Episode three: The place where we are kept
As protests rage in cities across Indonesia, Yousif, from Sudan, takes the megaphone despite threats of arrest. Mozhgan can’t travel, so Nicole investigates, visiting shelters in Makassar and Batam. Who’s on the streets and why are they willing to risk it all to raise their voices?
In one accommodation tower, Nicole notices some homemade gym equipment—plant pots filled with cement and attached to broomsticks. But in the rooms, she hears stories of desperation.
Hotel Kolekta, Batam, in Indonesia’s Northwest houses several hundred families.
Photo: Nicole Curby
“Nobody can guarantee the life of someone living in detention.”
As Nicole flies out from Makassar, she gets a series of urgent messages. The men she interviewed have been arrested.
We hear from Indonesian lawyer Rizka Argadianti and Indonesian immigration officer Ilham about the rights, rules and restrictions that apply to refugees and asylum seekers.
Fatima, 68, lives in a shelter in Makassar, her family has been resettled to Australia.
Photo: Nicole Curby
Transcript
A transcript of this episode is available here
In this episode
Mozhgan Moarefizadeh
Nicole Curby
Hussein
Yousif Ibrahim Ahmed
JN Joniad
Rizka Argadianti
Shamsullah Husseini
Malik
Ilham
Karim
More information
The Wait was written and produced by Nicole Curby, and co-hosted by Mozhgan Moarefizadeh. Michael Green is the co-writer and supervising producer. Editorial support from Miles Martignoni at The Guardian Australia. Sound design and mixing by Bec Fary. Theme music by Emma Davis. Photo by Nicole Curby.
This project was supported by the Walkley Public Fund and a Judith Neilson Institute Freelance Grant for Asian Journalism.
Thank you
Tessa Rex, Gem Romuld, Trish Cameron, André Dao, Patrick Tumewu, Ben Doherty and Abdul Karim Hekmat.