Child trafficking rampant in Batam

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.