“These two publications change what are figures and statistics into pictures and stories that can be understood and ready by all,” said Erik Prasetya, photographer and pioneer of street photography in Indonesia, during the discussion of two books, Mereka yang Dipisahkan (They Who Have Been Separated) and Para Pembuka Jalan (The Pathfinders), at Kedai Tempo in Jakarta on Saturday (03/07/2020. He is also the curator of these two books that recount the explicit reality of the lives of victims/survivors today and their journey to rehabilitation together with victim organizations, supporters and civil society.
“Through these photographs I try to tell the story of the victims and survivors in a more personal way. I let people see themselves, their expressions and their personal stories, so that everyone can understand that they are no different from us, they are the same,” said Raharja Waluya Jati, the photographer of the book, Mereka yang Dipisahkan. The book, which was published in 2001, tells the stories of the families of the disappeared.
Giving a voice to those who have been silenced by the state is work that must be continued as part of humanitarian efforts. Sharing their voices in the form of photographs can express a thousand feelings and represents an alternative approach to truth-telling and truth-seeking which has remained hidden for decades.
The many interesting photographs in these two books are quite different. If the book Mereka yang Dipisahkan shows the sad faces of those who have been left behind, who haven’t changed, the book Para Pembuka Jalan is more optimistic and portrays the struggle of the survivors to claim their economic, social and cultural rights as victims of past gross human rights violations. Their efforts are based on hard work to soothe the memory and prevent future violations. The discussion of these two books was part of the opening of a photography exhibition, The Pathfinders: Victim’s Honor for National Dignity. If you are interested in the stories of the victims and survivors of gross human rights violations, you can visit Kedai Tempo, Komunitas Utan Kayu, Jl Utan Kayu 68, East Jakarta. This photography exhibition will be on until 2 April 2020.