Traffickers prey on Aceh's orphans

Traffickers prey on Aceh's orphans

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Medan

The catastrophic earthquake and tsunami have left some 35,000
children either orphaned or separated from their parents and
other family members in Aceh, many of whom may have fallen victim
to child trafficking, officials said on Monday.

The Medan-based Aceh Sepakat Foundation reported that at least
20 Acehnese children were thought to have been smuggled out of
Aceh after the Dec. 26 calamity.

Foundation executive Masriza said the suspicions arose after
he was informed that the 20 orphans were sent to Malaysia and
Bandung, West Java, by a foundation located on Jl. Selam in
Medan, North Sumatra.

He said many other Acehnese children, who survived the
catastrophe, went missing after having been taken by
"irresponsible people" from refugee camps.

"Usually, the targets are babies and children below the age of
15 years. The trafficking syndicate poses as a foundation. It's
irresponsible and a violation of the law," Masriza added.

He expressed concern that trafficking cases may rise as
thousands of infants were among the tsunami refugees who have
been pouring into Medan to seek shelter.

The Jakarta Post observed that at least one foundation offered
Acehnese orphans to potential foster parents via short messaging
services (SMS).

To prevent child trafficking, the government issued a
regulation on Monday banning the movement of Acehnese children
below the age of 16 who were affected by the calamity from
leaving Indonesia.

Minister of Justice and Human Rights Hamid Awaluddin said the
ban would be followed up by increasing surveillance at the
airports and seaports in North Sumatra and Aceh.

"We cannot prevent them from leaving the provinces, but we
will not allow them to leave Indonesia, as part of our efforts to
stop possible child trafficking," he said after discussing the
regulation with Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi.

Data from the Ministry of Social Affairs shows that more than
35,000 Acehnese infants, or nearly 50 percent of over 94,000
people who died, lost their parents after the devastating
tsunami.

Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar Chamsyah admitted he was
informed of possible child trafficking in Aceh, suggesting that
Acehnese residents should be given priority to adopt the orphans.

"This will preserve the emotional and cultural relations
between them," he said on Sunday.

Separately, Ministry of Social Affairs director for child
protection, Makmur Sanusi, said the government had placed many
Acehnese children at separate orphanages in Medan and some other
towns across Sumatra island.

Some other children were being taken care of by Acehnese
families, he said.

These families were temporarily taking care of the children
until they could be reunited with their families and relatives,
Makmur added.

"We, however, do not allow the families to adopt the children,
unless we have determined that their parents and other immediate
relatives died in the tsunami," he said.

National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar issued an instruction
on Monday for all provincial police headquarters to be on the
alert for possible cases of trafficking of Acehnese children.

"The syndicates operate using three methods. First, they are
posing as representatives of a foundation concerned with
children. Second, they claim to be a family member who wishes to
take care of them. Third, they claim to be foster parents,"
National Police chief of detectives Comr. Gen. Suyitno Landung
said.