Child trafficking, violence rampant in Jambi, East Java<\/p>\n
Jon Afrizal and Indra Harsaputra, Jambi\/Surabaya<\/p>\n
The celebration of National Children's Day on Friday, may be
\nalready over, but there is work to be done, for people of all
\nwalks of life in the country, especially the government on issues
\nthat need to be addressed immediately.<\/p>\n
The two issues the government must address are trafficking of
\nchildren and violence toward children in the country, especially
\nin Jambi and East Java provinces.<\/p>\n
In Jambi province, it is estimated that 100 children between
\nthe ages of 12 and 15 are sold each year as sex workers to pimps
\nin several cities nationwide and even to Malaysia and Singapore.<\/p>\n
Asmawati Achmad, the coordinator of the Indonesian Family
\nPlanning Association's (PKBI) Jambi office, said that trafficking
\nof children had been going on for 10 years in the province.<\/p>\n
Each month, two to three girls leave Jambi to work as sex
\nworkers. \"Jambi has become a transit point and supplier of child
\nsex workers,\" said Asmawati on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Citing several cases Asmawati said child trafficking was well-
\norganized and involved mafia. In every deal, the trafficking
\nmafia usually sold two or three girls, who were always
\naccompanied by a pimp.<\/p>\n
The traffickers would take the girls under the guise of giving
\nthem the opportunity to work abroad. The members of the groups
\nwould entice the victims with the opportunity of working abroad.<\/p>\n
The victims would join those who recruited them on a trip to
\n\"neighboring countries\" and they would be given passports and
\nother identity cards.<\/p>\n
\"The victims usually pay their own travel expenses to the
\ntraffickers. If they don't have money, the recruiters would pay
\nthe travel expenses for them, but it is considered a loan that
\nthey have to pay back later,\" said Asmawati.<\/p>\n
Passing several seaports in the province, the victims are then
\nbrought to Pekanbaru, Riau province, and later shipped to
\nMalaysia or Singapore or they ended up in Batam, Riau province or
\nMedan, the capital of North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Asmawati demanded the government put an end to the trafficking
\nof children, as it has brought misery to the children and their
\nparents.<\/p>\n
Separately in Surabaya, a local non-governmental organization
\nSamitra Abhaya released a statement that the number of rape cases
\nin East Java province rose last year to 417, or a 55 percent
\nincrease compared to 2002. Some 55 percent of the 417 victims
\nlast year were minors, according to Samitra's report made
\navailable to the media on Friday.<\/p>\n
Deputy State Minister for Women Empowerment Irma Alamsyah said
\nthat the government was deliberating a bill on the eradication of
\nwomen and child trafficking. The bill, when it comes into law, is
\nexpected to be able to help law enforcers to eradicate the
\nrampant child and women trafficking.<\/p>\n
She also said in Surabaya that the government would pay more
\nattention to the rising number of cases of violence against
\nchildren in the country.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/child-trafficking-violence-rampant-in-jambi-east-java-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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