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Syndicates lure children into sex work
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Save the children: Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Yohana Yambise (center), accompanied by Central Sulawesi Governor Longki Djanggola (left), signs a banner to show the government's commitment to prevent violence against children during the celebration of National Child Day in Palu, Central Sulawesi, on July 30.
(Antara/Mohamad Hamzah)
Alongside increased visitor numbers, Indonesian tourism has had a dark side for many local children.
Syndicates have been entrapping children into working in the sex industry catering to tourists, with big cities and popular tourist sites seeing an increase in children being offered for sex with tourists.
The Embun Pelangi Foundation, a local NGO that focuses its work on preventing the sexual exploitation of children, has found that many tourists from Malaysia and Singapore visit Batam, Riau Islands, specifically to look for sex with children employed by syndicates operating in the city.
“Those children have been brought from Central, East and West Java,” the foundation’s facilitator, who preferred to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of its work, said.
He added that the syndicates got the children not only from Java but also from other low-income areas, such as East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), by luring them with well-paying jobs.
“What their parents believe is that their children go to Batam for work. Whatever job they can get is OK as long as it is halal [permitted according to Islamic laws],” the facilitator said.
In 2016, Embun Pelangi rescued a total of 89 children from child-sex rings. Meanwhile as of July, the foundation had helped 17 children aged under 18.
