The shanty fence and two boys are juxtaposed such that we look towards the background. Here, our eyes are drawn to a cart and a chicken. The space is a poor excuse for a playground, but it’s typical of the space many children in the world are confined to for their fun.
After WWII, many Indo children were orphans, and adopted by families in the Netherlands. Many Indos also moved to the Netherlands because of Indonesia’s independence. Some of famous Indo descendants in Netherlands are Erwin Koeman, Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, Denny Landzaat, Johnny Heitinga, Dutch football players. Because of their refugee status leaving Indonesia, many Indos were able to immigrate to the United States. Today there are many famous Indos in the United States, including the Van Halen brothers, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, and Michelle Branch.
Indonesia, a vast polyglot nation, has struggled to overcome the Asian financial crisis, and still grapples with high unemployment, a fragile banking sector, and endemic corruption. Indonesians are incredibly friendly and welcoming to outsiders, in spite of splinter radical groups that give them a bad name (Think: Bali bombings).
Under the Bush administration, funding for the Indonesian military– long known for it’s brutal killings of it’s own citizens– (Think: the former East Timor)– was given massive financial assistance. Indonesia is one of many corners of the world where killing civilians on a huge scale is justified as part of the “war on terror.”