C S E C The Commercial Sexual
Exploitation of Children In the early years of the 21st Century, 2000 to
2025 gvnet.com/childprostitution/Indonesia.htm
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CAUTION: The following links
and accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the
situation in HOW TO USE THIS WEBPAGE Students If you are looking
for material to use in a term-paper, you are advised to scan the postings on
this page and others to see which aspects of child prostitution are of
particular interest to you. You might
be interested in exploring how children got started, how they survive, and
how some succeed in leaving. Perhaps
your paper could focus on runaways and the abuse that led to their
leaving. Other factors of interest
might be poverty, rejection, drug dependence, coercion, violence, addiction,
hunger, neglect, etc. On the other hand,
you might choose to write about the manipulative and dangerous adults who
control this activity. There is a lot
to the subject of Child Prostitution.
Scan other countries as well as this one. Draw comparisons between activity in
adjacent countries and/or regions.
Meanwhile, check out some of the Term-Paper resources
that are available on-line. Teachers Check out some of
the Resources
for Teachers attached to this website. HELP for Victims International Organization for
Migration ***
FEATURED ARTICLE *** Sexual abuse common
among street children Jakarta Post,
Jakarta, 12 June 2007 www.thejakartapost.com/news/2007/06/12/sexual-abuse-common-among-street-children.html-0 [accessed 30 May
2011] Amran, Brebes' friend, started living on the streets after his parents divorced and his father remarried without telling him. By the age of eight, Amran had already experienced the hard life of a street child, working as a shoe polisher at the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta, where he was also sexually abused. "When I was a shoe polisher one of my consumers sexually abused me and gave me Rp 3,000 (US33 cents)," said Amran, 19, who works odd jobs to make a living.He said at the time he did not understand what had happened to him. "I spent the money to play a pinball machine game," he said. "But as time passed, I learned that the person had treated me badly." He said most of his
friends living on the streets had been sexually abused by adults. "In
fact, some of them make a living out of it," he said. – SCCP ***
ARCHIVES *** ECPAT Country
Monitoring Report [PDF] Lisa Pouille, ECPAT
International, 2011 www.ecpat.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/a4a_v2_eap_indonesia.pdf [accessed 31 August
2020] Desk review of existing
information on the sexual exploitation of children (SEC) in Indonesia. The
report looks at protection mechanisms, responses, preventive measures, child
and youth participation in fighting SEC, and makes recommendations for action
against SEC. Human
Rights Reports » 2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices U.S. Dept of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and
Labor, March 10, 2020 www.state.gov/reports/2019-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/indonesia/ [accessed 31 August
2020] SEXUAL
EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN - The law forbids consensual sex outside of marriage
with girls younger than age 15. It does not address heterosexual acts between
women and boys, but it prohibits same-sex sexual acts between adults and
minors. The law prohibits
the commercial sexual exploitation of children and the use of children in
illicit activities. It also prohibits child pornography and prescribes a
maximum sentence of 12 years and fine of IDR six billion ($429,000) for
producing or trading in child pornography. In June a man in West Java was
convicted of possession of child pornography involving 10 girls younger than
age 15 and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. According to 2016
data from the Ministry of Social Affairs, there were 56,000 underage sex
workers in the country; UNICEF estimated that nationwide 40,000 to 70,000
children were victims of sexual exploitation and that 30 percent of female
prostitutes were children. 2018 Findings on
the Worst Forms of Child Labor Office of Child
Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking, Bureau of International Labor
Affairs, US Dept of Labor, 2019 www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ILAB/child_labor_reports/tda2018/ChildLaborReportBook.pdf [accessed 31 August
2020] Note:: Also check out this country’s report in the more recent edition DOL
Worst Forms of Child Labor [page 631] Children, mostly
girls, are subjected to forced domestic work and commercial sexual
exploitation abroad, primarily in Malaysia, Taiwan, and the Middle East;
within the country, children are also subjected to forced domestic work and
commercial sexual exploitation, particularly in Batam,
Jakarta, Bali, Bandung, Bogor, Surabaya, and Medan. Research found that
between 35,000 to 200,000 children in Indonesia work in the commercial sex
trade. (2,8,13,34,35) Concluding
Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child, 30 January 2004 www1.umn.edu/humanrts/crc/indonesia2004.html [accessed 13
February 2011] [81] The Committee
welcomes the launching of the National Plan of Action for the Elimination of
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in 2002. However, the
Committee is concerned that existing legislation does not provide effective
protection (e.g. the age limit for sexual consent of 12 years is too low) and
that child victims of sexual exploitation often do not receive adequate
protection and/or recovery assistance. The Committee is also concerned
