Ambo the convicted people smuggler protests his innocence

Pollution, poverty, crime & climate: Jakarta in July is like the set of Blade Runner. It is the Dry, but it is wet. The skies are grey. Bleak. Everyone complains. Many mutter ‘climate change’. Under the flight path the once blue ocean alongside the bustling fishing village of Kamal Muara has turned grey. Pools of putrid green from factory waste pollute the harbour. Each peak tide, homes and shops are swamped. Fish are few and toxic. People struggle to make a living. It is here Ambo Asse was recruited to crew a people smuggling boat to Australia. His story featured at the Walkley’s Storyology slide night, held at the NSW State Library in conjunction with the HeadOn photo festival.