Indonesian YouTuber Ferdian Paleka and two mates last week subjected two homeless trans women and a group of homeless kids to a cruel prank by pretending to distribute charitable food packs. The packs, in fact, contained rotten food and rocks.
In a since-deleted video posted to YouTube, Paleka showed his car loaded up with ‘care packages’. He then showed footage of and he and his mates rummaging through garbage in search of the rotten food they used to make the packages. The video seems modeled on other Youtube videos where Indonesian YouTubers filmed themselves gifting much-appreciated foodstuff to homeless people.
Indonesian YouTuber: Basic necessities containing bricks and rubbish
Paleka boasted on camera that he would “distribute basic necessities containing bricks and rubbish.”
The three then drove around the city of Bandung disparaging trans people as they looked for victims.
“If there are any bencong, we’ll give them the boxes, but if they’re not around, that means this city is safe from waria.”
Both ‘bencong’ and ‘waria’ are derogatory terms used for trans people in Indonesia.
“They do not obey the government… so, don’t speak badly of us. We only want to help the government.”
When the trio came across two homeless trans women they wound down the car windows and offered the food. The first trans woman to accept the gift prayed for Paleka’s good fortune as she took the food. The noodle box she accepted turned out to be filled with concrete.
Paleka kept the camera rolling to capture the despair on the woman’s face when she discovered her misfortune.
Indonesian YouTuber Ferdian Paleka’s video
Ditengah Pandemi, sekelompok pemuda Tega nge-Prank berbagi Sembako Makanan isi Sampah demi Konten Youtube dan kejadian tersebut di Kota Bandung
Sungguh tega, apapun alasannya tindakan itu tidak bisa dibenarkan, apalagi jika kita lihat dari sisi kemanusiaan.
Ferdian Pelaka pic.twitter.com/wtY9ygls36
— IG @kabar.jabar (@twitkabarjabar) May 3, 2020
After doing the same to another trans woman, the pranksters then filmed themselves gifting packages of rotten food to hungry homeless kids.
Each time, they kept the camera rolling to film their amusement as they raised then dashed the hopes of their destitute victims.
The two trans women reported Paleka and his mates to the police.
At the same time, Indonesian social media erupted with disgust when Paleka uploaded his video to YouTube.
Guys please report this youtuber named Ferdian Paleka. He pranks trans women by giving them packaged food which actually isn’t food it’s trash!!! Sick as fuck i know! https://t.co/BztcqzZEoc
— (@homemadepeanut) May 3, 2020
Protestors storm Ferdian Paleka’s home
When he refused to apologise, protestors stormed his home.
“This prank video is not funny and hurts our humanity. Treat your fellow human beings well. [Transgender people] are still human. Pretending to give groceries that turned out to be trash and bricks to transvestites, was insolent!”
Kediaman nya Ferdian Paleka malam ini digruduk warga dan beberapa orang yang sengaja datang ke Kavling Bojong Koneng Indah, Kec. Baleendah. Petugas kepolisian sudah berada di TKP. Kabarnya doi ga ada di rumah alias kabur. Tunggu update selanjutnya. pic.twitter.com/PzYXhOvGRn
— IG @kabar.jabar (@twitkabarjabar) May 3, 2020
Paleka went into hiding but the social media backlash spurred local police to action.
After arresting the trio, the police paraded them in front of the media. Bandung Police Chief Ulung Sampurna Jaya said he will lay charges under the Information and Electronic Transactions Law. Under that law, the trio faces imprisonment for up to 12 years.
*Paleka’s name is spelled differently by different sources so we have used the spelling used by the Indonesian police.
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