Policewomen now deployed in Aceh camps<\/p>\n
Barry Neild, Agence France-Presse\/Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
While most Indonesian child tsunami victims are being cared for
\nby family or friends six months after the disaster, new fears are
\nemerging that young survivors living in tightly packed camps are
\nbeing exposed to new dangers.<\/p>\n
Several incidents of crimes against children, including one
\npossible case of pedophilia, are currently under investigation in
\ndevastated Aceh province, aid agencies and police say, warning
\nthat child trafficking also remains a threat.<\/p>\n
In an effort to stave off a new crisis, the police in
\nconjunction with the UN Children's Fund are deploying a new force
\nof women officers, sidestepping delicate political issues to
\nprovide a lifeline for those most at risk.<\/p>\n
Some 40 women officers completed their training earlier this
\nmonth and will augment another 50 who have been paying regular
\nvisits to UNICEF children's centers on the fringes of survivor
\ncamps to keep tabs on abuse cases.<\/p>\n
While domestic violence and crimes against children have never
\nbeen a major problem in staunchly Muslim Aceh, relief
\norganizations say the trauma of the disaster coupled with
\nuncomfortable accommodation is a recipe for trouble.<\/p>\n
"Because people are living in cramped conditions, there is
\nconstant friction, sometimes this can blow up," UNICEF
\nspokeswoman Lely Djuhari told AFP.<\/p>\n
"There have been dozens of incidents, including a possible
\npedophile case, a possible trafficking case, one of sexual
\nharassment and a case of violence against children," she said.<\/p>\n
UNICEF says 1,082 children in Indonesia are listed as
\n"separated" from their families -- a euphemism which, in most
\ncases, now means orphaned. Of these, all but 70 are living with
\nrelatives or other families in their communities.<\/p>\n
But even within this tight-knit support group, there is a risk
\nthat problems could develop as the stresses of living in close
\nquarters under canvas or temporary wooden barracks manifest into
\ndomestic violence or child abuse.<\/p>\n
Use of policewomen a breakthrough<\/p>\n
That is where the policewomen come in. Teams of four officers,
\nwearing plain clothes to reassure wary youngsters, have been
\nmaking regular contact with children's centers at camps around
\nregion.<\/p>\n
The deployment of women officers in Aceh is a breakthrough for
\na province where the government has previously used hard-line
\nMuslim sharia law -- often seen as oppressive to women -- as way
\nof keeping a lid on a local insurgency.<\/p>\n
However, concerns that they might be mistaken for government
\nspies by rebel sympathizers means the policewomen do not enter
\nthe children's centers or camps and rely on referrals, possibly
\ndenying them access to those most in need.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, says senior officer Lieutenant Colonel Nunung
\nPriatni, they believe they can make a difference, even if at the
\nmoment this is largely just spreading a message that there is
\nsomewhere for children and women to turn to.<\/p>\n
"What we want to do is minimize the number of cases of abuse
\nand send the important message that women and children do have
\nrights and they are entitled to protection from the law," she
\ntold AFP.<\/p>\n
The introduction of the policewomen has been welcomed by non-
\ngovernmental groups involved in running the child centers. They
\nsay the new officers are a timely intervention at a time when
\nsocial cohesiveness is coming unglued.<\/p>\n
"We haven't found any cases of child abuse so far, but we are
\ncounseling parents against using violence against children and
\nthe importance of their education," said Inrayanto of the
\nJakarta-based Muhammadiyah organization, which runs a child
\ncenter near Banda Aceh.<\/p>\n
"The policewomen give us a useful backup to reinforce our
\nmessages, particularly against drugs, which are a major concern
\nsince we found at least one case of parents abusing drugs."<\/p>\n
According to Djuhari, the one-year policewomen deployment is
\npart of a broader program of changes to law-enforcement in Aceh
\naimed at heading off any widespread victimization of children.<\/p>\n
These include the setting-up of child-friendly courtrooms and
\nimproving services at police stations to ensure that crimes
\nagainst youngsters are dealt with in a sensitive and appropriate
\nway.<\/p>\n
"Domestic violence is something we're very, very concerned
\nabout. But we do now have preventative mechanism which will help
\nenormously," she said.<\/p>\n
"This program will have a positive effect on the mental
\nwelfare here. If people realize that criminal cases are being
\nfollowed up, it will bring a lot of reassurance."<\/p>\n
bjn\/th
\nAsia-quake-6months-Indonesia-children
\nAFP<\/p>\n
GetAFP 2.10 -- JUN 17, 2005 09:24:06<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/policewomen-now-deployed-in-aceh-camps-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }