219/sumatran-longboat-festival-spawned-global-obsession-aura-farming?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 10:30:08 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn The case of a 23-year-old Australian man who died in Bali and was repatriated without his heart has prompted outrage from his family and denials of organ theft by Indonesian authorities, but legal experts say the real issue may lie in murky consent rules and poor communication with grieving families. Byron Haddow was found dead in a plunge pool at his rented villa in Bali on May 26. His body was returned to Queensland four weeks later after an autopsy, but a second examination revealed his heart... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3326881/australians-missing-heart-bali-autopsy-sparks-organ-theft-denial-consent-questions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3326881/australians-missing-heart-bali-autopsy-sparks-organ-theft-denial-consent-questions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 12:21:49 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Indonesia’s beloved Indomie instant noodles are facing renewed scrutiny after Taiwanese regulators detected trace amounts of a banned carcinogen in a popular flavour variant. Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it had found 0.1 milligrams per kilogram of ethylene oxide in the seasoning packet of the Soto Banjar Limau Kuit variety imported from Indonesia – a level deemed non-compliant under Taiwanese regulations, which prohibit any detectable presence of the chemical. “The seasoning... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3326027/your-indomie-poisonous-carcinogen-scare-prompts-food-safety-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3326027/your-indomie-poisonous-carcinogen-scare-prompts-food-safety-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 00:00:17 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Indonesia’s government is reportedly considering a ban on Roblox, the widely used online game-creation platform, after the education minister warned that it could expose children to violence and other harmful behaviours. “There is a lot of violence in the game. Sometimes children don’t understand that what they see isn’t real,” Indonesian education minister Abdul Mu’ti said on August 4, adding that the platform could drive an increase in youth violence if young students mimic behaviours... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3321476/indonesia-considers-roblox-ban-over-child-safety-concerns-immoral-content?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3321476/indonesia-considers-roblox-ban-over-child-safety-concerns-immoral-content?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Aug 2025 04:30:09 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn It was a day Bibi Rahima Farhangdost feared might never come. After 11 years living in limbo in Indonesia as an Afghan refugee, she was finally on her way to a new life in Australia, boarding a flight to Tasmania at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on July 23. “Finally, it happened. I love Tasmania. The weather is a bit cold, but the air is fresh, and the people are nice in Australia,” she told This Week in Asia from her new home. Farhangdost is among a limited number of refugees... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3320300/after-11-years-indonesian-limbo-afghan-refugee-finds-home-australia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3320300/after-11-years-indonesian-limbo-afghan-refugee-finds-home-australia?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:00:10 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn When Michael Watson boarded an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner from New Delhi to Dubai in early June, he didn’t expect to swear off the aircraft type for good. But days later, another Dreamliner operated by the same airline crashed just 30 seconds after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing all but one of the 242 people on board as well as 19 others on the ground. Watson, a retired British teacher and frequent flier in Asia, says he now avoids the 787 altogether because “I have a bad feeling about... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3318804/after-2025s-aviation-scares-are-skies-still-safe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3318804/after-2025s-aviation-scares-are-skies-still-safe?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Jul 2025 00:00:11 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn A string of hantavirus-linked cases reported in Indonesia has sparked fears that the potentially lethal virus could be spreading undetected, with health experts citing widespread rodent exposure and poor sanitation as major risks that could lead to a further spike. Eight cases of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), one of the diseases caused by the hantavirus, have been confirmed across four provinces – Yogyakarta, West Java, East Nusa Tenggara and North Sulawesi – as of June 19,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3316086/indonesias-hantavirus-outbreak-sparks-calls-eradicate-rat-infestations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3316086/indonesias-hantavirus-outbreak-sparks-calls-eradicate-rat-infestations?