Indonesia's naked truth revealed in exhibition

Indonesia's naked truth revealed in exhibition

By Dewi Anggraeni

MELBOURNE (JP): Most Australians now know where Indonesia is,
and many more learn about what is happening in the country from
snippets of news on the radio, television and in the newspaper.
While the scale of reporting begun to climb in August 1997 when
the monetary crisis hit, it reached a fever pitch in May 1998
with Soeharto's resignation and the rioting and violence that
tore through the country.

The pictures and images that were broadcast to Australia were
dominated by burning buildings, devastation and a near-total
social breakdown. Australians were overwhelmed by the images of a
country intent on self-destruction; so different from the images
of a tourist paradise and a budding Asian tiger that had
previously filled their consciousness.

The Independent Voice Foundation's photographic exhibition
held on Dec. 12 and Dec. 13 was, therefore, a small but
significant step to fill the gap between these two extremes.
Sponsored by the Committee Against Racism in Indonesia, the
Indonesian Arts Society, the Overseas Service Bureau, the
Australian Council for Overseas Aid, Nusantara Bookshop and a
number of restaurants, the exhibition displayed over 60
photographs taken by Indonesian journalists, capturing moments
from the May riots. This exhibition, hosted by the Overseas
Service Bureau, brought viewers to protests and riots, letting
them share the experience at ground level.

The photographs gave human faces to the stories of
extraordinary courage. They showed the inequity of power; unarmed
students and activists confronting the military, who, ostensibly
in their role of maintaining security, were armed with their high
tech weaponry. The pictures also stirred emotions with images of
shot activists, wounded or dead, being helped by their friends.
Yet, among these tragedies the students still showed an eerily
touching youthful idealism.

The exhibition did not avoid depicting the naked violence of
the May riots. There were disturbing photographs of frenzied
mobs, intent on destroying shops and burning vehicles, seemingly
enjoying themselves. Even photos of students crowding the grounds
of the People's Consultative Assembly/House of Representatives
building are infused with fearful anticipation, because the
vulnerability of the students here is so obvious.

Pictures of street theater reminded viewers that in times of
crisis, when most people live on the edge of human existence,
creativity never dies.

One picture depicting the theater of real-life brings smiles
of hope to viewers: a toddler, two or three years of age, wearing
a pretty white dress posing shyly for the photographer,
absolutely unaware of what is going on around her. In the
background are rows and rows of women in Moslem dress, sitting on
the ground, ready to pray or to listen to a speaker. The title of
the picture is Orator Cilik (Little Orator).

A photograph by Henry Lopulalan is enigmatic rather than
telling. Titled Pancasila Children, it shows demonstrators
carrying a banner which reads, "Islam, Kristen, Hindu, Katolik,
Buddha dilindungi Pancasila" (Islam, Christians, Hindus,
Catholics and Buddhists are protected by Pancasila). Is the
banner meant to reassure all people that Pancasila is there to
protect them, or is there an implied question, "If Pancasila is
meant to protect everyone, why have some of us been atrociously
attacked, and the perpetrators have not been brought to justice?"

The last photograph in the exhibition is that of a gold
colored box set against a background of golden fire. Visually it
is a beautiful picture, yet the message is one of despair.
Written on the box is, "Soeharto Deposit Box $40 milyar". A note
under the photograph reads, "Soeharto's wealth still remains a
mystery -- perhaps lost in the ashes of deposit boxes gutted by
the flames of anger and suffering."

This was only an introductory exhibition, to let people know
of the existence of these photographs which are bursting with
stories. Bela Kusumah, a broadcaster at the Special Broadcasting
Service, coordinated the exhibition and explained that there had
been requests by various groups in Melbourne and other cities to
borrow the collection for their own exhibitions. Among these
groups were union organizations and Indonesian interest groups.

"We'll make sure, however, that the collection returns here in
May of next year, in time for the anniversary of the May riots,"
Kusumah told The Jakarta Post.