Children banned from election campaigns : Bachtiar

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Anyone found to have involved children in the upcoming election campaigns will be subject to a maximum five-year prison term or a Rp 100 million (US$11.4 million) fine, Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar Chamsyah said.

The minister, addressing the opening of the Children's Congress in Yogyakarta on Wednesday, was referring to the 2002 Law on Child Protection.

"The law firmly bans the involvement of children in political activities," Bachtiar said, as quoted by Antara.

Past elections saw many children involved in campaign activities, he said, while article 15 of the prevailing law ensures protection of children from involvement in political activities, armed conflict, riots and events containing violence and in war.

Twenty-four political parties will campaign next month prior to the April 5 elections.

In campaigns "we often hear speeches that incite hostility among the participants", Bachtiar said.

Given the explicit protection of children from political activities, the minister said all parties should help monitor the involvement of children in political activities.

Children should be either playing or studying, the minister added.

Also in Yogyakarta, it was reported that over 7,000 handicapped citizens could lose their right to vote as they were not registered as voters.

Detik.com reported that the Center for Improving Qualified Activity in the Life of People with Disabilities (Ciqal) revealed that of the at least 23,000 handicapped people in the province, only 15,789 had been registered.

"They failed to be registered because of the discriminative attitude of the officials, only because the officials felt it was difficult for them to communicate," Miko S. of Ciqal said after meeting with councillors. Many of the handicapped had hearing or speech disabilities.

"This is highly unfair," Miko said.

Ciqal chairwoman Nuning Suryatiningsih said that facilities for the disabled should be provided so that they could practice their rights as citizens.

"The disabled are not treated as subjects," she said, leading to marginalization of their rights and roles in society. She said Ciqal was planning to hold an election simulation for the disabled in the town square on March 7.

To avoid confusion for voters and officials, she added the international symbol of the handicapped should be installed where necessary in polling stations.