about the lack of information about how the National Plan of Action will be
carried out at the provincial and district levels. [82] The Committee
wishes to reiterate its opinion that child victims of sexual abuse and
exploitation can never be held responsible or guilty of such acts. Demand rises for
sex with under-aged www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/12/13/demand-rises-sex-with-underaged.html [accessed 30 May
2011] The number of child
sex workers in The NGO said its
2007 survey showed the number of child sex workers in Indonesia had doubled
to more than 150,000 compared to around 70,000 in 1998, a figure concluded in
a UNICEF report. The ECPAT survey
found that 80 percent of the children were employed for sex at recreational
sites across the country, while the rest were stationed at mining sites,
military barracks and rest areas for drivers. Sofyan said most child
sex workers were girls aged between 14 and 15, originating from West Java
areas like Indramayu and Sukabumi. Contrary to popular belief, not all were
roped into the sex industry via human trafficking but instead sought out work
themselves, he said. Eradicating this
illegal practice has proven difficult as many people consider having sex with
a minor perfectly legitimate, as long as the child consented to the act. Kang Shin-who, Korea
Herald, 2007.09.14 www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2012/11/117_10113.html [accessed 13
Aug 2013] An Indonesian
government leader has asked Koreans to show respect to her nation, referring
to foreigners reportedly using child prostitutes in ``We hope to have a
dignified relationship with Korea and want Korean people to respect
Indonesia. There are many foreigners who look for child prostitution in Bali,
although having sex with children is subject to severe punishment,’’ the
minister said in an interview with The Korea Times Wednesday. The minister’s remarks indicate that the
Indonesian government wants to prevent sex trade in the country by asking
other countries to take a more active role, instead of his country metering
out severe punishment to sex tourists.
Child sex traders or abusers can be sentenced to a maximum 15 years in
prison in Indonesia, but the country is rather lenient on foreigners as it is
concerned that the strict control of foreigners would damage the tourism
business. Groups protests
violence in class Ridwan Max Sijabat, www.asia-pacific-solidarity.net/southeastasia/indonesia/netnews/2007/ind04v11.htm#Health%20&%20education [accessed 30 May
2011] HEALTH AND EDUCATION - GROUPS PROTESTS VIOLENCE
IN CLASS
- The KPAI also told the hearing that it was concerned by the booming child
prostitution trade in Child trafficking
on rise in Indonesia Australian
Associated Press AAP, Dec 4 2006 www.theage.com.au/news/World/Child-trafficking-on-rise-in-Indonesia/2006/12/04/1165080872983.html [accessed 12 July
2013] "We only have
to walk through Kuta or any other tourist area at
night to see for ourselves the many young girls working in the street, or in
many of the clubs, karaoke bars or even hotels operating in the area,"
she said. "Adolescent children
who drop out of school are the most vulnerable. "They are trapped by poor education,
with little or no work opportunities. As such they are easy prey for
traffickers." Ministry of Women
Empowerment child protection assistant deputy Soepalarto
Soedibjo said there had been a "significant
increase" of sexual exploitation of children, with no significant
improvement despite recent efforts to fight the problem. Irmawati, Tempo Interactive,
indonesianworker.blogspot.com/2006/10/makassar-has-sixth-highest-amount-of.html [accessed 13
Aug 2013] The National
Commission for Child Protection has said that the City of According to him,
the sexual exploitation of children under 18 years
of age in Indonesia now reaches between 75,000 and 90,000. Rusin Tompo from LISAN said that in one area in Makassar, in Panampu Subdistrict with a
population of 13,622, a total of 766 children aged between five and 12 have
had to stop attending school due to financial factors. Terrible cost of
trading in children Mark Forbes, The
Age, October 7, 2006 www.theage.com.au/news/in-depth/terrible-cost-of-trading-in-children/2006/10/06/1159641526325.html [accessed 30 May
2011] Smith, 48, was
arrested in August. But there is growing evidence that across Indonesia
widespread child abuse continues. In Jakarta, one phone call can summon a
broker who presents a photographic menu of youngsters for delivery to homes
or hotels for less than $50. On the holiday islands of Bali and Lombok, The
Age was offered boys and girls as young as 13 by pimps working the
streets of seaside resorts, and children reeled off the names of several
Australian "regulars". Human trafficking
ring busted Deutsche Presse-Agentur (German Press Agency) DPA, www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=102933&version=1&template_id=45&parent_id=25 [accessed 13
February 2011] The victims, aged
14 to 17, were promised jobs in Jakarta as domestic workers, but were then
flown to West Kalimantan province on the Indonesian side of Borneo and taken
across the border into Malaysia, sometimes using false travel documents. The Status and
Trends of HIV/AIDS/STI epidemics in Asia and the Pacific [PDF] Monitoring the AIDS
Pandemic (MAP) Network, pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNACM798.pdf [accessed 19
September 2011] FIGURE 15 - Since the
economic crisis developed in Economic hardship
forces children into prostitution ID Nugroho, The lists.topica.com/lists/indonesia-act@igc.topica.com/read/message.html?sort=d&mid=811190885 [accessed 30 May
2011] "I didn't have
