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SCMP’s Asia desk

Indonesian singer-turned-lawmaker Surya Utama’s daughter has faced backlash for helping victims of the destructive wildfires in Los Angeles while ignoring the plight of Palestinians in war-ravaged Gaza.
Several blazes have continued to burn in the Californian city for nearly a week, killing at least 24 people and destroying a total area of about 16,187 hectares, with thousands of homes reduced to ashes.
More than 92,000 residents remain under evacuation orders.
Surya said Cinta Rahmania Putri and her friends provided food and water to people sheltered at a convention centre in Pasadena, one of the worst-hit areas where schools were closed until Friday.
“Cinta and her friends from Indonesia and Thailand distributed donations for wildfire victims in Los Angeles,” he said in an Instagram post on Monday.
“So many of our brothers and sisters have been affected by the disaster. Help humanity without discrimination.”
Last November, Surya moderated a forum on Palestine held at Indonesia’s parliament and called the opportunity a “true honour”.
But Cinta’s benevolent act did not impress social media users in Indonesia, which has steadfastly backed the Palestinian cause through diplomacy and boycott campaigns against Western brands over their perceived links to Israel.

Some said the severity of the raging fires was “not much” compared with the sufferings of Muslim brothers and sisters in Gaza, where Israel’s military offensive had killed more than 46,000 people.
The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people in Israel.
“Sad but even sadder in Gaza,” a user said.
Another user said that the fire-induced disaster was “God’s reply” to the US for supporting Israel’s war in the Palestinian territory.
“I am personally not happy with what happened in LA, but God is not sleeping.”
Politician Irwansyah also sympathised with Palestinians’ misery, saying “hopefully we can all feel what the Palestinian people feel with what is happening in Los Angeles”.
Cinta, who attends college in Pasadena, hit back at her detractors and reminded them that “disasters like this could happen to us too”.

“I’m sick and disgusted by people who comment so casually about this disaster. What if this happened to you? Please be kind and respectful,” the Jakarta Globe quoted her as saying.
Cinta’s supporters agreed with her, saying “helping people around you in trouble regardless of status, religion is very noble”.
Surya, a member of the National Mandate Party who became a lawmaker after last year’s election, said his home in Los Angeles was safe.
At least 97 Indonesians in Los Angeles have been affected by the fires, according to the country’s consulate general in the US city.
“We urge the Indonesian people to remain calm, monitor developments in the situation and comply with directions from local authorities,” the mission said in a statement last week, adding no fatalities among Indonesians have been recorded so far.
US President Joe Biden said on Monday that Congress would need to provide tens of billions of dollars to help rebuild the affected areas in Los Angeles. The city’s fire chief Kristin Crowley warned that “we are not in the clear as of yet, and we must not let our guard down”.


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Indonesian politician’s daughter slammed for helping LA fire victims and not Palestinians

Cinta Rahmania Putri has been criticised by Indonesian online users for helping the Los Angeles fire victims instead of Palestinians in Gaza. Photo: Instagram/cintakuya

Indonesian rapper Surya Utama. Photo: Instagram/king_uyakuya 

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Indonesian court’s ‘unfortunate’ ruling on citizens’ religion sparks discrimination fears

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Barbed wires are seen outside Indonesia’s constitutional court. The court ruled last week that all Indonesian citizens must list a faith on their official documents or risk being denied essential civil services. Photo: Reuters

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Online users who have criticised Cinta Rahmania Putri say the fire victims’ suffering pales in comparison with that of the Palestinians


Online users who have criticised Cinta Rahmania Putri say the fire victims’ suffering pales in comparison with that of the Palestinians.


United States

Israel-Gaza war

Fame and celebrity

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