Desperate children expose the dark side of their lives

Desperate children expose the dark side of their lives

JAKARTA (JP): Living on the street may be one of the most
grisly ways for children to learn about sex, but it's a reality
which they have to accept to survive.

Despite the worthy opinions of experts and officials, it is
the children's life stories which are most instructive.

At a dark house in West Jakarta, Ririn (not her real name),
14, revealed that she was sent by her parents from her home in
West Java two and a half years ago to live with her childless
uncle and aunt here in Jakarta.

She said she was happy to leave home because her brother used
to "do things" to her when they slept in their small house.

Ririn says she knows nothing about prostitution; but she gives
sexual favors to friends of the family.

After living several months with her uncle she was introduced
to a relative. Not long after that the relative began taking her
out. At first it was all quite innocent.

"He took me to a local carnival," she said.

She recalled shyly that afterwards, they made sexual contacts.

Such experiences recurred several times at home since her
uncle was often working late driving a bemo and her aunt minding
a small roadside canteen.

One day the relative brought a friend whom he claimed was also
a distant cousin. They took her for a picnic to Ancol, North
Jakarta, buying her some souvenirs and a T-shirt. They then
parked near a lake, and the cousin asked for her "service."

Ririn said the relative comes and takes her out with a friend
or another distant relative two or three times a month and the
sequence she recounted earlier repeats itself.

She says she doesn't mind much what she is asked to do. "Only
my hands get tired," she remarked.

"Sometimes they ask for a kiss, that's okay. But sometimes
they ask for more -- then I refuse," she said.

When asked if she had done more than that, Ririn quickly
replied "no".

"He is a friend of my uncle's, I get to go to places when he
comes by," she said, claiming not to know anything of financial
payments to her or to the relative.

"I got a nice watch the last time, but the batteries are now
dead," she said of the latest gift.

At another house on a dense corner of Central Jakarta a group
of young boys recount more tragedies.

Often shy to speak themselves, they tell in intimate detail of
"friends" experiences.

Despite knowing so much they did not display the slightest
inkling of the lurking dangers.

Edo, 13, who has lived on the streets for two years, said he
once made money by coming to the Lapangan Banteng area in Central
Jakarta, at night, where boys of his age wait to be picked up by
men.

The boy nervously played with his fingers for a little while,
before continuing his story. His friends sat next to him.

"My friend said there are also women, who like to pick up boys
there. They usually drive around in fancy cars at 7.30 p.m." Edo
said. "Men usually drive around the area later in the night," he
added.

While most customers who come to Banteng area drive fancy
cars, such as a Mercedes Benz, there some also use motorcycles.

"The people who drive fancy cars pay very well, especially
expatriates," Edo said eagerly.

Expatriates usually pay over Rp 100,000 (US$42.5).

People on motorcycles apparently pay less, only about Rp
40,000.

Asked what was expected of him he coyly replied: "Intimate
services."

"That's for anal sex," Edo's friends added bluntly.

"Some of them just want to touch, hold and caress us. We do it
usually in hotel-rooms, or just in the cars," Edo remarked.

Although they didn't seem too worried about disease, the boys
did showed an fear of the police. "The boys will spread and hide
as soon as they spot a police car. But as soon as it's gone, they
will return," he said.

How does a boy recognize a customer?

"The driver will drive close to us, give a hand sign and the
children will gather around his car," replied a boy named Eko.

"When he finally makes his pick, he would point his finger to
the boy and the boy will enter the car and drive away," he said.

Another boy, Irwan, said that a man used to pick up a friend
of his near Kota station.

"He used to hang around in the afternoon for a man with a
fancy car to take him away," the 15-year old said.

A few hours after the friend would return with a large amount
of money and treat all of the boys around.

"He didn't say how he got the money, but there's no need to
tell, we just know," said Irwan as he smiled knowingly.

"Perhaps he enjoys it," he suggested.

Edo, Eko and Irwan are among the 12 boys between nine and 17
now under the care of Mrs. Ch. Pandoyo Sukaca of the Graha Asih
foundation, a social institution for street children in Cempaka
Putih, Central Jakarta.

All the boys are victims of sexual exploitation or abuse.

Many boys came to Jakarta of their own will, without their
parents knowledge.

"I don't want to return home because my stepmother was angry
at me all the time," said 12-year-old Odi, who comes from
Salatiga, Central Java.

Dino, from Palembang, South Sumatra, ran away because of his
father's fierce temper.

Despite trouble at home and resentment towards their family,
the boys admit missing their families.

The recent killing of 10 street children by Robot Gedek after
sodomizing them have made the boys scared to return to the
streets.

"I know Robot... his eyes are big and scary," Odi said. "I
won't go anywhere... I'm happy here," he said.

The Graha Asih foundation sends the children to schools to
keep them off the streets, to stop the sexual abuse and
exploitation.

"I want to become a somebody like (Minister of Research and
Technology) Habibie...I want to make airplanes," the fifth-grade
Odi said.

However, some children said that they dared not dream.
"Can we dream?" they asked. (team)