The issue of child trafficking was raised at the Sixth Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference in Nusa Dua Bali, in May this year. At that time the UN indicated that trafficking of women and children had reached 30 million. This issue is the subject of growing concern and is now receiving a great deal of attention, especially in the lead up to the World Day against Child Labour on June 12, which has child trafficking as its theme.
Victims of child trafficking usually fall victim to the prostitution and pornography businesses through being tricked or kidnapped, and are often also subject to exploitation through drug addiction and abortion. It is often the children’s parents or family sell them for between IDR 800,000 to 1 million (USD 80 to 100). This is the gloomy fate of many Indonesian children.
There is a continuous demand for young people for sexual exploitation that is supported by the myth that having sex with a virgin, or “buying” sex from children will keep one looking young, intensify masculinity and prevent one from getting infected with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV/AIDS. This belief has increased the demand for child trafficking for prostitution.
The statistics for child prostitution are particularly shocking. Today, it is expected that around 30 percent out of the estimated 650,000 Indonesian sex workers are children under 18 years old. Five percent of these are children under the age of 15. Since they often have to have sex without protection, such as a condom, these prostituted children have become 38 percent out of 90130,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in Indonesia.
It is very difficult to eliminate child trafficking and prostitution practices in Indonesia. The real root of this problem stems from structural poverty.
The trapped and eventually prostituted children who are in mafia networks have to be highly mobile. In order to meet market demands, they often have to travel from one place to another. A survey of population mobility and HIV/AIDS in Indonesia indicates a strong correlation between high population mobility—especially among both domestic and international contract workers— with the spread of HIV/AIDS. Contract workers that often have to travel to work in remote areas are accustomed to buying sex and are at high risk of HIV/AIDS infection.
The more remote a location, the weaker the bargaining power of children and the stronger the vulnerability to prostitution leading to HIV/AIDS infection. This has triggered the spread of HIV/ AIDS throughout the country.
In addition, the world of child prostitution is closely linked to the use of drugs and practices of unsanitary abortion. A high concentration of children that become prostitutes and inject drugs are known to be very effective in spreading the epidemic.
Historically, prostitution in Indonesia has been known since the pre-colonial era with the kings in Java and their “concubine” practices. A number of areas in West Java (Indramayu, Krawang and Kuningan), Central Java (Jepara, Grobogan and Wonogiri) and East Java (Blitar, Malang and Lamongan) were then known to be areas where concubines could be sourced. Now, these areas are areas that supply sex workers, including children. West and East Java are the areas considered to have a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS. It is very difficult to eliminate child trafficking and prostitution practices in Indonesia. The real root of this problem stems from structural poverty. A reduction in agricultural work has seen a reduction in rural job opportunities. This situation is made worse by the low level of education—especially for girls—in rural areas, which then fuels such cultural practices as marriage contracts and early divorce. More than that, this issue is closely related to the poor performance and low capacity of the government system and law enforcement services. The involvement of government workers, the absence of prevention and rehabilitation action, as well as the remarkable profit generated from it, all serve to perpetuate the practice of child trafficking into prostitution. It is estimated that the sex industry generates around IDR 30 trillion (USD 3 billion) per annum.
The global campaign against child trafficking practices for prostitution was initiated at the World Congress in Stockolm, Sweden, in 1996 and the Yokohama Declaration in 2001. In line with the campaign, Indonesia has ratified ILO Convention No. 138 (minimum work age) and No. 182 (elimination of the worst forms of child labor) in June 1999 and March 2000. The two conventions firmly prohibit the practices of child trafficking and recognize it as a most serious violation against human rights.
However, ratifying conventions into law is not enough. There is a need to take further steps to eradicate one of its root problems: poverty. In addition to making efforts to change the culture of “permissiveness” in rural communities concerning child trafficking and prostitution, the government is obliged to improve education— especially women’s—so that they have a chance to gain decent work. Lastly, and as an essential factor in overcoming HIV/AIDS in Indonesia, the issue of child trafficking and prostitution will very soon be contained within the National AIDS Strategy.