Human Trafficking
Oct 11th, 2006, in News, by PatungTwelve provinces in Indonesia are thought to have a serious problem with trafficking of women and children.
Nani Tuloli, a parliamentary representative from Gorontalo named the twelve as West Java, East Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, North Sumatera, South Sumatera, Riau, East Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). He said established syndicates operated in these areas providing for both foreign and local buyers.
Tuloli claimed that the problem has gradually gotten worse. Previously established trafficking networks operated only in West Java and East Java but in recent times they have widened their net.
He named the port of Batam as the main exit or transit point for women and children sold abroad, while South Sulawesi and North Sulawesi were places where those bound for the Philippines exited from. The places worst affected by human trafficking he said were those where there were many night spots and places of entertainment and which had a conveniently located port.
15 Comments on “Human Trafficking”
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emuh says:
Trafficking in human will not happen if the government of Indonesia provides good welfare security to Indonesian people. Despite the adverse effects of trafficking, some of the “victims” enjoy the trafficking. Even they involve in trafficking voluntarly. Some cases in trafficking in Indramayu will be evidence that not all the victims feel painful.
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CLB says:
In response to the idea that victims ‘enjoy’ being trafficked:
There is a difference between ‘trafficking’ and ‘smuggling’. Defined in the UN Protocol to Prevent, Supress and Punish Trafficking of Persons’, trafficking is carried out ‘by means of threat or use of force, other means of coercion, abduction, fraud, abuse of power, or abuse of a position of vulnerability’. The ultimate end of trafficking is to acheive the consent of a person or have control of a person for the purpose of exploitation. Smuggling, on the other hand, does not involve deception or exploitation.
Even if trafficking victims do volunteer themselves for jobs, they are often deceived – told they will be a housemaid and then find that they are forced to be prostitutes. Exploitation is the end of trafficking – I therefore find it hard to believe that victims ‘enjoy’ this. Additionally, it is not only women, but also children, and sometimes small babies, who are trafficked. Noone should have their rights taken from them in this manner. Even those who voluntarily agree to be smuggled across borders, without being deceived and exploited, often end up in highly vulnerable positions due to their lack of legal status.
While trafficking would possibly decrease if social welfare in Indonesia increased, there is also a strong need to raise awareness of the possibility of being trafficked to those most at risk. Trafficking is not just supply driven, but also demand driven. No matter how good social welfare is, as long as there is the demand, there will be traffickers ready to abuse their positions of power. If there is more awareness, it should be harder for traffickers to deceive their victims in order to gain control over them, in order to eventually deprive them of their rights. Hopefully recent legislation will help to ensure that traffickers are punished severely for their actions.
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Arianna says:
I am totally against this unacceptable phenomenon and wish that the government should do sth that will contribute to the elimination of this problem. I am participating in MUN (Model United Nations), a conference for teenagers which is involved in serious international problems. My committee is Economic and Social Council and my subject is combating human trafficking in Indonesia. I would be grateful if someone from Indonesia could also inform me about the situation in his/her country and give also his opinion about how this problem could be eliminated and what the UN should do to help. I am looking forward to receive an answer from someone. Thank you a lot
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David Wong Jowo says:
The problem is not new, it has been like this even before Christ was born. Some people are deviant, they are opposed genetically or learned or some kind of sickness, that they become abnormal in life in general. Some people are fond of little children and young women, eventhough they look normal in appearance, they are dangerously predatory in nature. Some hold high and legitimate positions, like they are doctors, lawyers, teachers, police, judges…but they have fetishes and abnormal desire for young women and children. Indonesian government must pay attention to why tourists from abroad come to Indonesia, alone or in groups, male only!
