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)