Aider, soutenir, ces motards viennent à l'encontre des réfugiés.

200 motards amoureux de scooters sont venus de toutes les villes d'Indonésie pour aider les réfugiés du tremblement de terre.

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Humanitarian Bikers - report

Indonesia : Humanitarian, the bikers' way

In the city of Yoghakarta, several groups of motor cyclists coming from all over Indonesia, from Bali, Jakarta, Sumatra, to help the victims of the earthquake which hit the area causing more than 6000 deaths and 1.5 million people displaced, as well as 20.000 wounded.
They are called bikers amateurs of old scooters, which they refurbish according to their individual tastes. A gathering of the Underground Scooters of Jakarta, the Sim-C, the Matar Scooter Club, the Team Sakit , the Realino Taikeba and the V.A.C of Java who have driven more than 200 kms. to join the group. The rally starts in an artists’ squat in the suburb of Yoghakarta.

Generally, the lifestyle and behaviour of a biker is to reject a number of social conventions.Several groups of motor cyclists coming from all parts of Indonesia, Bali, Jakarta, Sumatra, gathered to help the victims hit by the earthquake.Though looking tough and unpleasant, they are actually a bunch of losers, slightly anarchist, but more anti-conformist, who do not find their place in this country where traditions are strong.Their engines represent a symbol of liberty, power, and freedom to go anywhere at anytime.Fans of Bob Marley and Che Guevara, at the same time looking for identity and living on the edges of indonesian society, they gather in groups to support difficulties.As opposed to their biker cousins of the West, they do not drink alcohol, impossible to buy in Indonesia. They spend their time smoking hand-rolled cigarettes and tinkering.The group hits the road at 6.30 in the morning, to distribute parcels in the remotest villages of the province where humanitarian and medical aid has difficult access.Different sorts of engines, mostly scooters, but also motorcycles tinkered and mostly transformed…. ox head, license plates, etc.Bikers amateurs of old scooters which they tinker and transform according to their tastes. There are the UNDERGROUND SCOOTERS of Jakarta, the SIM-C, the MATAR SCOOTER CLUB, the TEAM SAKIT.The group hits the road at 6:30 in the morning, to distribute parcels to remote villages, where humanitarian aid has difficult access. The supplies are stowed on the scooters.Machines of another age, surrealistic, heavily transformed, head towards remote villages totally destroyed by the earthquake on May 27, 2006.

All are here to help the villagers after the earthquake. They carry rice, clothes, pasta and water. “People don’t like us, they think we’re hooligans and robbers, but we do that to show them that we are decent people who know very well what : «  sleeping in the streets and having no home » means.
Among the 200 bikers, there are Budi nicknamed Bendo (meaning sheep), and Denny nicknamed Bondong ( navel), Azi called Koplo (drug addict). In spite of appearances, this not so wild bunch, includes all generations, the eldest aged 45 and the youngest 20. All survive with small jobs, and some (compelled by passion) work in garages.

Preparing for an incredible expedition... Travelling to give comfort to refugees who have lost everything.Food supplies and clothes are stowed on the scooters and side cars and attached with strings and metal pieces.Decorating, transforming according to individual tastes, those engines from another age, reminding a Mad Max film.Animated departure for these 200 bikers, repeated breakdowns. Two hours to drive 30 kms., but no matter, time does’nt count.Animated departure… 200 bikers leaving to help the displaced after the earthquake; thundering motors, dark smokes coming out of the exhaust-tanks.Leaving the village, a thundering and deafening noise, opposing tradition and modernism.Free, the bikers speed towards one goal: to help and comfort the people of small mountain villages who have lost everything.Without exceeding 80 kms./hour, those 200 bikers ride to bring food supplies and clothes to those who have lost everything during the earthquake.30 kms in two hours, there are several break-downs, but this does no stop those hearty bikers.These youngsters on the edge of society and badly loved are however sometimes cheered by the population.A small cigarette to patiently wait for the others, stopping for repairs, trying to fix their machines.Budi, Denny, Azi are among the 200 bikers. They are all there with one goal to help the people displaced by the earthquake.


As opposed to their western biker cousins, they do not drink alcohol which is impossible to buy in Indonesia. They do not smoke shit either, otherwise they are jailed for life. They spend their time smoking hand-rolled cigarettes and fixing their scooters.

Short stop, to repair the motors and take gas. No time to waste, a few words with a young girl, shy and intimidated.In this decorated side-car reminding of a Mad Max film, clothes and rice sacks are placed in some sort of coffin..

Though looking tough and unpleasant, they are actually a bunch of losers, slightly anarchist, but more anti-conformist, others, bearing a swastika as a symbol of strength and power, though hating the nazis and what they represent.

Finally the group hits the road at 6.30 in the morning, to distribute parcels in the most remote villages where humanitarian and medical aid have difficult access. Food supplies and clothing are stowed on the scooters and side cars, of this surrealistic group, tied any old way with strings and metal pieces.
On their way for a 30 kilometer ride towards a village called Gantiwarno situated in the middle of the rice fields. After more than two hours, because of problems getting out of the city, and repeated breakdowns, they finally reach the devastated.village. The village chief greets them, and after handshakes, the large parcels are handed to him so that he may distribute them fairly. The bikers themselves distribute the small parcels for the pleasure of making a fraternal gesture. They then depart, free to continue their route.

Rebels, anticonformists, idealists, those young people have found a way to be free thanks to their motos.All the motor-cyclists are here to help the inhabitants of the villages in difficulty following the earthquake. They carry rice, clothes, pasta and water.Though looking tough and unpleasant, they are actually a bunch of losers. Some bear swastikas as a symbol of strength and power, although hating the nazis and what they represent.The group of bikers finally leave town and arrive in the villages devastated by the earthquake.Kilometers follow through endless visions of devastated villages.A horde of more than 200 bikers cross areas entirely devastated by the earthquake which caused more than 6000 deaths and 1.5 million displaced people.Most of the supplies are handed to the village chief who will make a fair distribution to the people in the village. The bikers symbolically offer cookies and small bottles of water.After a moment of fear, surprise and curiosity, the small village population comes closer, chats, laughs and joyfully accepts the food supplies and clothes brought over.A few cookies are distributed by the bikers, and the largest parcels are given to the village chief. Surprised and curious, people accept smiling shyly.Rice, water, pasta, cookies brought over by the bikers in a small mountain village destroyed by the earthquake, where the humanitarian and local organizations did not go.

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