1st Man: Independence!

2nd Man: What’s up?

As the country gears up to commemorate its 65th anniversary tomorrow, many Indonesian’s are still waiting for the fruits of independence.

Despite making remarkable strides since the overthrow of the Suharto dictatorship 12 years ago, critics say that widespread corruption, poor law enforcement, a culture of impunity for rights abuses and the growing use of draconian libel laws to muzzle critics is undermining the gains won by the 1998 reformasi movement.

While the political elite sell off the country’s enormous natural wealth and divide the spoils among themselves, more than half of Indonesia’s 240 million people live on less than US$2 a day, 25% of children under five are malnourished, only 48% of the rural poor have access to clean water and only 55% of poor children complete junior high schoo

Politician: Remember... during the holy fasting month we should control our passion and lust.

Man: Including the lust for corruption?

Politician: Let me get back to you on that one...

Home to almost 10 million people, 8 million motorcycles and 3 million cars, Jakarta is the only mega-city in the world without a mass rapid transport system, and it is now commonplace for people to spend four or more hours commuting to and from work each day.

Kid: So what’s crooked, you or the building?

Legislator: The camera.

Exhaust reads: Performance

Driver: Before ‘time was money’, now time is always traffic Mr...

From an opinion piece in the Jakarta daily Kompas by Kontras coordinator Usman Hamid titled “The Attorney General and Justice for the Victims”.

Man: The Bank Century case, this case that case, case XYZ, to the piggy bank case, they will all be fully investigated! Full, full, fully!

Kid: Will!

1st Man: By 2050 many of our islands will be under water.

2nd Man: What’s important is they’re safe till 2014, right?

Politicians: My job is to make policy, my job is to procure canisters... my job is this, my job is that...

Man holding gas canister: My job... is to accept my fate...

Man: The rice-reform order (era) huh? – report nasi (difficulties buying rice), a play on the word reform[n]asi (political reform).

Signs read: Going up. Going up.

Kid: So where’s your commitment to the ideal of serving the people’s interests?

Lawmaker: In spite of not turning up for work, falling asleep during hearings, using my position to earn extra on the side, throwing bribes around... nevertheless I do represent the prosperity of the ordinary people...

Man: Going sightseeing Mr?

Legislator: It’s a working visit don’t you know!

Kid: There are may roads to Rome, but when will we get there Dad?

Signs: Police St, AGO St, Judiciary St, Finance St, Corruption Eradication Commission St, Judicial Mafia Task Force St, Commission XYZ St, Road Without End St. Damaged road!

Man: His conscious is in there... (arm band reads candidate regional head)

With the cost of campaign spending for regional elections reaching into the millions of dollars, candidate regional heads see running for public office as financial investment rather than a chance to serve the public.

Man: As I’ve said, it’s porno if it’s done openly... if it’s secret it’s not porno!

Kid: So we live in the Republic of Pornography right Dad?

Busker: Have a long and glorious life... a long and glorious life...