Indonesian Catholic students joined nationwide protests against the government’s flagship free meal program amid corruption allegations, food poisoning incidents and a constitutional challenge. In India, Human Rights Watch accused authorities of forcibly expelling ethnic Bengali residents to Bangladesh without due process, leaving families stranded along the border. Meanwhile, Chinese authorities detained two leaders of a prominent Protestant house church following a police raid, as the government continues its crackdown on unregistered religious groups. Tune in for the latest developments from Asia.
Updated: June 19, 2026 11:45 AM GMT
Starting off in Indonesia, a growing national protest movement is demanding the government halt its flagship Free Nutritious Meal program. Students from the Indonesian Catholic Students Association have joined the pushback against the multibillion-dollar initiative, which is now tied up in corruption allegations, a constitutional challenge, and a wave of food poisoning incidents.
During a recent protest, students set up a large red cross, flanked by two smaller crosses carrying photos of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
Rolled out in January 2025, the meal program uses a centralized kitchen system to serve between 15 million and 20 million people. It has become one of the most expensive social welfare efforts in the history of Indonesia, eating up about nine percent of total government spending—amounting to roughly 20 billion U-S dollars.
However, food safety concerns are mounting. Since the launch, over 11,000 students and school staff have reportedly suffered food poisoning. The single largest outbreak happened in West Bandung’s Cipongkor district, where more than 500 students fell ill in just one day. According to local media, not a single one of the district’s 85 program kitchens had passed food safety certification.
Members of the Indonesian Catholic Students Association’s Central Jakarta Chapter hold a rally on June 17 to demand the halt of the government’s flagship Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program. (Photo: Tribunnews)
Moving on to India, the global rights group Human Rights Watch—also known as HRW—has accused Indian authorities of forcibly expelling ethnic Bengali residents. The group says most of those expelled from West Bengal state to Bangladesh are Muslims, and that they are being removed without due process.
HRW stated on Wednesday that actions by India’s Border Security Force, combined with efforts by Bangladesh’s Border Guard to block their entry, have left dozens of families stranded in the “zero line” area between the two nations.
In this 2021 file photo, a protester chants slogans during a rally in New Delhi denouncing the violent eviction of Bengali Muslims from their villages in Assam state, in India. (Photo: Sajjad Hussain/AFP/Getty Images)
Bangladeshi border guards report they have foiled 21 attempts by the BSF since June 1, trying to push more than two hundred people—including children—into Bangladeshi border districts. The West Bengal government, which took office after the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party won the recently held state election, said officials had detained hundreds of “Bangladeshi infiltrators” and forced nearly 5,000 people “to go back” under a strict “detect, delete, and deport” policy.
The New York-based rights group interviewed nine witnesses. They claim Indian border guards brought groups to the frontier at night, pushing them through cuts in the barbed-wire fence into Bangladeshi territory. In several cases, the guards later allowed the people to return after Bangladeshi authorities denied them entry.
Looking up north to China, authorities are currently holding two leaders of the prominent Protestant Early Rain Covenant Church. A rights group reported on Tuesday that the detentions followed a police raid on a weekend service. This marks the latest incident in an ongoing crackdown against unofficial Christian organizations. The congregation is one of China’s unregistered “house” or “underground” churches, where some Christians choose to worship instead of attending state-sanctioned, government-regulated ones.
According to a church statement shared on its Telegram channel on Monday, dozens of police and government officials raided a Sunday gathering in the city of Jiangyou. The church says more than 30 members were taken to a local detention center for questioning before most were released on Sunday night.
This photo taken on September 12, 2018 shows Jin Mingri, head pastor of the Zion church, posing in Beijing days after authorities shut down one of China’s largest “underground” Protestant churches. (Photo: AFP)
China’s ruling Communist Party has historically viewed organized religion with suspicion, and under President Xi Jinping, it has tightened its watch over unofficial groups.
Early Rain has caught the attention of authorities before. Back in 2019, its leader, Wang Yi, was sentenced to nine years in prison for “incitement to subvert state power,” a move that drew heavy condemnation from the United States. Rights groups point out that this year alone, Chinese authorities have broken up gatherings or detained the leaders of several unregistered churches across the country.
In Pakistan, a Christian rights watchdog known as the Human Rights Forum Pakistan is calling on the government to investigate and deliver justice. They are sounding the alarm over a recent string of targeted attacks, threats, and workplace discrimination directed at Christians, with a heavy focus on impoverished sanitary workers.
On Monday, the forum announced it had documented and verified five new cases of violence against Christians in Faisalabad, located in Punjab, the country’s most populated province. Through its dedicated helpline, the group has also recorded nationwide cases involving discrimination and a severe lack of protection for marginalized Christian communities.
