DEPOK, Indonesia—Indonesian single mother Puryanti bows stiffly like a robot, as she and her five-year-old son, their bodies gleaming in silver paint, appeal to passersby for an occasional coin at a busy intersection outside the capital Jakarta.
They are among a group of people dubbed “manusia silver”, or “silver people” who use the strategy to draw attention, while struggling to make ends meet after the coronavirus pushed Southeast Asia’s largest economy into recession last year.
“Some give, some don’t,” said Puryanti, 29, after three months of such daily performances, accompanied by her nephew Raffi, 15. “Sometimes someone gives enough.”
On good days, the Javanese, who w…
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