Statue of Obama erected in Indonesia

A bronze statue of U.S. President Barack Obama as a boy was unveiled in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on Dec. 10, the same day the American President formally accepted the Nobel Prize.

The 1.1-metre (3.6 ft) statue, regarded as the world's first statue of Obama, depicts him when he was at the age of 10, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, with a butterfly perched on his outstretched hand. An inscription on the pedestal says, "A young boy named Barry played with his mother Ann in Menteng area. He grew up to be the 44th President of the United States and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Barack Obama". The statue is located at Taman Menteng in Central Jakarta in a neighbourhood where Obama lived from 1967 until 1971 with his American mother, his Indonesian stepfather and his half-sister. The $10,000 statue was funded by local donors and is expected to be an inspiration for the Indonesian children. Central Jakarta Mayor Sylviana Murni, quoted by the Jakarta Globe, said, "Who knows, there could be another child from this country who can be a world leader."