Asia in 3 minutes: Gay sauna arrests in Indonesia, Philippines bans religious icons in cars
Tokyo teen bullies boy into eating grasshopper and dog faeces; social media rumours lead to lynchings in India
Philippines bans ‘distractions’ – including rosaries – while driving
Philippine authorities have banned hanging rosaries and religious icons on car dashboards because of safety concerns, prompting an outcry from the Catholic Church, which insists they offer divine intervention. The ban is part of a wide-ranging new law aimed at eliminating distractions for drivers. These include talking or sending messages on mobile phones, putting on make-up and eating or drinking coffee while driving.
What next? “This is an overreaction, insensitive and lacks common sense,” said Father Jerome Secillano, executive secretary for public affairs at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. “With these religious images, drivers feel they are safer, that there is divine intervention and they are being guided and protected.” Piston, an association of jeepney drivers and owners, also criticised the plan. “Do not meddle with the drivers’ faith in God,” said Piston president George San Mateo.
Indian army commends officer who tied ‘human shield’ to jeep in Kashmir
The Indian army has commended an officer accused of tying a Kashmiri man to a vehicle and using him as a human shield, media reports said. Video of Farooq Ahmad Dar bound to the front of an army jeep as it led a convoy in Indian-administered Kashmir went viral last month and caused a public outcry. “Look at the fate of the stone-pelter,” a soldier says over a loudspeaker in the video. The Press Trust of India (PTI) said Leetul Gogoi, who is still under investigation over the incident, was given an award last week. “Major Gogoi has been awarded chief of army staff’s Commendation Card for sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations,” army spokesman Aman Anand told PTI.
What next? Responding to the news, the victim’s brother Ghulam Qadir called the inquiry a “mockery”. “Had this kind of an incident taken place elsewhere then justice would have been done,” the Indian Express daily quoted him as saying. Last year more than 100 people died and thousands more were injured in clashes between protesters and Indian forces, the worst violence to hit the Himalayan region since 2010. In April, eight people were killed by police and paramilitaries during local election violence.
Myanmar’s army clears itself of committing alleged atrocities
Myanmar’s army has cleared itself of allegations that troops may have carried out ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims. More than 70,000 members of the persecuted minority fled to Bangladesh after the military launched a crackdown last year in Rakhine state. UN investigators documented reports of mass killings, rapes and babies being thrown into burning houses. They released a report saying security forces may have committed atrocities so severe they amount to crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.