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Islands in focus: Bengkulu de-legitimizes almost 1,400 babies
The Central Bengkulu regency administration has refused to issue birth certificates for 1,378 newborn children in the regency because they were born to parents whose marriages have not been registered
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T
he Central Bengkulu regency administration has refused to issue birth certificates for 1,378 newborn children in the regency because they were born to parents whose marriages have not been registered.
Local Religious Affairs Agency head Ajamalus said that his team had identified 689 couples who had married but were not registered with the agency.
'From the unregistered marriages, 1,378 children have been born but they are not recognized by the state because their parents wed without the agency's knowledge,' kompas.com quoted him as saying on Saturday.
He added that the newborn children would face difficulties in obtaining services from the administration, including admission to state schools, since they had no birth certificates.
Ajamalus said his agency had proposed holding a mass wedding ceremony to legalize the unregistered marriages in question.
