Ministry of Villages PDT Promotes 'Village TIP Response Package' for Prevention
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Kemendes PDT) is encouraging the implementation of the “Trafficking-Responsive Village Action Package” (Paket Aksi Desa Tanggap TPPO) as an effort to strengthen the role of villages in preventing the criminal act of people trafficking (TPPO) through early detection, protection, and assistance for victims.
Secretary-General of Kemendes PDT, Taufik Madjid, said in Jakarta on Thursday that villages hold a strategic position in preventing human trafficking because around 91 per cent of Indonesia’s territory consists of rural areas. This condition makes village governments the front line in recognising communities’ potential vulnerability to people trafficking practices.
“We position villages as the front line for the entire range of village development policies. This includes making the village, as the lowest level of government, a strategic and important position in opposing people trafficking, or the Criminal Act of People Trafficking (TPPO),” said Taufik Madjid at the commemoration of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons in Jakarta on Thursday.
To strengthen these efforts, Kemendes PDT is offering five systematic steps within the Trafficking-Responsive Village Action Package.
First, villages must be able to map vulnerabilities to identify the families and areas most at risk, whilst maintaining residents’ confidentiality. Second, they must improve prevention capabilities by providing information on safe employment and migration procedures.
Third, villages must open access to reporting and complaints through a liaison scheme trusted by the community, so residents are not confused when they need help. Fourth, they must have simple procedures to protect and refer indications of crime to the authorities or related task forces. Fifth, they must accompany and provide recovery support for repatriated victims so they can reintegrate into society.
“The success of these steps must not be measured by how many meetings like this we hold, how many banners we put up, or how many teams we form. Instead, success must be seen from the outcomes — what we must do to anticipate, prevent, and handle the crime of people trafficking,” said Taufik.
Village governments are urged to collaborate with supravillage authorities, law enforcement, and state institutions such as the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) so that reporting and handling procedures can run effectively in accordance with prevailing protocols.