📚 June reads: Going to Mass in Roblox and reassessing how we talk about Myanmar

Hello friends!

My methodical, beautifully planned Southeast Asia book reading has ground to a halt this month after I started working my way through John La Carre’s George Smiley novels. No real reason to note this, except that I’ve read way more features as a result — and I desperately want to talk about the Spy Who Came In From The Cold constantly. 

Here are some of the best English-language features from the month across the region and it should give you plenty to read this weekend. 

And if you’re sick of reading emails - here’s a podcast instead:

Enjoy!

🖥️ Tech reads (or, should I just make Rest of World my homepage?) 

The church of Roblox: How young Filipino Catholics are building more inclusive spaces (Rest of World)

This is, no hyperbole, probably going to be my favourite feature of the year. This has everything I love to read about — Filipino Catholicism, kids doing weird stuff online. Actually that’s about it. Young Catholics who feel alienated from the church in the Philippines are turning to a place they feel very comfortable: the online game Roblox. There, they’re building a Catholic community that is welcoming and inclusive of young Catholics of all backgrounds. 

Roblox Filipino Catholics has an “open-door” policy, even for those who may feel excluded by the traditional church in the conservative Catholic-majority nation. “RFC has been most welcoming,” Zeterino, who asked to go by his pseudonym on Discord because he identifies as queer, told Rest of World. “You aren’t afraid to be who you truly are because you won’t be asked to reveal your identity. You don’t have to explain.” The 17-year-old is a bishop at Roblox Filipino Catholics.

Turning TikTok views into Malaysian votes (East Asia Forum)

Han Jun Lim at the Australian National University rights some assumptions that aren’t really correct when it comes to the campaign impact of TikTok. The social media site was credited with the surge in electoral popularity of arch-conservatives PAS in the 2022 general election, but data from subsequent state elections show views for pro-PAS content dropping off a cliff. Intriguing! 

Although Malaysia’s 2022 general election highlighted the potency of TikTok’s algorithm at play, it had less in the 2023 state elections. TikTok seems less reliable as a political tool, especially when coupled with factors such as the exhaustion of the electorate from back-to-back elections. TikTok’s algorithm relies on learning a users’ preferences to redirect them to related material, allowing it to serve as a platform for small or fringe organisations, as in the 2022 general election.

Singapore doubles down on lab-grown meat as Silicon Valley backs off (Rest of World)

Singapore has taken a much bigger punt on lab-grown meat than elsewhere in the world. The food-mad city is the only place in the world where you can pop down the shops and pick it up. The industry is still in its early days and is struggling to break through regulation and plain old ick-factor, both in Singapore and abroad. But that this the city is the hub for development tells us a lot about Singapore’s place in the global tech ecosystem. 

The government has so far committed some $230 million towards alternative proteins — from grants to training researchers to building capabilities in bioprocessing and other complementary technologies. Singapore “invested very heavily in getting technological expertise into its government regulatory departments,” Simon Eassom, chief executive of Food Frontier, an Australia-based think tank, told Rest of World. “That means it’s able to fast-track a lot of these applications safely.” Applications only take half, or a third, of the time to process, compared to Australia or the U.S., he said.

Indonesia is trying to block LGBTQIA content from the internet (Rest of World)

Last month, the Indonesian government flagged reforms to the broadcast law that would seriously curb freedoms of the press and freedom of expression. There are a lot of aspects here to be concerned about, but this piece from Adi Renaldi focuses on what it means for LGBTQ Indonesian content creators. 

In particular, the bill will further limit the freedom of expression of queer communities who have found a safe space online to express their identities and voices, even as they face greater persecution in the country, said [HRW’s Andreas] Harsono. Social media platforms have provided queer people in Indonesia “a wealth of opportunities to increase their visibility and seek acceptance and approval,” Suzie Handajani, a professor of anthropology at Universitas Gadjah Mada, wrote in her research paper. 

🌴 A look to the past for our environmental futures

The little town that could: How eco-activists in the Philippines said ‘no’ to smelting plant (Straits Times)

Thanks, but no thanks, said residents of San Juan, Batangas province, in the Philippines. A huge copper smelting plant was rejected by the community back in the 1970s, Mara Cepeda writes in this piece. It was no easy feat. The people of San Juan were a very small David to President Ferdinand Marcos’ giant, but their win — and a new book on the events — could be a blueprint for future fights.

Mr Pasco, now 62 and an environmental protection officer in the municipal government, said that as a teenager in 1977, he was initially fearful about questioning the setting up of a copper smelter in San Juan, but went ahead and did so anyway. In the Philippines in the 1970s, many protesters and critics of the government were imprisoned or worse.