money and I had dropped out of school. I finally sold what I had, my
body," she said. Most of her earnings were used to buy drugs, and the
remainder to fulfill her everyday needs. Five Years After ECPAT: Fifth Report
on implementation of the Agenda for Action ECPAT International,
November 2001 www.no-trafficking.org/content/web/05reading_rooms/five_years_after_stockholm.pdf [accessed 13
September 2011] [B]
COUNTRY UPDATES – Report
by Special Rapporteur [DOC] UN Economic and
Social Council Commission on Human Rights, Fifty-ninth session, 6 January
2003 www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/0/217511d4440fc9d6c1256cda003c3a00/$FILE/G0310090.doc [accessed 30 May
2011] [46] In September
2002, Parliament passed a bill on child protection which will oblige the
State to provide special protection for child victims of neglect,
trafficking, exploitation or abuse and torture, and for children in conflict
situations. The bill also provides for stiff penalties for those
involved in the sale and trafficking of children. The Law on Child
Protection criminalizes any individual, organization or body that engages in
child prostitution or child pornography. The Law also states that
the Government and the community are responsible for providing special
protection for children whether they are victims or perpetrators. Report On Laws And
Legal Procedures Concerning The Commercial Sexual Exploitation Of Children In
Indonesia ECPAT International
in collaboration with Antarini Arna,
Director, Yayasan Pemantau
Hak Anak, and Mattias Bryneson, Legal
Consultant, December 2004 www.eldis.org/go/country-profiles&id=18309&type=Document#.UeBg3azt5qE [accessed 12 July
2013] This paper reports
the findings from research on the domestic legislation and legal procedures
in Indonesia as they relate to the commercial sexual exploitation of
children. It analyses these laws and procedures against the relevant regional
and international standards and recommends legislative and procedural reforms
to better protect children from commercial sexual exploitation. The Flesh Trade [access information
unavailable] The International
Labor Organization (ILO) says thousands of children in Java have been forced
into prostitution by their parents and others. The ILO said its researchers
found more than 21,000 prostituted children, some as young as 15, during a
study of Jakarta and all Javanese provinces except Banten.
"Poverty, lack of educational facilities, traditional views on economic
values of a girl and loose social control are identified as the main
characteristics of the sending areas," the organization said in a
statement. Fighting sexual
exploitation and trafficking in Indonesia UNICEF, At a Glance:
www.unicef.org/infobycountry/indonesia_23650.html [accessed 13
February 2011] Yani was 15 when her
boyfriend lured her away from home with false promises of a lucrative job and
a chance to continue her education.
"My pimp stopped giving me money and just supplied me with
drugs," says Dewi. "I got worse and
worse. I lived from hotel room to hotel room, and worked wherever a client
wanted me, here in A Ben Harkness, Inside
www.insideindonesia.org/edition-79/wiralodra-s-buffalo-hide-2607229 [accessed 19
September 2011] YKB is now working
to tackle poverty and low levels of education in Bongas
in an attempt to undermine the processes by which the young women in the area
become involved in prostitution. The program’s main aims are to increase
parents’ awareness of the importance of education for their children and also
to motivate children to stay in school. indahnesia.com
blog!, blog.indahnesia.com/entry/200406090004/indonesia_s_shameful_export.php [accessed 13
February 2011] Poverty, ignorance
and unenforced laws fuel an industry that has sold 70,000 children into
prostitution overseas. It is not
something any government likes to make public, but the figures say it all: Male brothel users
new targets in Asian anti-trafficking drive Agence France-Presse AFP, 24-JUN-2004 www.intellasia.net/news/articles/society/111209701_printer.shtml [accessed 30 May
2011] Many men who use
Asian brothels believe that it is simply a commercial transaction with
benefits on both sides, activists say. "Some men think they are doing a
good deed by paying for sex in Batam, that the girls will starve in their villages," said
Saleemah Ismail, manager of the Batam
project run by the But up to 40% of
the estimated 19,000 sex workers in Batam are under
18, Saleemah told the Singapore Straits Times, announcing
that the poster campaign would begin on July 1. Like girls in
brothels around the region, many are tricked with fake job offers into
leaving their villages or home countries, but find themselves
sold as commercial sex workers and unable to escape. Sexual Abuse,
Sexual Exploitation, and the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Mohammad Farid for UNICEF-Indonesia, Child Workers in At one time this
article had been archived and may possibly still be accessible [here] [accessed 30 May
2011] Given the social
stigma, children are generally anxious about their involvement being
discovered, particularly by people close to them. They operate clandestinely
in small groups, using secret codes, which are changed immediately when
publicly disclosed. As was reported recently, of 100 young females
interviewed, aged 12-19 years who were involved in such a covert
prostitution, 82 claimed that their parents were not aware of their secret
activity. Flesh trade of
Sumatra Ahmad Sofian, Inside
www.insideindonesia.org/feature-editions/flesh-trade-of-sumatra [accessed 4 Oct
2012] The
industry is driven by growing market demand, especially for girls aged 14-18
years, who are considered free of disease.
