15,000 child sex workers in Riau
15,000 child sex workers in Riau
Fadli, Batam
A non-governmental organization (NGO) activist disclosed on
Wednesday that some 15,000 girls under the age of 18 on the Riau
Islands were sex workers.
The number was half of the total of 30,000 sex workers
operating on the islands, raising concern that child trafficking
could be widespread, said Lola Shirin T. Wagner, the chairwoman
of the Batam-based Humanity and Health Partner Foundation (YMKK).
"Some 30 to 60 percent of the sex workers operating in Batam,
Tanjung Pinang and Tanjung Balai Karimun are children," said Lola
at a seminar on child prostitution in Batam.
The three cities in question are major cities on Riau Islands.
Also present at the one day seminar was Seto Mulyadi, the
chairman of the National Commission for Children's Protection.
According to Lola, the number of child prostitutes in Batam is
high when compared to the national figure. There are some 150,000
sex workers operating nationwide currently, 40,000 of whom are
children.
Lola explained that the high number of child prostitutes on
the islands was due to the growing sex industry here. Many
foreigners, such as Malaysians and Singaporeans, spent their
weekends on the islands, and many of them visited purely for
commercial sex, she said.
The high demand for commercial sex had led to the development
of the industry. Local girls saw prostitution as a quick and easy
way to make money, and irresponsible parties exploited children,
Lola said.
Lola said there were two facets of the industry on the
islands: First, a syndicate "bought" the children from within the
islands, or from Java island and sold them to local pimps. And
second, the syndicate supplied male teenagers or children to
pedophiles.
In order to end the practice, Lola demanded that the
government take stern measures. She called on all parties on the
islands, including bell boys, tour guides and security personnel
to help stop child prostitution. "They should not give tourists
seeking sex with children information, including the whereabouts
of child sex workers in the city," she said.