Granted, there is no way of checking their background for lack of communications or ways of doing it. Some local law enforcements need to be utilized to track their movements, or let the local make report/s on what these tourist/s are doing. They are easy to spot, first and foremost, most of them are white, somewhat of age (old), flash a lot of money and tend to make friends by buying them with gifts and money. Then their fetish is known by asking questions such as where to find young homeless boys and girls in the neighbourhood without arousing suspicions. They have done these things before, so they know how to ask questions discreetly. Some may come few times and explore the area before they do anything. They know that with money you can buy anyone or anything expecially in poor country like Indonesia, the Philippine, Cambodia, etc. There are people in the USA that hunt these kind of people, you just have to contact the American Embassy in Jakarta to find out the contacts’ name and numbers. Once they have been arrested, their records will be known and make it easier to find them. The cunning ones probably still free and smart enough not to get caught, so you just have to be aware and alert.
In some European countries, like the Netherlands, France, German and others, their males are known to have been bi-sexual, eventhough the males are married to women, they also like men for their bed-mate. These preferences of liking small children and women are considered normal in their countries, just like gays and lesbians. Indonesia has some of these, but they operate discreetly and only at night, in parks, parking lots, near trains tracks and secluded dead end streets. This will be a big challenge since there will be always be poor people who willl succumb to the temptaton of money from these predators, since the poor will be poor and the rich will get their ways in Indonesia. There are simply too many people now in big cities to allow equal footings for everybody, they have to start using birth control pills or using condoms so that they control their population somewhat. New laws for these predators must be introduced to the Indonesian Justice System. Hukum perdana must be established for trafficing and predatory practices, exploiting young children and women and harsh punishment must be given for those already caught as to give example that these kind of behaviour will not be tolerated in Indonesia or elsewhere. Get to work all of you Sarjana Hukum people, Polisi dan Tentara National Indonesia! Save your people, after all Indonesia is a civilized nation and country. Protect and serve the people of Indonesia! What happens if it turns out to be your own sons or daughters that are being exploited? Could you sleep at night? Will you let it happen? Make new laws and legislations for these offenses! Get these predators off the planet, off Indonesia, off other countries…Help!!!
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ET says:
These preferences of liking small children and women are considered normal in their countries,
No need to be polite with people like you. You are an idiot.
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Seconded ET, the man is a twit!
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As long as I get my message across and alert the Indonesian people on how these people prey on the unsuspecting naive, “kampungan”, people, which some people still are. As long as the Indonesian goverment did not care about the poor people, I do not care what you call me, I know for a fact that these things happen still in the real world. I was fortunate to have been living in most of these places, some for a short time, some enough to know their everyday culture and mentality.
Open your mind and if you don’t agree, do some reseach and don’t hide behind your keyboard, knowing only what you know. Expand your horizons, I have friends in high places as well as in low places. My perception is based on true stories and facts. I just came across this blog, and I learned there are too much changes took place in Indonesian culture and I am saddened by it. Freedom brings too much unwanted things.
If you want to help these people, please do so, do not just call names and insult others, ET and Oigal, I am trying to educate you, I bet you are damn foreigners yourself and not Indonesians. LaireDion you must be an Indonesian wannabe! If you weren’t born there, you will never be.
In Amsterdam, for example, women put themselve behind glass cages, so when horny passerbys come and become their clients, they close the curtains and do their deed, after which they will be ready for next clients. And these are happening under the watchful eyes of the Netherlands government. In Thailand, Pattaya beach, are lined up with bars staffed with skintily-clad young women, all available for a price, including young children. It is normal over there. In Cambodia, the same thing, old tourists come from America for the taste of young boys’ behind. The authorities keep blind eyes to these things. In New York and some other states, the marriage of same sexes are legalized, man with man, woman with woman. Is this normal?
The world is coming to an end as we speak, as it was in Saddam and Gomorrah. There… I said my peace. I cannot change the world by myself, so instead of calling names and ingnoring the problems, please come up with ideas and thoughts to help these people and find the solutions to the problem and not become one.
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Lairedion says:
DWJ,
It’s telling that during your time overseas you went straight for the greasy spots and didn’t put in effort to know about how ordinary people live over there. Highlighting prostitution activities in Amsterdam, Cambodia and Thailand and marveling about those wonderful Hindu monuments in Central Java because your daddy grew up there?
