Officials get tough on children jockeys<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The streets became emotional on Tuesday as local
\ngovernment officials took into custody children jockeys, some of
\nwhom burst into tears as they were led away by officials.<\/p>\n
The children are picked up as passengers by private vehicles
\nto allow the vehicles to enter restricted three-in-one zones.
\nThese restricted zones are areas of the city which only cars with
\nthree passengers are allowed to enter between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.<\/p>\n
The children taken into custody on Tuesday were brought to a
\nstate-run home in Kedoya, West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
One of the children interviewed by The Jakarta Post, Roospita,
\n12, a junior high school student, said she was frightened and
\nwished she could go home to her mother.<\/p>\n
She said she became a jockey because her mother could no
\nlonger afford to send her to school.<\/p>\n
Another child, Ningsih, 15, with tears rolling down her
\ncheeks, said her parents told her that if she wanted to stay in
\nschool she would have to work.<\/p>\n
\"This was my second week as a jockey,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The roundup of the children began at 7 a.m. in several
\nlocations across the city. Government officials and police
\nofficers patrolled the streets where jockeys normally offered
\ntheir services.<\/p>\n
Officers took 46 children into custody during the raid.<\/p>\n
Some 20 of the children who were not students and were under
\n20 years of age were sent to the Muslim-based foundation
\nAlwasilla. The rest of the children were sent to a state-run home
\nor released to their parents.<\/p>\n
The local government has decided to raid the homeless, street
\nchildren and jockeys in an effort to combat the rising crime rate
\nin the capital.<\/p>\n
\"Besides, children are not supposed to be on the streets,\" the
\nhead of the state-run home, Nandi Tjaspadi, said.<\/p>\n
Most of the children work as jockeys to finance their studies,
\nwhile some are forced to work to help support their families.<\/p>\n
The mother of one of the children caught in the raid told the
\nPost her daughter had to work because she was too old to support
\nthe family. (04\/03)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/officials-get-tough-on-children-jockeys-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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