THE OLD GODS
Jakarta (AFP) – In the sweltering streets of Jakarta, buskers carry towering, hollow puppets and pass around a bucket for donations. Now, they fear becoming outlaws.
Issued on: 31/07/2025 -
Performances featuring giant puppets known as ondel-ondel are a feature of street life in the Indonesian capital
© Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP
Ondel-ondel is the pride of the native Jakarta tribe, the Betawi people.
City authorities say they will crack down on use of the sacred ondel-ondel puppets, which can stand as tall as a truck, and they are drafting legislation to remove what they view as a street nuisance.
Performances featuring the puppets -- originally used by Jakarta's Betawi people to ward off evil spirits -- will be allowed only at set events.
The ban could leave many ondel-ondel buskers in Jakarta without a job.
"I am confused and anxious. I fear getting raided or even arrested. But what can I do? I need money to eat," Adi Sutisna, a 26-year-old Jakarta native who works as an ondel-ondel busker, told AFP.
Adi, who only graduated from elementary school, has been working as an ondel-ondel busker for seven years, earning $7 on a good day to provide for his wife and five-year-old daughter.
Ondel-ondel is the pride of the native Jakarta tribe, the Betawi people.
Traditional performances were accompanied by instruments for festive and celebratory events, including weddings, circumcisions, and welcome ceremonies for honourable guests.
Cyril Raoul Hakim, spokesman for Jakarta governor Pramono Anung, told AFP the ban was still being drafted with "the preservation of Betawi culture" in mind and it would be put to legislators soon.
"We hope it will be passed not too long from now," he said.
City authorities say they will crack down on use of the sacred ondel-ondel puppets, which can stand as tall as a truck, and they are drafting legislation to remove what they view as a street nuisance.
Performances featuring the puppets -- originally used by Jakarta's Betawi people to ward off evil spirits -- will be allowed only at set events.
The ban could leave many ondel-ondel buskers in Jakarta without a job.
"I am confused and anxious. I fear getting raided or even arrested. But what can I do? I need money to eat," Adi Sutisna, a 26-year-old Jakarta native who works as an ondel-ondel busker, told AFP.
Adi, who only graduated from elementary school, has been working as an ondel-ondel busker for seven years, earning $7 on a good day to provide for his wife and five-year-old daughter.
Ondel-ondel is the pride of the native Jakarta tribe, the Betawi people.
Traditional performances were accompanied by instruments for festive and celebratory events, including weddings, circumcisions, and welcome ceremonies for honourable guests.
Cyril Raoul Hakim, spokesman for Jakarta governor Pramono Anung, told AFP the ban was still being drafted with "the preservation of Betawi culture" in mind and it would be put to legislators soon.
"We hope it will be passed not too long from now," he said.
'Very hot inside'
City authorities say they will crack down on use of the long-sacred ondel-ondel puppets, which can stand as tall as a truck, and they are drafting the legislation
© Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP
Over time, ondel-ondel have been increasingly used by buskers who sway the puppets to music from loudspeakers, seeking money on the roadside, at traffic lights, and in the alleyways of Jakarta's densely populated neighbourhoods.
The city administration has long wanted to ban ondel-ondel busking, arguing that the practice sullies the dignity of the cultural icon.
Bureaucrats believe roadside busking undermines the puppets' cultural significance.
But many Jakartans rely on the entertainment to bring in much-needed cash.
According to government data, the number of people living below the poverty line in metropolitan Jakarta -- a megalopolis of 11 million people -- was up from 362,000 in 2019 to 449,000 as of September 2024.
The Central Statistics Bureau says the poverty line in Indonesia in 2025 is just over one dollar a day.
"The ondel-ondel is heavy; it is very hot inside," said Adi.
"But I do it anyway because if I don't, my wife and my kid won't be able to eat."
'Bothers my soul'
The planned ban has left authentic ondel-ondel performers and makers torn about the preservation of their culture and the plight of the buskers.
Performers such as Fadillah Akbar believe the cultural symbol must be revered, and should not be used to beg for money.
Over time, ondel-ondel have been increasingly used by buskers who sway the puppets to music from loudspeakers, seeking money on the roadside, at traffic lights, and in the alleyways of Jakarta's densely populated neighbourhoods.
The city administration has long wanted to ban ondel-ondel busking, arguing that the practice sullies the dignity of the cultural icon.
Bureaucrats believe roadside busking undermines the puppets' cultural significance.
But many Jakartans rely on the entertainment to bring in much-needed cash.
According to government data, the number of people living below the poverty line in metropolitan Jakarta -- a megalopolis of 11 million people -- was up from 362,000 in 2019 to 449,000 as of September 2024.
The Central Statistics Bureau says the poverty line in Indonesia in 2025 is just over one dollar a day.
"The ondel-ondel is heavy; it is very hot inside," said Adi.
"But I do it anyway because if I don't, my wife and my kid won't be able to eat."
'Bothers my soul'
The planned ban has left authentic ondel-ondel performers and makers torn about the preservation of their culture and the plight of the buskers.
Performers such as Fadillah Akbar believe the cultural symbol must be revered, and should not be used to beg for money.