Your comments read like bad tourist brochures….
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bonni says:
David Wong Jowo,
In New York and some other states, the marriage of same sexes are legalized, man with man, woman with woman. Is this normal?
You can not say whether one thing is normal or not… According to you, well, it’s not…
I cursed any kinds of human trafficking. Yes, the authorities seems to have their eyes closed about this… Although many organizations against human trafficking push and insist them to ‘do something’… Monitoring then reporting their findings to the authorities or even giving reccomendations… As human trafficking has become a system… Sadly, many of their reccomendations are ignored…
The world is coming to an end as we speak, as it was in Saddam and Gomorrah. There… I said my peace. I cannot change the world by myself, so instead of calling names and ingnoring the problems, please come up with ideas and thoughts to help these people and find the solutions to the problem and not become one.
RUNNNN RUNNNN FOR YOUR LIFE!!!!!
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Saddam and Gomorrah
Where is that? Iraq?
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Open your mind and if you don’t agree, do some reseach
A very good idea DWJ, I would suggest opening your mind beyond the xenophobic claptrap you are currently espousing. You don’t need to go to Amsterdam for to see women and girls being exploited behind glass, all the major cities in Java do a very good trade in such things and guess what, they are not to service the minuscule tourist trade but those very high and low Javanese people you refer to.
Whilst you are highlighting a high moral culture you might want to just pause and look at the the practice of self proclaimed filthy pathetic little ‘Imans’ and others who procure underage children as wives claiming it is part of their religion and culture.
As for old men lusting after little boys, look not further than than your local pesantren, pretty much an open secret although not unexpected in from an imported culture that stunts normal gender interaction.
Of course, you might also want to open your eyes to an imported culture that regulates women to the status of second class citizens who all often are solely dependent on the male for economic support yet there is no mechanism to support those women and children when yet another ignorant irresponsible cowardly male disappears or engages in the all too common domestic violence.
Meanwhile do pause to take a look at who facilitates the majority of human trafficking in Indonesia, its not the tourist with the funny hat.
I always find it amusing when the sexually insecure cannot separate things like same sex marriage, underage trafficking, prostitution and exploitation. It really says more about the author than anything else.
So much more to take issue with in your post but really not much point as the entire premise is just xenophobic nonsense.
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stevo says:
DWJ appears to think the biggest problem facing Indonesia is the maintenance of sexual morality. I disagree and think there are much more serious concerns he should focus on.
There would be far less poor and desperate, for the sexual perverts to prey on, if the real problems of (for example) corruption and self -serving governance were addressed effectively. An increase in sexual morality will not result in a decrease in poverty and social injustice.
I am not aware of any examples where a ridged sexual morality has helped improve people’s circumstances. People would rather be sex workers than starving. Give them better choices and see what happens then.
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stevo,
Too true. Sadly this is the state of affairs in a country where people trying to make ends meet are being punished for selling food during puasa while at the same time pedophiles hiding behind religion can marry minors.
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Oigal
So much more to take issue with in your post but really not much point as the entire premise is just xenophobic nonsense.
There is more to it than just xenophobic nonsense. Mixing truth and lies is a well proven strategy to incite and undermine. Most people love and protect their children at any cost and this is why presumed abuse of them is preferably used by those with an agenda as bait to provoke indignation and hate. Hence his statement that “preferences of liking small children are considered normal in their countries“. Nothing but below-the-belt propaganda, vile and low, nazi style.
The crap he is spewing must come from somewhere and I wouldn’t be surprised if it were Friday sermons.
Comment on “Human Trafficking”.
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Whilst we have no legal framework under the criminal code dealing with human trafficking, it will remain difficult for the police, and judiciary to deal with this matter, assuming of course that they even wished to.
Unfortunately our politicians are too busy jostling for power, lining their own pockets or pushing their own religious agendas to devote any time to an issue such as this.
But then it is only the poor people who are having to pay the price isn’t it?
Does nobody in power feel any shame, or at least some embarrasment about a situation like this?
Peace