The high price a virgin fetches makes the search for them a highly
profitable business. Violation of
Children’s and Women’s Rights: The Case of Trafficking and Commercial Sexual
Exploitation
[PDF] Ms. Mehr Khan, UNICEF Regional Director, www.fhs.mcmaster.ca/slru/ic2003/Khan.pdf [accessed 16 April
2011] [page 40] THE SCOPE AND
NATURE OF THE PROBLEM IN THE EAP REGION - As with trafficking, it is difficult to
estimate the number of children and women being exploited in the commercial
sex industry. The highest concentration of child sex workers is believed to
be in the Greater Mekong sub-region, which consists of ***
EARLIER EDITIONS OF SOME OF THE ABOVE *** ECPAT Global
Monitoring Report on the status of action against commercial exploitation of
children - INDONESIA [PDF] ECPAT International,
2010 www.ecpat.net/A4A_2005/PDF/EAP/Global_Monitoring_Report-INDONESIA.pdf [accessed 30 May
2011] As unskilled women
and girls migrate from In some parts of
Indonesia, such as East Java, family circles of prostitution exist in various
forms, including cases where the child victims come from families in which
their grandmothers, mothers, aunts or elder sisters work or have worked in
the sex industry. In addition to such familiarity with the world of
prostitution, the parents’ economic dependence on the children perpetuates
their exploitation. Communities lack awareness of child abuse issues and are
often reluctant to intrude into the ‘privacy’ of family life, since children
are seen as subordinate wards of parents, teachers and older siblings. Such
public perceptions lead to cases of sexual exploitation of children being
unreported and unprosecuted. The Department of Labor’s 2004 Findings on
the Worst Forms of Child Labor www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/tda2004/indonesia.htm [accessed 13
February 2011] Note:: Also check out this country’s report in the more recent edition DOL
Worst Forms of Child Labor INCIDENCE
AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR - The Indonesian government reports that 6 to 12
million Indonesian children are involved in the worst forms of child labor,
identified as prostitution; child trafficking; etc. CURRENT
GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND PROGRAMS TO ELIMINATE THE WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR - The Government of
Indonesia participates in a USDOL supported ILO-IPEC Timebound
Program to progressively eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The
program is being implemented from 2004-2009 and focuses on five National
Action priority sectors: offshore and deep-sea fishing, child prostitution,
mining, footwear industry and drug trafficking. Human Rights
Reports » 2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61609.htm [accessed 9 February
2020] CHILDREN - Commercial
sexual exploitation of children continued to be a serious problem. The number
of child prostitutes in the
country was unclear; however, a 2004 ILO assessment estimated there were
approximately 21 thousand child prostitutes
on the During the year
there were cases in which employment brokers paid parents advances of future
salaries to be earned by their daughters. The child was required to repay the
employment brokers. Researchers described a "culture of prostitution" in some parts of
the country, where parents encouraged their daughters to work as big-city prostitutes and send the proceeds
home. NGO observers said
many girls were forced into prostitution
after failed marriages they had entered into when they were 10 to 14 years of
age. There was no obvious violation of the law, because their paperwork
identified them as adults due to the fact they were once married All material
used herein reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC § 107 for
noncommercial, nonprofit, and educational use. PLEASE RESPECT COPYRIGHTS OF COMPONENT
ARTICLES. Cite this webpage as: Patt,
Prof. Martin, "Child Prostitution - |
