FB group wants removal of Obama statue in Jakarta

Jakarta, Dec 16: The statue of Barack Obama in Indonesia, which has already invited the ire of country's politicians and other individuals, is now on the Facebook hit list as thousands of users come together in support of a campaign demanding that the statue should be torn down.

Indonesian-language group called 'Turunkan Patung Barack Obama di Taman Menteng', meaning 'Take Down the Barack Obama Statue in Taman Menteng Park', gained momentum with more than 15,000 members joining in by Tuesday, Dec 15.

"This has hurt our national pride because there are many Indonesian figures who gave worthy service to this nation, but no statue has been built for them," Heru Nugroho, the group's creator is quoted as saying.

The 110-centimeter statue of 10-year-old US President Barrack Obama dressed in shorts and a T-shirt was unveiled in Menteng Park in Jakarta last week.

Besides the objections pouring in on the internet, a local leader Amarullah A raised his voice against the statue saying that the park, which was the former soccer field of the Jakarta soccer club, should have a monument that reflects local history.

"The Obama statue should have been placed at his elementary school in Menteng instead of in Menteng Park," he is quoted as saying in media reports.

OneIndia News