ONE morning in late November 2005. A young woman with a 6-year-old boy in tow entered the grounds of the State Primary School 021 in the hamlet of Pendekar Bahan, Rokan Hilir regency, Riau. The pair met with Rosiani, one of the teaching staff, to enroll for school.

The mother, around 25 years of age and speaking with a Malay accent, introduced herself as Rahma. We’ll just refer to the child by the name Mamat. Both were new residents to the are