In this file image, a Pakistanti sanitary worker inspects an overflowing sewerage line. (Photo: Daniyal Yousaf/Amnesty International)
The forum highlighted horrifying incidents, including the murder of sanitary workers, families enduring repeated intimidation and violence, and extreme exploitation and abuse. In one deeply alarming report, a brick kiln worker allegedly had his kidney removed without his knowledge or informed consent, all under the pretense of receiving medical treatment.
The rights forum is strongly urging both federal and provincial governments to step up immediately and protect these vulnerable communities.
Heading south to Sri Lanka, the Archdiocese of Colombo is pushing back against what it calls a coordinated smear campaign. The target? The Church and Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith.
The archdiocese stated on Wednesday that politicians and loyalists tied to ousted former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa are behind the attacks.
Recently, the Sri Lankan Church and Cardinal Ranjith have faced a wave of baseless allegations across parts of the media and social media sites. Pro-Rajapaksa figures are reportedly spreading completely fabricated claims.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith speaks to media in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on April 17, 2024. (Photo: Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP)
They allege that Cardinal Ranjith influenced government appointments to spark a fresh investigation into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. They also claim he received special government security and intentionally sowed discord between Buddhists and Christians in the country.
Perhaps the most serious claim made by them is that the Cardinal—who leads the Archdiocese of Sri Lanka—had prior information about the imminent attack on April 21, 2019. The archdiocese firmly rejected all these allegations as false, urging the public to simply ignore them.
Now checking in on Japan, Cardinal Isao Kikuchi, the Archbishop of Tokyo, along with a senior Buddhist leader, is welcoming a major national Cabinet decision. The government has officially adopted a plan designed to promote public understanding of LGBT people and other sexual minorities.
Approved on Tuesday, the strategy is grounded in the 2023 LGBT Understanding Promotion Act. It aims to establish core guidelines across governments, schools, and businesses.
According to the government, adopting this plan will enable relevant ministries and agencies to work together, paving the way for an inclusive society where everyone prospers and mutually respects one another.
A woman attends a meeting with a group of LGBTQ and human rights campaigners to demand an anti-discrimination law for sexual minority people, in Tokyo on Feb. 14, 2023. (Photo: AFP)
Cardinal Kikuchi called the move “meaningful,” noting that the Japanese government had clearly articulated a policy aimed at deepening the public’s understanding of sexual minorities. He explained that the Catholic Church’s approach to sexual minorities involves both an ethical dimension based on faith, and a deeper understanding of human life itself.
The adoption of this plan arrives amid an ongoing debate in the country regarding legal protections for LGBT individuals. As it stands, Japan remains the only G-Seven nation that does not fully recognize same-sex marriage, though it does offer localized partnership certificates.
Turning to the Philippines, Bishop Socrates Mesiona of the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa is openly criticizing the Philippine government. He is calling out authorities for issuing permits to cut over 218,000 trees in the western province of Palawan.
Located about 600 kilometers southwest of Manila, Palawan is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, widely known as the country’s “last ecological frontier.” Bishop Mesiona beautifully described Palawan as “a grace given by God that brings peace to the heart.”
However, he cited public records showing that “no fewer than 218,854 trees are already covered by special tree cutting and earth-balling permits issued for mining projects.” These permits are issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources—also known as the DENR—the government bureau that regulates environmental activities.
An image of felled trees in the province of Palawan. (Photo: UCAN files)
Yet, data from local environmentalists indicate that the number of STCEPs over the past decade has reached up to three hundred twenty thousand.
Deforestation is one of the biggest problems in the Philippines. Known for its tropical rainforests, the country lost 1.42 million hectares of tree cover from 2001 to 2022, according to data cited by the Climate Change Commission.
The Catholic Church, where nearly 80 percent of Filipinos belong, continues to be one of the biggest groups pushing to protect the country’s ecology.
Finally, we head to South Korea. President Lee Jae-Myung is calling the upcoming 2027 Catholic World Youth Day in the national capital, Seoul, a message of hope for a world marked by tensions and uncertainty. He noted that “the theme chosen for World Youth Day Seoul 2027 speaks powerfully to our time.”
Earlier on Monday, Lee met with Pope Leo XIV, along with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.
Pope Leo XIV is slated to personally attend the 2027 event in Seoul, which has been scheduled to run from August 3-8, 2027. Hundreds of thousands of youths from across the globe are expected to attend.
South Korean President Lee Jae-Lee meets Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican City on June 15. (Photo: Vatican News)
President Lee remarked that the Pope’s presence in Seoul “will remind us that moral leadership, compassion, and dialogue remain indispensable in a fractured world.” He pointed out that the youth of today face extraordinary challenges while also exposing themselves to extraordinary possibilities.
Importantly, Lee also added that the WYD held in Seoul is not political. He expressed hope that the event would enable the youth to carry the spirit of hope, solidarity, and dialogue to their homes and countries.
The WYD-related activities—such as pilgrimage to the borders, prayer events, and more—have emphasized a loud call for peace between North and South Korea, who have remained in a state of hostility since the 1950s.
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