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Jun 2025 05:30:08 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn British national Bethany Clarke still remembers that day in Vang Vieng, Laos – tubing down the river with friends, followed by a sunset happy hour at the Nana Backpackers Hostel. It had all the hallmarks of a classic backpacker afternoon. The vodka and whisky shots were free. The cost would come later. It was November 12, 2024. The next morning, Clarke and her two companions – childhood friend Simone White and a male friend – set out early for a kayaking trip they had planned the day before. But... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3315294/british-survivor-laos-methanol-poisoning-speaks-out-after-watching-friend-die?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3315294/british-survivor-laos-methanol-poisoning-speaks-out-after-watching-friend-die?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Jun 2025 07:00:13 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn In a quiet cafe in Surabaya, the scent of freshly brewed coffee drifts through the air – a far cry from the sulphur and smoke that once defined Umar Patek’s past. “Before, I was known for something that hurt the world,” he told This Week in Asia. “Now I have chosen a different path.” Patek was once one of the most wanted men on the planet for the role he played in the Bali bombings that left hundreds dead over two decades ago. Now, the convicted bomber is brewing something else entirely: peace,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3312522/bali-bomber-umar-patek-seeks-second-chance-brewing-peace-coffee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3312522/bali-bomber-umar-patek-seeks-second-chance-brewing-peace-coffee?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 May 2025 06:30:08 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Relatives of Indonesians killed in the 2018 Lion Air crash have condemned a proposed deal between the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and Boeing, calling it a fresh example of how powerful corporations can evade criminal accountability through financial settlements and leave grieving families without closure. The outcry came after US prosecutors filed court documents on Friday outlining a tentative agreement that would shield the American aircraft manufacturer from criminal prosecution over... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3312010/families-indonesian-lion-air-crash-victims-say-proposed-boeing-deal-not-true-justice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3312010/families-indonesian-lion-air-crash-victims-say-proposed-boeing-deal-not-true-justice?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 May 2025 00:00:15 +0000 The death of Pope Francis has prompted an outpouring of grief in Indonesia, where Catholics and non-Catholics alike remember the late pontiff’s message of compassion, humility and interfaith unity in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation. The 88-year-old head of the Catholic Church, who died on Monday of a stroke and subsequent heart failure, had been warmly received during a landmark visit to Indonesia in September last year – the first papal visit in more than three decades. Father... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3307467/outpouring-grief-indonesia-over-pope-francis-death-we-were-so-proud-him?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3307467/outpouring-grief-indonesia-over-pope-francis-death-we-were-so-proud-him?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Apr 2025 10:12:04 +0000 The imprisonment of an Indonesian transgender influencer under a controversial blasphemy law for suggesting Jesus Christ needed a haircut has sparked concerns from human rights advocates about the country’s ongoing clampdown on freedom of speech. A Medan court found social media personality Ratu Thalisa guilty of spreading hate speech against Christianity and sentenced her to two years and 10 months in jail on March 10. The sentence followed a TikTok live stream on October 2 in which Thalisa,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3302974/jailing-indonesian-trans-woman-jesus-hair-remark-raises-rights-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3302974/jailing-indonesian-trans-woman-jesus-hair-remark-raises-rights-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Mar 2025 07:09:49 +0000 Convicted Bali bomber Ali Imron is pressing Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto for a pardon, citing his years of cooperation with counterterrorism efforts and the recent release of Australian drug offenders who had been given life sentences as reasons for leniency. However, analysts say his chances remain slim, with any such move likely to provoke outrage from Australia, where memories of the 2002 attack still run deep, and an Indonesian government wary of backlash over freeing a convicted... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3296960/bali-bombers-pardon-plea-after-bali-nine-releases-will-prabowo-follow-suit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3296960/bali-bombers-pardon-plea-after-bali-nine-releases-will-prabowo-follow-suit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Feb 2025 06:00:17 +0000 A senior Indonesian official has sparked speculation about the potential release of Indonesian national Encep Nurjaman from Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp – some 18 years after he was sent to the facility in Cuba. Experts warn any move to repatriate Encep – also known as Hambali – has the potential to embolden jihadist networks in Indonesia, even as his release is eagerly awaited by his family in the country. Indonesia’s coordinating minister for law, human rights, immigration and correctional... