As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the eighth month of the outbreak, the end is not yet in sight. In spite of the ongoing pandemic, life for many Indonesians has started to return to a sense of normality, as offices, art galleries and courtrooms reopen their doors to the public.
More protests rage on, as trade unions took to the streets to protest the Job Creation Law and demand wage increases. In addition, people gathered outside the French Embassy in Jakarta to protest against French President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial statement.
Meanwhile, Confucian devotees across the country released sparrows to honor Kwan Im (the Chinese goddess of mercy). In another part of the country, farmers started plowing their land ahead of the upcoming rainy season.
In the same week that saw Indonesia plummet into the country’s first recession since 1998, compassion and the rainy season are a welcome addition as a symbol of better days, amid all of the pandemic’s doom and gloom. (dio)