Child trafficking rampant in Batam
Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam, Riau
The Batam, Rempang and Galang (Barelang) Police Department says a lack of institutional coordination is hampering efforts to prevent underage children from being forced into the sex industry on Batam island.
"We find it difficult to eradicate child trafficking on Batam because there are so many nightspots here.
"And we cannot charge the owners of nightspots where the kids are found during police raids because the kids have fake identity cards with false birth dates, making the owners untouchable for any violation of the Criminal Code and Law No. 3/2002 on child protection," Barelang Police chief Sr. Comr. Suhartono told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
He said the police recently raided 64 nightspots suspected of hiring underage children as sex workers, and officers found hundreds of children during the operation.
"But we had to let the (owners and operators of the nightspots) go because they had identity cards saying that they were adults, and they claimed to be working as waitresses at the nightspots," the officer said.
Suhartono said the police had two legal tools with which to charge those trafficking in children -- one is the Criminal Code, which defines children as anyone below the age of 18, and the other is Law No. 3/2002, which defines children as those below the age of 21.
According to data from the Batam City Social Affairs Agency, there are 5,000 sex workers in Batam.
Officials, however, estimate that figure could be as high as 20,000, given the number of nightspots and entertainment venues on the island.
These officials also believe that up to 30 percent of all sex workers on the island are underage children.
Evianora Azwar, a medical doctor on Batam and a campaigner against child trafficking, said the police should work with the city administration and the social affairs agency to fight child trafficking and the exploitation of underage children as sex workers.
"If the police and the Batam administration are really concerned about child trafficking and underage sex workers, they should review the permits that have been issued to operators of karaoke halls, massage parlors and fitness centers, see whether they are still complying with the existing laws and regulations."
The doctor also said she was treating more people for venereal diseases, with up to 10 people a week coming to her for treatment.