Orangutan diplomacy: why Malaysia’s scheme is attracting criticism before it starts (The Conversation)

Very happy to read this one from Chee Meng Tan of the University of Nottingham this month. Malaysia saw the success China has had with its panda diplomacy and wants to see if it can do something similar. Or, that was the plan at least. The idea was so widely derided I think it’ll be quietly scuttled. But for now: Chee Meng Tan on it all. 

The plan to send orangutans to major palm oil importers is already controversial. Stuart Pimm, a conservation ecologist from Duke University in the US, described orangutan diplomacy as “obscene” and “repugnant”, while emphasising that unlike China’s giant pandas, orangutans do not have established state-of-the-art facilities and protected areas in their homeland.

Thai island of Samui weighs ‘White Lotus effect’ against environmental cost (The Guardian)

Thailand has walked a tight balancing rope for a while now. How to keep tourism numbers up while keeping the beautiful sites clean and happy to continue attracting those numbers? This current government seems far happier to focus on the economic side of the equation but not everyone feels the same.

Rapid development on Samui has already put intense pressure on the environment. The opening of luxury spa hotels and golf courses have drained the island of its water. Speedboats and noisy beach parties have scared away marine life. The development of new villas, at times in violation of building rules, has contributed to fears of landslides and flooding. The huge growth in footfall in Samui – through tourists visiting, and the workers who have moved to the island to serve them – has also generated enormous volumes of rubbish.

“The local authority and the local Samui community need to sit and really seriously talk about how we deal with it, [and how] to balance these things,” said Dr Kannapa Pongponrat Chieochan, an assistant professor at Thammasat University who is from the island and researchers sustainable development.

“I sprayed poisons” (Asia Democracy Chronicles) 

In Central Kalimantan’s palm oil plantations, spraying herbicides is a dangerous job. Sprayers are often required to provide their own protective wear and rely on milk or turmeric to maintain health after exposure. They’re often spraying paraquat, of which Indonesia is now the world’s third-largest buyer. 

“Sometimes I just let it be until the wound dried out,” Herna said. “Gramoxone has a strong smell. It stings your nose. So as soon as the packaging is opened, the smell is immediately strong. So, you have to mix it quickly.”

She told ADC: “I sprayed poisons.”

“I wanted to help my family,” Herna said. “Jobs are scarce around here. Nowadays it is difficult to find work except working at a [palm oil] company.”

🫂 People, places and culture

Banned for decades, Chinese is now taught at Indonesia’s largest mosque (Arab News)

I am always a fan of Randy Mulyanto’s work, often covering the experience of ethnic Chinese communities across the region, but this one is one of the best I’ve read yet. He takes a look at those studying Chinese at Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque, the country’s largest mosque. For decades, the teaching of Chinese languages was banned in Indonesia and now there are generations — of Muslims and non-Muslims —  hoping to catch up. 

“A friend said there (had been) news on TV, so I thought that I could study. I also thought: ‘Is it allowed?’ In the past, it was dangerous. So, I asked around,” the 71-year-old told Arab News.

Once assured that it was permitted and that the classes were open to all, she signed up.

“I want to learn it, even though I’m old. Everyone in my generation has forgotten it, my family all have forgotten. I’m the only one,” Tjong said. “It’s always good to gain knowledge as long as we can.”

Indonesia’s K-pop fans get real, wielding their clout for social and green causes (Straits Times)

A story about K-poppers doing stuff offline, I’m clicking!

“Indonesian K-pop fans, who are usually part of the upper-middle class, have strong purchasing power, and companies that want to maintain a good relationship with them can be influenced by their economic power,” Mr Yohanes Widodo, a communication studies lecturer at the University of Atma Jaya Yogyakarta, told ST.

These K-pop fans can also influence public opinion with their massive social media power, making it possible for them to affect the reputation of certain companies or brands, he said, adding that companies “may take into account the reaction of K-pop fans in their business decisions”.

Japanese housekeeping companies turn to Philippines and beyond for staff (Nikkei Asia)

This is a bit of a classic Nikkei Asia story, but even incremental developments are very intriguing. As Japan ages, the notoriously anti-immigration country is forced to look abroad for its labour. In domestic industries, this often means to Filipino women. This piece from Nikkei Asia looks at how this works in practice. 

Filipino workers hired through Bears' subsidiary in the Philippines are given Japanese language and other lessons for two months before coming to Japan. They go through a two-week training program in Japan, which includes checks on their housekeeping skills. They are paid and assessed on the same basis as Japanese workers, with help available in Tagalog.

Housekeeping services by foreign nationals without permanent residence status began in areas designated as special economic zones in 2017. The government in 2020 extended the time such people are permitted to stay in the country to five years from three, while offering an additional three-year extension in 2023 for those who meet certain conditions.

