Contributing writer –

A single death in Jakarta this summer has incited a transnational movement. Thousands of miles from home, Indonesians in Japan are building networks of activism and art and opening new dialogues on politics and cultural identity.

Like most Indonesians living abroad, I first learned about Affan Kurniawan’s death online. On Aug. 28, the 21-year-old motorcycle driver was killed by a police vehicle at a rally decrying an income raise for parliament members. What began as a demonstration against economic disparity in Indonesia exploded into a nationwide protest against police brutality and government neglect.