Indonesian children: The echo of lost voices

Indonesian children: The echo of lost voices

Text and photos by Agus Y. Ranu

JAKARTA (JP): It is often said that children own the future.
Challenging this is the wreckage of dreams in instances of
exploitation, molestation, rape and street violence.

Indonesia yesterday celebrated Children's Day, a salutation to
our little patriots who tread on life with defying persistence.
This year has also been declared the Year of Child Protection.

In spite of the reforms made to children's rights, condemnable
acts still occur. Streets are paved with hundreds of thousands of
children working as shoe shiners, beggars, newspaper boys, office
boys, all living a hand-to-mouth existence.

Motley groups of these children work to cope with a world big
enough to produce more of their kind, but too small to sustain
their meager needs. Their struggle goes unnoticed. Harsh
realities are glaringly obvious, even in our fast-paced lives.
Children are run down and hauled in, sometimes tortured, by
security officers.

Violations of children's rights often creates social misfits
who turn to violence, criminal apathy and indisciplinary acts.

The protection of children's rights is crucial. These rights
embody the right to live, to develop in decent surroundings, the
right of protection and the right to participate. The foremost
priority lies with street children in villages and cities, those
working at back-breaking jobs, and those working in the streets.
The need in no way can be enforced through morality preachings,
symbolistic behavior or even "getting rid" of the children.

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. These
pictures, hopefully, will convey the heart-rending message.