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3296196/will-bali-bombing-suspect-hambali-be-set-free-after-18-years-prison?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3296196/will-bali-bombing-suspect-hambali-be-set-free-after-18-years-prison?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Jan 2025 11:15:18 +0000 Getting to Indonesia’s most compact city is something of a tight squeeze. It takes around nine hours to drive to Sibolga from Medan, the provincial capital of Indonesia’s North Sumatra, on winding roads that take you past some of the island’s greatest sights, including the majestic Lake Toba. But the real test comes when you are within sight of the city of 90,000 people. Just before Sibolga proper lay what are known as the Goa Belanda (“Dutch caves”), two craggy tunnels in the mountains... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3290127/indonesias-smallest-city-offers-beaches-boat-rides-and-seafood-galore?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3290127/indonesias-smallest-city-offers-beaches-boat-rides-and-seafood-galore?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Dec 2024 01:15:07 +0000 On a brisk morning in July 2022, 18-year-old “Budi” stepped onto British soil for the first time, leaving behind the bustling streets of Jakarta for the promise of a lucrative job picking fruit under the United Kingdom’s seasonal workers scheme. Filled with hopes of a brighter future, he envisioned a life where hard work would lead to financial freedom. But little did he know that this journey would soon entangle him in a labyrinth of debt and exploitation, compelling him to challenge the very... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3284241/he-left-indonesia-seeking-better-life-uk-all-he-found-was-debt-and-despair?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3284241/he-left-indonesia-seeking-better-life-uk-all-he-found-was-debt-and-despair?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Oct 2024 02:00:10 +0000 Indonesia has been ablaze with protests in recent weeks following the announcement of a controversial new election law, drawing activists and celebrities alike who see it as a direct assault on democracy. Among the throng outside the parliament building in Jakarta was Reza Rahadian, a household name in film and music, who electrified the crowd with a passionate speech delivered from atop a truck. “Today, I can’t stay silent any more,” he told protesters on Thursday, voicing the frustration of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3276159/indonesian-celebrities-unite-speak-democracy-amid-election-law-protests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3276159/indonesian-celebrities-unite-speak-democracy-amid-election-law-protests?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Aug 2024 06:00:17 +0000 Indonesian film director Joko Anwar is fresh from the success of his new Netflix sci-fi series, Nightmares and Daydreams, a romp through local social issues set against a backdrop of brain-sucking monsters, possessed fiction writers, guardian angels and alien children. The series is just one in a long line of Indonesian films and series dominating the streaming service this year, hailing a new era of Indonesian cinema. “We have been quite overwhelmed by the response,” says Joko via phone from... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/film-tv/article/3276039/could-nightmares-and-daydreams-be-indonesian-black-mirror-netflix-going-big-southeast-asian-content?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/film-tv/article/3276039/could-nightmares-and-daydreams-be-indonesian-black-mirror-netflix-going-big-southeast-asian-content?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Aug 2024 21:45:09 +0000 The operator of fast food giant Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) in Indonesia has reported steeper losses as pro-Palestinian boycotts continue to hammer businesses in the country perceived to be associated with Israel or its army. KFC Indonesia, owned by Fast Food Indonesia, disclosed in a report last week that it recorded a net loss of some 348.83 billion rupiah (US$21.5 million) in the first quarter of this year, a jump of more than 60 times from a loss of 5.56 billion rupiah (US$343,825) in the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3273938/pro-palestinian-boycotts-indonesia-bite-hard-kfcs-bottomline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3273938/pro-palestinian-boycotts-indonesia-bite-hard-kfcs-bottomline?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Aug 2024 04:00:16 +0000 The surprise announcement by the militant group Jemaah Islamiah to disband itself has been met with scepticism by families and friends who lost loved ones in the 2002 Bali bombings, Indonesia’s worst ever terror attack. Last month, 16 senior JI members announced the dissolution of the group behind the bombings in the Indonesian city of Bogor. Abu Rusdyan, who was widely believed to be JI’s leader, said the group has pledged its allegiance to Indonesia. JI will also revamp the hardline Islamist... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3272067/jemaah-islamiahs-disbandment-indonesia-rings-hollow-bali-bombing-families?