Six girls escape forced prostitution
Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam, Riau
Six girls narrowly escaped from being forced into working as commercial sex workers in neighboring country Singapore after paying a deposit to a broker in Batam. They ran away from the Singaporean broker, Acun, at Batu Ampar port in Batam prior to their departure.
They had earlier been promised jobs at hotels or restaurants in Singapore by paying Rp 2 million (US$244) each to a Javanese broker, Suryanto. The money would be used for administrative costs he claimed.
"Suryanto said that we only needed to have good looks. Skills and experience were not important to get a job in Singapore. Since I wanted the money, I accepted his offer," said one of the victims, Purwaningsih, 24.
The dream of earning lots of money was shattered when the six girls -- Purwaningsih, Erni (18), Ratna (20), Fatijah (18), Neneng (21) and Tilem (17) -- were informed by a taxi driver at the port that they would be forced into working as commercial sex workers. The information, according to the driver, was based on his experience of taking girls to the port.
The girls then escaped from Acun, who is still at large, and are currently being accommodated at a manpower recruitment agency in Bengkong district.
"We also lost track of Suryanto who had received the money from us and Acun," Purwaningsih said.
The girls declined to report the case to the police.
But Barelang Police chief Sr. Comr. Suhartono said that women- trafficking in Batam would be difficult to stop if victims were reluctant to report to the authorities.
"We will check their story and investigate if they would have been forced into working as commercial sex workers in Singapore," he said.
Indonesia is the world's third worst country in its commitment to law enforcement on the issue. An estimated 230,000 women and child sex workers have been trafficked throughout the country.
The government is currently working on a bill on the issue.
Last week, several Indonesian girls reported to the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur that they were forcibly employed as commercial sex workers.