CHILI RECEPTION

Indonesian media were recently up in arms claiming that diaspora Chinese were involved in a dastardly plot to introduce tainted chili crops to Indonesian land. A crop of chili infected with bacteria that are not dangerous to humans, but potentially dangerous to chili crops, was found on a farm near Jakarta. The crops were reportedly planted by Chinese, prompting claims of “biological warfare.” The people who planted the crops have been arrested, and the Chinese embassy is trying to hose down the conspiracy claims. - D.D.