Street urchins

The three articles about street urchins in the Sunday edition of The Jakarta Post really moved me. I pity those children who at such a very young age have to live off the streets and endure the hardships, injustices, treacheries and all the other agonies of such a life.

Living as street urchins has made them truly independent of anyone as they have to face all their problems -- the hunger, the fears and the injustices -- all by themselves. This kind of experience molds their psyche and they grow up learning from the lessons which their environment has taught them. They are not the ones to blame if later on they become mean and tough because even as children they were never or seldom treated with kindness.

What makes me feel uneasy is the way security officers are reported to be treating those children. They are chased around, detained and beaten and the wares they sell are confiscated. The security officers are not the ones they turn to whenever they are in trouble, the urchins are not likely to ask for protection when they are threatened or request a place to hide when they are pursued.

My highest regard to all the social workers who are devoting their attention to look after these children. I admire the way those who run the open houses are treating them, accepting them as they are. The children are not forced or coerced to live according to their mentors' wishes.

Could I have the addresses of those homes? I will make it a point to visit them when I get to be in Bandung.

MARIA FELISIA

Padang, West Sumatra