Protection demanded for street children

JAKARTA (JP): The problem of street children will not be solved simply by chasing the children away from the streets, an activist says.

I.B. Edi Karyanto of the Jakarta Social Institute, a non- governmental organization for children's welfare, criticized the government's approach in dealing with the growing number of street children at a seminar yesterday.

"Rather than recognizing that the problem exists, the government deals with it by cracking down on the children," he said. "The government should, instead, improve the children's welfare."

"These children are those who have abandoned their homes, family and community. They spend their time on the streets to work and play," he told The Jakarta Post. "Why does the government chase them away? It won't solve any problems, because three days after that, the children will be back on the streets."

The first step towards solving the problem is recognizing that the problem exists, instead of trying to sweep it under the rug, Edi said. "Try to admit that they exist. Then, guarantee their protection."

The seminar was organized by the Journalist Club, Writers for Women's and Children's Affairs and the Jakarta office of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Makmur Sanusi, a consultant on the Ministry of Social Services children's project in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program, seconded Edi's opinion.

"Progress in solving the problem is too slow. We need the help of higher level institutes, such as ministries," he said. He acknowledged that Indonesia was still seeking the best approach to the problem.

UNICEF classifies street children into three categories. They are children of the street, who completely abandon their homes, families and schools and stay on the street for more than nine hours; children on the street, who remain connected with the family, abandon school and stay on the street less than nine hours; and those who are at a high risk of becoming street children, who still live with parents, attend schools but stay on the street for about four hours a day.

Official data also indicates that of the world's 2.4 million children who roam the streets, 50 percent are in the third category, 35 percent are in the second, and the remaining 15 percent are of the first group. (31)