In South-East Asia, the war in Gaza is roiling emotions
The governments of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have responded very differently
FAR MORE than Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the war in Gaza is rattling public opinion in three key South-East Asian countries: Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. The first two have Muslim-majority populations, and Singapore, largely ethnic-Chinese, has a Muslim minority of 16%. As on campuses in America and in street protests in Europe, the sympathies among those who are concerned about the conflict—and who in Singapore include many young non-Muslims—are for Palestinians suffering from Israel’s heavy-handed prosecution of the war.
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This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “A delicate balancing act”
From the May 11th 2024 edition
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