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3272067/jemaah-islamiahs-disbandment-indonesia-rings-hollow-bali-bombing-families?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Jul 2024 05:30:11 +0000 News that criminal charges will be brought against Boeing over alleged breaches of a 2021 settlement related to two fatal crashes has elicited a mixed response from victims’ families, with some welcoming the prospect of perceived justice, while others have voiced scepticism and lamented the need to “dig up the past.” Prosecutors in the United States have recommended charging Boeing over a violation of settlement conditions in the aftermath of its 737 Max crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, which... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3268534/indonesian-crash-victims-families-torn-over-prospect-criminal-charges-boeing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3268534/indonesian-crash-victims-families-torn-over-prospect-criminal-charges-boeing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Jun 2024 04:00:10 +0000 Bali bomber Umar Patek may seem like an odd person to be taking travel advice from. But during a recent interview with the killer – who was released in late 2022 from a 20-year sentence for his part in the 2002 atrocity – our conversation turned to his travels through Indonesia, including Medan. “Ah yes, Medan,” Patek said, looking troubled. “Medan is …” He searched for the word. “Hardcore.” When a mass murderer describes a place in such terms, it perhaps speaks to its dangers, and Patek’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3264224/food-medan-indonesian-city-hot-reputation-spicy-rice-cakes-biryani-and-handmade-noodles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3264224/food-medan-indonesian-city-hot-reputation-spicy-rice-cakes-biryani-and-handmade-noodles?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 May 2024 10:15:09 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Malaysian beauty consumer Farhana* was planning to buy some new skincare products when she finally settled on Skintific, a brand widely marketed in Malaysia and Indonesia. “It is quite a big phenomenon here,” the Kuala Lumpur resident told This Week in Asia. “It is widely marketed here, using celebrity ambassadors, and is already sold in Malaysian drug stores.” But Farhana ended up not buying the product after she found out that Skintific goods were made in China, prompting her to doubt if they... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3261396/are-chinese-made-skincare-brands-downplaying-their-origins-appeal-southeast-asians?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3261396/are-chinese-made-skincare-brands-downplaying-their-origins-appeal-southeast-asians?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 May 2024 06:00:29 +0000 Indonesian sales assistant Phany, who works at health and beauty store Watsons in the city of Medan, North Sumatra, has noticed a change in the way customers shop for cosmetics and skincare in recent months. Some are now avoiding certain global brands, despite having used them for years. “I had one lady who had used L’Oreal products for over a decade, but she said she would never use it again and was moving on to other local brands,” Phany said. Indonesian clerics issue fatwa boycotting products... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3259184/after-starbucks-and-mcdonalds-asias-anti-israel-boycotts-find-new-target-western-beauty-products?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3259184/after-starbucks-and-mcdonalds-asias-anti-israel-boycotts-find-new-target-western-beauty-products?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Apr 2024 00:33:59 +0000 Families of Indonesians who were killed in the Lion Air Flight 610 crash in 2018 had mixed reactions to the news that Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun would step down at the end of the year, with some welcoming his resignation and others questioning whether such a move would bring about genuine safety improvements. Neuis Marfuah, whose 23-year-old daughter Vivian Hasna Afifa was on board the ill-fated Lion Air flight, told This Week in Asia that Calhoun’s resignation was “probably for the best”. “Perhaps... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3256968/families-indonesian-lion-air-crash-victims-welcome-boeing-resignations-call-more-safety?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3256968/families-indonesian-lion-air-crash-victims-welcome-boeing-resignations-call-more-safety?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Mar 2024 00:00:25 +0000 Families and friends of those who died in a deadly bomb attack in Bali in Indonesia that killed 202 people and injured another 200 have expressed shock and anger after two Malaysians incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba for their roles in the attack had their jail sentences cut from 23 years to five. The reduced jail time of six years handed to Mohammed Farik bin Amin and Mohammed Nazir bin Lep stemmed from a “secret plea deal” made during the summer by the convening authority for military... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3250292/bali-bombing-families-slam-secret-deal-sentences-malaysians-guantanamo-bay-cut-5-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3250292/bali-bombing-families-slam-secret-deal-sentences-malaysians-guantanamo-bay-cut-5-years?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jan 2024 08:30:45 +0000