Protestors want Obama statue removed from Jakarta park
By DPA, IANSThursday, December 17, 2009
JAKARTA - Protestors Thursday demanded the removal of a statue of US President Barack Obama as a child from a park in the Indonesian capital.
About 60 activists who named themselves the Forum of Love Indonesia said the erecting of Obama’s statue in central Jakarta’s Menteng Park was “not in line” with the spirit of nationalism and the value of nobility.
The group demanded the removal of the statue of Obama, who spent part of his childhood in Jakarta.
The group warned it would demolish or remove the statue if it gets no response to its demands within two weeks.
The $10,580 statue of 10-year-old Obama was erected a week ago, but days after it was unveiled, the statue was targeted in a Facebook campaign in which more than 15,000 people have said it should be removed.
The erection of the statue was initiated by a non-governmental group called the Friends of Obama and was intended to inspire local children to follow their dreams.
Obama lived in central Jakarta from 1967 to 1971 from the ages of 6 to 10 after his mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, married an Indonesian, Lolo Soetoro.
