Thaindian News

By Gina Gomez
Jakarta, Indonesia, Feb 16, (THAINDIAN NEWS) The bronze statue of United States President Barack Obama has been removed from a park in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta after it received hostile response, as many believed that the statue of a native hero should have been installed there. The sculpture, which drew inspiration from a 10 year old picture of President Barack Obama, had found itself amidst controversy since it was erected in the park in the month of December last year.

It has come to light that after being removed from the park, the controversial statue has been shifted to a school which the United States President attended as a child. President Barack Obama gains affection among many Indonesians as he had attended an elementary school in the city from 1967 to 1971 after his American mother married an Indonesian, following her divorce from his Kenyan father. Although a nonprofit organization based in the city, Friends of Obama Foundation had carried the expenses for erecting the sculpture, the relocation expenses are supposedly being met by Jakarta Gov. Fauzi Bowo.

Jakarta resident American Ron Mullers, who had conceived the idea of raising the statue of President Barack Obama, has emphasized that as the sculpture had become a major tourist attraction, more people could have viewed it if it was kept in the park. However, Ron Mullers expressed that he was satisfied with the relocation as he felt that the statue might become a source of inspiration for the school students. Meanwhile Edi Kusyanto, a teacher at the school has emphasized that the sculpture has been welcomed by the school authorities.