Angela Merkel’s remark on 11 March 2020 that up to 70 percent of Germany’s population could contract COVID-19 was brutal. Being highlighted in various Indonesian news outlets, I can imagine how her words baffled their audience. Still, as someone…
Blocking the Pandemic: Regional Boundary Controls in Indonesia’s Far East (#WitnessingCorona)
Indonesia, whose population of 267 million inhabits a vast archipelago, has not been spared the challenge of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The difficulty of managing the disease has been compounded by limited public health and health care capacity, and high…
“We Cannot Afford to Take Any Risks”: Refugees in Indonesia under Self-Isolation amidst COVID-19 Pandemic (#WitnessingCorona)
Refugees in Indonesia are stuck in “troubled transit” (Missbach 2015), hoping for resettlement, living in a constant state of uncertainty. Their ‘refugee’ identities are defined by their past traumas and search for a future home. In their present state…