Child prostitutes lie to survive
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Although no-one can ever be absolutely certain, it is estimated that there are about 800 children aged 14 to 18 years old who are employed as sex workers in the red light cafes of Bambu Apus, East Jakarta.
"The children claim to be from Karawang, Subang and Sukabumi," said an activist from a non-governmental organization working to retrieve child prostitutes from the area.
"Some of them even proudly claim that they are from Indramayu -- another regency in West Java well-known for supplying prostitutes -- as a way to lift their status in front of guests," said the activist, who asked to be identified only as Hery.
The children actually live with their families very close to where they work.
Hery said that the children were often victims of people closest to them. "One of the girls who joined our retrieval program was visited by her mother who seemed to be fully aware of what her daughter was doing for a living," he said.
The children work from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m., luring men to come and enjoy music, beverages and their services.
"They are paid a commission of Rp 1,000 for every bottle of soft drink and Rp 2,000 for every glass of beer that they serve," Hery said. "What they make depends on how many guests they serve."
Tight competition made them willing to say or do anything in order to attract guests.
According to Burdah, a trainer for a child prostitute retrieval program, the girls admitted that "it is sort of included in the procedure to give guests a 'thank you' kiss. That way, when they come back they will look for us".
Many of the children live in rented rooms behind the cafes or in nearby areas, where around 10 children shared a 12-square- meter room.
"They spend their spare time checking their looks in their compact mirrors," Burdah said.
Aside from cafes, East Jakarta's local celebrations or hajatan -- marriage receptions, parties or musical performances -- are events that attract child prostitutes.
"When big hajatan are held there will be people selling drinks in pushcarts," said Hery. "They each have at least two girls called jontrot helping them to entertain buyers behind the pushcarts where a mat is spread."
Both cafe owners and pushcart vendors are very protective of the children they hire, said Hery.
In the event of raids, the children were often equipped with false identity cards stating that they were at least 20 years old, along with phony marriage certificates and even "husbands".
The hardships of life has taught these children how to give smart answers to whoever asks them about their activities.
One seventeen-year old used to tell everybody that she was a high school graduate waiting to enter an academy on a scholarship.
"These children often reflect what in their imagination they want to be in the replies they give," said Hery. (003)