Elections of no consequence for prostitutes
Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Purwokerto, Central Java
"Why would we be confused about which party to vote for? It's no big deal. It's better to be on my back, because we get money. What's the point of voting if there are no changes?" says Yuni (not her real name), 25, a pretty, plump and fair-skinned woman from Cirebon, West Java.
She is one of 100 sex workers operating on Gg Sadar 1 and 2 in the Baturaden tourist area, near Purwokerto, Central Java, who cast their votes on April 5 at a polling booth in the area.
The prostitutes queued up with local residents to vote, and attracted lots of attention, especially from men as they were dressed provocatively, with some showing off their navels.
There are 200 sex workers, averaging 22 years of age, in the Baturaden complex. Some of them returned to their hometowns to exercise their political right, while others chose to stay put on election day.
Some of the prostitutes cared very little about the general election, saying it was not that important.
"If we hadn't been advised to vote by our boss (pimp) and the neighborhood unit chief, we wouldn't have. It's only out of respect for them that we did. The important thing is that I've voted," said Yuni.
She told The Jakarta Post that she had voted for the Democratic Party, which is expected to name former chief security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as its presidential candidate.
"Yes, I chose the Democratic Party, because Pak Susilo is handsome and he looks intelligent. Many of my colleagues also voted for the party.
"That's enough questions. Isn't it meant to be confidential? Have you voted yet? Perhaps not?" she said provocatively.
Yuni admitted to only perforating the Democratic Party's logo but not the names of its legislative candidates. "Why worry? I don't even know them. If it was Pak Susilo, I'd surely know, as he often appears on TV," she added.
Another sex worker, Eri (also not her real name), 21, from Kebumen, Central Java, said she went to the polling station only to accompany her friends.
"Who knows, there may have been someone in the street who wanted to 'play' with me after voting. It could have been fascinating," she said with a laugh.
The dark complexioned woman was very flirtatious, and hugged and pinched reporters on assignment at the polling booth in Baturaden.
Unlike Yuni and Eri, Susan (not her real name), 24, from Pekalongan, Central Java, cared nothing about the elections.
"I have a voter card, but what's the use of voting? Will it increase my price?" she quipped while eating fried rice near her brothel.
"You are an office worker, so you should vote, and after that come back here," said Susan, who charges Rp 80,000 (US$10) for a one-and-a-half hour session.
She said she had absolutely no expectations of the elections. According to her, the country's leaders are all a bunch of liars.
"I was once sympathetic toward Mbak Mega(wati) because she is of the same gender. But the fact is that they're all the same.
"After becoming the president, she forgot all about us. We were neglected (as though) in a foreign country, and no one protects us when we're in trouble. So, they're all liars," said Susan, who used to be a migrant worker in Saudi Arabia. She said she returned home after being sexually abused by her employer.
Susan reported her case to the Indonesian Embassy in Saudi, but did not receive a satisfactory response. She claimed that embassy staff had instead sexually harassed her.
"I actually like Pak Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. But will he be like the ones before if elected president? I'll surely vote for him. He's handsome," she said with a sharp glance.