I sometimes wonder why I still choose to stay here in Jakarta. The government is shit, the pollution is thick, the noise is loud and deafening. But deep down, I know why. Indonesians are the kindest people I have ever met.
Because we are kind—we feel another’s pain as our own. And when he was killed by the police in front of our eyes, we raged. Do not mistake our kindness for weakness. Our kindness is pure—just like our anger.
But we all mourn him today because that green jacket he wore has carried us through some of the hardest moments of our lives.
Not someone in government, not someone well known in society. Just an ordinary, working-class man, trying to survive Jakarta’s harsh streets. He wasn’t special—he was one of us, simply human.
So for those who might not understand why we wake up with heaviness in our chest today and why tears form at the corners of our eyes: we are mourning. We are mourning the loss of an Indonesian figure.
Their kindness is pure—you can see it in their eyes, in their actions. No matter how little they have, they still share when they see someone with even less. This is why street cats thrive—because they are fed by the kindness of Jakarta’s people.







