By Prensa Latina,
Jakarta : Some 250 million Muslims from South East Asia celebrate Ramadan, 9th month of the Muslim calendar of fasting and meditation amid strong conflicts and economic hardships.
South Philippines and south Thailand, home to most Muslim at those countries, report almost daily fatalities to surging violence.
Some 40 per cent the 100 million Indonesian people live below the poverty level while the World Food Program rates at one in every eight its four million children suffering malnutrition.
This year, Indonesia Muslims approved last minute beginning of Ramadan today after they saw New Moon but two groups started to celebrate Saturday, one in Jember, Javana, and the other in Gowa, Sulawesi Islands.
Like Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand and the Philippines, it rules work and family activity: working time is accommodated, limits home cooking to dinner, restaurants adapt their menus and supermarkets and food stores launch special offers.
The Police will watch for open pubs and night leisure spots to stay closed amid a surge of radical Muslim trends since General Suharto regime was toppled in 1998.