Government policies ignore poor children

Government policies ignore poor children

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi (JP): The government of President
Abdurrahman Wahid has yet to side with the children of poor
families, says a scholar.

Abdul Razak Taha, head of the center for food, nutrition and
health study at Hasanuddin University said on Thursday that the
President's policies apparently favored well off groups instead.
He cited the monetary and banking schemes as examples.

Razak made the statement at the conclusion of a journalist
field trip and workshop on the coverage of needy children. The
workshop jointly organized by Makassar Journalists Joint Forum
and the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) took place on May
14 and 15.

"Worse, House of Representatives legislators have fought for
an increase in their own salaries, ignoring the situation of the
people they are representing, including children of poor
families," said Razak.

"This is ironic. At a time when the number of street children
and malnourished children is increasing they (the House members)
are crying for salary hikes."

Sharing his opinion, Farid Ma'ruf Ibrahim, who led the
workshop's agenda formulation team said that the media had been
unaware of the difficult problems faced by poor children.

"The journalists tend to run stories on street children
without touching on the impact of existence on the street and the
background conditions that have led the children to the street."

Unicef representative in Makassar Purwanta Iskandar said that
Indonesian children were facing many problems. "They are also
vulnerable to rights abuse and violence."

The local provincial administration has recorded a total of
28,000 children under age five who are under nourished. (27/sur)