Children of Vietnam war’s rape survivors unjustly bear the burden of others’ crimes (The Guardian)

A stunning, deeply personal piece here from Tran Thi Ngai, the mother of three ‘Lai Dai Han.’ It’s a derogatory term, she writes, for ‘children born as a result of rape committed by South Korean soldiers during the war.’ The children are rejected and unable to access many services — an experience Tran Thi Ngai links with children of similar circumstances across the world. 

I was 24 when I was first assaulted by a South Korean officer. When I discovered I was pregnant, I was beaten by my parents and attempted to end my life several times, but survived – I feel as though my unborn child was fighting for us both. Four years later, the same officer appeared again, taking me and my daughter to his remote military base. Ashamed and isolated, I felt I had no choice but to spend the next two years with my rapist, living in constant fear for my life and that of my child.

The Flying V, Singapore’s only heavy metal bar, rocks ‘something different’ (AFP)

I’ve never heard of the Flying V before! This sort of metal aesthetic always brings up bad memories from high school (I was an ‘indie’) but I can appreciate a good story. 

The bar is situated in the historic civic district where annual National Day parades are often held in front of the former City Hall building.

But in the 1990s, during the global punk revival, the area was also popular among local counterculture groups, including skinheads, punks and metalheads, and was home to a handful of shops selling music merchandise and skateboards.

🇲🇲 Must-reads from and about Myanmar

Forgotten war in Burma, ignored war in Myanmar (New Mandala)

This essay from Edith Mirante tore through the internet this month, and for good reason. In it, she reviews and reflects on the international media’s coverage and framing of Myanmar and assesses how that has impacted support for the people of Myanmar in the conflict. It’s given me a lot to think about — both in how I write about Myanmar, and what to keep in mind when reading — and I think everyone who is following the conflict should read it. 

Like Victorian ethnographers’ use of “vanishing peoples,” a “forgotten war” can become a self-fulfilling terminology. Today’s international community, which deliberately ignores the urgent needs and requests for basic support such as an arms embargo or sanctions on aviation fuel, can feel justified because Myanmar is considered forgettable — and therefore unimportant. The remedy would be more use of journalism by people from Myanmar in mainstream international media, more first-hand reporting, and fresh approaches to covering the war. Certainly the people of Myanmar will never forget the coup, this revolution, the lives sacrificed, the lives changed, and the transition from oppression into victory.

Myanmar’s dog bite victims fend for themselves (Frontier Myanmar)

One of the (many) things I love about Frontier Myanmar is that the features approach the country from such an amazing, diverse range of angles that tell us more about what life is like inside. This might be their most novel yet. With public health in disarray, victims of dog bites are struggling to get the treatment they need even rabies shots. 

The story is much the same in Yangon, Myanmar’s commercial capital where one might expect better public services and more readily available supplies. A resident of North Okkalapa Township told Frontier that there were no vaccines available at the public hospital she visited after being bitten in April, so she had to purchase a vaccine for K35,000 at a private clinic. 

It wasn’t always this way. Dr Myint Htwe, former health minister in the National League for Democracy administration, toppled by the coup, said in 2019 that his government had spent K15 billion on rabies vaccines starting in 2016.

China cultivated high-rolling crime families before turning on them (Washington Post)

Can’t get enough of Kokang crime family stories? Me neither, it is a new must-read genre for me from the economic zone where scam centres flourish and warlords rule. This report digs into the links between these families, Chinese authorities and the Myanmar military and it’s a nightmare for all forced to work there. 

The Kokang families, which ran both legitimate and illicit businesses, often from the same property, were useful partners and guarantors of stability as Chinese leader Xi Jinping pursued his massive Belt and Road Initiative, a $1-trillion bet that infrastructure projects along China’s border and beyond would build regional and global influence. Being Han Chinese, the families set up companies in China and obtained identity papers usually reserved for Chinese nationals, corporate records show.

Punks among grassroot groups providing hope as millions struggle with hunger in Myanmar (ABC)

God, I love a story about punks helping their communities. In Yangon, Kyaw Kyaw, a singer of the punk band Rebel Riot, comes together with his Food Not Bombs organisation each Saturday to get to work making up to 500 meals each weekend. The photos are excellent too! (Please, I’m as baffled as you are as to why the ABC insists on making every paragraph like this. A yuck style guide if I’ve ever seen one.) 

His band recently wrote a new song Don't Become a Fascist expressing their anger at the military takeover.

He said he finds it hard to stay positive watching the mounting death toll but tries to focus each week on offering food and a moment of relief.

"This food gives a bit of hope in these tough times."