The planned ban has left authentic ondel-ondel performers and makers torn about the preservation of their culture and the plight of the buskers
© Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP
"The problem is that they beg on the street -- that's a disturbance, and it bothers my soul," the 33-year-old ondel-ondel artist said.
He believes ondel-ondel must come in pairs, a woman and a man, and be accompanied by traditional live music instead of a recorded song playing on loudspeakers.
"Of course, I feel bad for the buskers, especially since I know many of them, but it is a cultural icon whose dignity must be upheld," he said.
The head of Jakarta's public order agency, Satriadi Gunawan, said ondel-ondel busking disturbed road users with loudspeakers and requests for money.
"In Betawi culture, upholding ondel-ondel's dignity is important, and now it is often used to beg for money," he said.
But some historians disagree, saying limiting the puppet presence on Jakarta's streets could hurt efforts to keep the dwindling tradition alive.
"Banning ondel-ondel busking in the name of culture signifies their lack of understanding for tradition," said Jakarta-based historian JJ Rizal.
"It proves that not only does the city government not understand culture, but it also endangers the preservation of art."
© 2025 AFP
"The problem is that they beg on the street -- that's a disturbance, and it bothers my soul," the 33-year-old ondel-ondel artist said.
He believes ondel-ondel must come in pairs, a woman and a man, and be accompanied by traditional live music instead of a recorded song playing on loudspeakers.
"Of course, I feel bad for the buskers, especially since I know many of them, but it is a cultural icon whose dignity must be upheld," he said.
The head of Jakarta's public order agency, Satriadi Gunawan, said ondel-ondel busking disturbed road users with loudspeakers and requests for money.
"In Betawi culture, upholding ondel-ondel's dignity is important, and now it is often used to beg for money," he said.
But some historians disagree, saying limiting the puppet presence on Jakarta's streets could hurt efforts to keep the dwindling tradition alive.
"Banning ondel-ondel busking in the name of culture signifies their lack of understanding for tradition," said Jakarta-based historian JJ Rizal.
"It proves that not only does the city government not understand culture, but it also endangers the preservation of art."
© 2025 AFP
THE NEW GODS
Shanghai police bust gang selling counterfeit Labubu toys
Shanghai (AFP) – Police in Shanghai busted a gang making and selling fake Labubus this month, detaining eight people and 5,000 counterfeit toys worth $1.7 million, local state-owned media reported.
Issued on: 30/07/2025 - FRANCE24
Shanghai police bust gang selling counterfeit Labubu toys
Shanghai (AFP) – Police in Shanghai busted a gang making and selling fake Labubus this month, detaining eight people and 5,000 counterfeit toys worth $1.7 million, local state-owned media reported.
Issued on: 30/07/2025 - FRANCE24
A customer looks at Labubu figures at a Pop Mart store in Shanghai in 2025
© STR / AFP/File
Made by Beijing-based toymaker Pop Mart, Labubu dolls have become a must-have item internationally, adorning the handbags of celebrities such as Rihanna and Dua Lipa.
The furry, fanged creatures, which typically sell for around $40, are released in limited quantities and have caused frenzies at stores around the world.
Knock-offs -- many of which are also made in China -- have flooded online platforms, dubbed "Lafufus" by social media users.
The Shanghai bust in early July uncovered 12-million-yuan ($1.7-million) worth of fake Pop Mart toys, state-run Shanghai Daily reported late Tuesday.
Pop Mart notified police when a customer reported that one purchased online was in fact fake.
This led to the discovery of an online store that sold fans, speakers and gaming consoles -- but was also a front for selling the counterfeits.
Police raided a warehouse, detaining eight people and the 5,000 toys, complete with forged trademarks and fake anti-counterfeit stickers, the report said.
It is not the first time the fluffy monsters have been associated with crime.
In Singapore, CCTV footage captured a family stealing Labubu dolls from a claw machine last year, according to online media outlet AsiaOne.
And in June, burglars broke into a store in California and took several Labubu dolls along with electronics and other valuables, US news outlet ABC reported.
© 2025 AFP
Made by Beijing-based toymaker Pop Mart, Labubu dolls have become a must-have item internationally, adorning the handbags of celebrities such as Rihanna and Dua Lipa.
The furry, fanged creatures, which typically sell for around $40, are released in limited quantities and have caused frenzies at stores around the world.
Knock-offs -- many of which are also made in China -- have flooded online platforms, dubbed "Lafufus" by social media users.
The Shanghai bust in early July uncovered 12-million-yuan ($1.7-million) worth of fake Pop Mart toys, state-run Shanghai Daily reported late Tuesday.
Pop Mart notified police when a customer reported that one purchased online was in fact fake.
This led to the discovery of an online store that sold fans, speakers and gaming consoles -- but was also a front for selling the counterfeits.
Police raided a warehouse, detaining eight people and the 5,000 toys, complete with forged trademarks and fake anti-counterfeit stickers, the report said.
It is not the first time the fluffy monsters have been associated with crime.
In Singapore, CCTV footage captured a family stealing Labubu dolls from a claw machine last year, according to online media outlet AsiaOne.
And in June, burglars broke into a store in California and took several Labubu dolls along with electronics and other valuables, US news outlet ABC reported.
© 2025 AFP
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