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Shoeshine boys face more jail time, cops get heavy-handed
“Dear Bapak Bambang, I do not like it here, I would rather be at home, pak, I want to go to school again, pak; I miss my parents, I promise I will not do what I did again, pak
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“Dear Bapak Bambang, I do not like it here, I would rather be at home, pak, I want to go to school again, pak; I miss my parents, I promise I will not do what I did again, pak...”
The words from a short letter, scrawled in broken Indonesian, were written by 10-year-old Saripudin bin Basar.
He was trying to convince a high-ranking police officer at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to free him and his nine friends from the children’s penitentiary in Tangerang, after they were arrested on May 29 for allegedly gambling in the area and working as shoeshine boys, deemed a disturbance to the airport’s orderliness.
All 10 children sent similar letters to Iptu Bambang Hermanto, the deputy head of the airport’s crime unit, responsible for their arrest.
Like a believing child addressing Santa, the words painted Bambang as a savior who would grant their wishes.
The letters were officially handed to Bambang on June 16, two days before the boys were scheduled for release.
However, their plight fell on deaf ears, when on June 18, the police decided to keep them locked up longer, until June 28.
The arrest has deprived those children, all under 18 years old, with an average age of 13, of their chance to take their exams, which fell in the first week of June.
“We often catch [shoeshine boys and other informal sector workers], and they keep loitering in the airport area,” said Taufik Hidayat, head of the airport police’s crime unit.
“So we’re now rounding them up as a form of shock therapy to deter other workers at the airport.”
Dhoho A. Sastro, director of the Public Legal Aid Institute (LBHM), disagreed.
“The children say this is their first time being rounded up,” he said Friday.
“So clearly this isn’t a last-resort tactic by the police.”
Magdalena Sitorus, of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), said the police should use detention as a last resort, citing an article from the 2002 child protection law.
“Article 16 says the arrest of a minor may only be carried out according to the regulations and as a last resort,” she said.
The LBHM also said the allegation that the detained boys had been gambling was unsubstantiated.
“The kids were only playing a game in which they decide which side a coin lands on after it’s flicked into the air, and the bets only went up to around Rp 1,000 [10 US cents],” Dhoho said.
“They shouldn’t be detained for such a petty crime.”
The state-owned airport operator last year launched its Clean Airport Action campaign to upgrade the airport, which serves 32 million passengers a year.
The campaign includes improving the airport’s toilets, a better parking system, and raids on hawkers, including shoeshine boys like Saripudin and his friends.
The KPAI’s M. Rizki Nasution said the police post been interpreting the regulations on child arrest dismally.
“The National Police already has rules concerning juvenile delinquents, which includes the limited use of arrest. However, the knowledge has not been properly channeled to the regional level,” he said.
Airport police officers were not immediately available for further comment on the matter. (dis)
