Vulnerable Runaway Children to Trafficking in Makassar, Indonesia 

Syamsuddin. MAsyamsuddingido@yahoo.co.id

&Azlinda Azman, Ph.D

azlindaa@usm.my

School of Social Sciences Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Penang Malaysia

 The 1St International Young Scholar

ConferencesBoracay, Philipinas, 18 May 2013

Introduction

In Victimology, children are the age group vulnerable to be victims (Meadows, 2010), including in becoming victims of human trafficking (Asis, 2008, Jones 2011, & Reid). In 2003, in Cambodia, it was estimated that there were about 50,000 girls being trafficked for prostitution. The United Nations agency for human rights (The World Human Rights Organization) and UNICEF estimates that one of three prostitutes in Cambodia is less than 18 years old and they generally come from Vietnam. Cambodia children are also more vulnerable to be trapped in prostitution as well (Shelley, 2010).

• Department of State United State of America (2011) distinguishes three forms of human trafficking where the victims are children, namely child labor force, child soldiers and child sex trafficking.

• According to UNICEF, as many as 2 million children are victims of prostitution in the global commercial sex trafficking. Trade of sex has destroyed the lives of many children, leaving the risks like physical and psychological trauma as a long-term, contracting sexually transmitted disease, including HIV/AIDS, drug addiction, unwanted pregnancy, malnutrition, social isolation and death (Department of State United State of America, 2011)

An estimated of 30% of the female prostitutes in Indonesia are under 18 years of age. A number of 40,000 to 70,000 Indonesian children are victims of sexual exploitation. The amount however, does not give the holistic picture in reality as it may be larger number due to unreported cases. Commission for Child Protection in East Java (Komisi Perlindungan Anak Indonesia / KPAI) Indonesia has estimated that at least 100,000 women and children were trafficked annually from, through, and to the territory of Indonesia itself (http://www.humantrafficking.org/countries/indonesia accessed January 12, 2012).

Research Objectives

1)What are some of the factors that place children to be vulnerable to becoming a victim of trafficking?,

2)Who are the mediators or actors in child trafficking?, and

3)Where were victims and traffickers ,make first contact or build relationship before being trafficked or becoming victim?.

Research Methodology

• This qualitative study through in-depth interviews and observation.

• The study was conducted at a Healing and Protection House of child trafficking victims in Makassar, Indonesia.

• Informants were less than 18 years who were victims of Trafficking

Research Finding

Characteristic of Informants

Informant Ages

From Education Information

END 17 Makassar uneducated No runaway

DW 15 Kolaka Unfinished Primary School

runaway

RT 15 Palu Senior High School runaway

GMK 14 Makassar Unfinished Primary School

runaway

IR 16 Sulawesi Barat

Primary School runaway

The Factors of vulnerable child to be trafficked

1.The Value of “Serving” (Berbakti) to Parents

2.Negative Friendship Influence and Contact with Nightclub

3.Runaway from Home.(Violence & explotation

by Parents, Sexual abuse by a family member,Feeling loneliness)

The values of "serve" to the parents make children to be vulnerable be a victim of trafficking. because the child feel have responsibility to help family income and family problem.

“After I came back from Maumere, my mother was sick and needed money IDR 200,000, while my older sister and brother had no money to pay it, because I want to serve my mother and did not Want to let him suffer, then I try earn money by selling myself. I finally got the money from prostitution and I told to my sister that I borrowed from my friends”.(subject DN)

Incorrect friendship is one of the factors that enable a child to be vulnerable and trapped into the trafficking.

"I have friends who always asked me to go to a nightclub. Sometimes I went out at 12 midnight. I went out through the window. At a nightclub, I knew about the Somad (a type of stimulant drugs). If I didn’t consume it, I am not happy or enjoy".

Violence and Exploitation by Parents

“IW” always gets violence from her parents. Like physical violence and psychological violence.

(beaten using wood and being scolded, insulted, and even the denial of her status as a child of her parent).

She was not permitted to play and socialized with her peers, including was not given the opportunity to get proper education.

required to work every day in the rice field by her parents, from 8 to 5.

Sexual abuse by a family member

The victim felt uncomfortable staying in her home due to being sexually abused by her brother-in-law. When this event occurs, the victim's parents did not provide a protection for her, as well as other family members, instead blamed her. It made RT became frightened and traumatized. She also often woke up in the midnights for being fear. Ultimately, she decided to run away from home, along with her friend, she then went to Makassar by bus.

"I ran away from home, my parents did not know, I was afraid to stay at home longer, fearing that my brother-in-law raped me when I slept. My parents did not want to defend me but just always to blame me. They did not believe my complaint"

Feeling loneliness

"GMK“ felt loneliness to stay at home because she had no activity in her spare time after she quit school at the fifth grade Primary School.

"I went out because of I felt loneliness living at home. My mother and my father go to work every day. My sister goes to school. I lived alone in the house. I need friends and entertainment. That is why; I often go to a friend's house. If I get together with them I feel cheerful and happy”.

Who the Actor and Where Contact

Informants Trafficker/Mediator Places / ways contactGMK

DW

IR

RT

END

Hubbies.

Companion/girls friend (lesbian case)

Acquaintance.

Stranger who meet first time in the street.

Friends

Nightclubs.

By Mobile Phone (Connected with the Wrong Contact Number

Kos-kosan (Monthly rental rooms)

Street

Liquor Cafe .

Kos-kosan (Monthly rental rooms)

• As experienced by IW (a victim): "I was introduced to a man by my friend when I stayed in “kos-kosan”. That man who escorted me to pare-pare using a motorbike and sell me there to a pimp".

StreetsUnder a weak condition, far away from her parents or family, and do not have much money to meet their daily needs, have forced the "RT" (a victim) to go out from the boarding house and live in the street. On the street she met the actors, the person who sold her to a pimp. She said:

"I stay in Makassar about 2 months. The money that I bring from the Palu was up. I have a headache. Finally I left the boarding house and living in the street. In the street I met a Gogos (one type of traditional food made from glutinous rice) seller woman. Maybe she knows I was confused, and then she offered me a job. Indeed, I need money for food. Subsequently, the women take and sold me to a brothel. She sold me for Rp. three million. She admitted as my aunt to the pimp".

NightClubA night club is a prone place for children. It could give an opportunity for children to be entangled in a child trafficking. As stated by GMK (a victim), at first, she often feels lonely since his parents left her alone. Then, she often went out at night and went to a night club with her friends. In the nightclub she knew and consumed “Somad” (a type of drug). Finally, she became a night club addicted. If she did not have enough money, she will sell her personal belongings, such as mobile phone, shoes, clothes, and others until her goods sold out and she did not have any money. One day, her friend asked her to run from home and took her to a brothel to get money to meet her needs.

Liquor Cafe • “At first I worked as a waitress in a cafe that sells alcoholic

beverages in Segeri Pangkep. Then, there was a friend who offered me to work as a shopkeeper in Maumere with a higher salary. I am very interested in the offer. Before I left I was given a million rupiahs. Initially I refused because I thought, I have not been working but had been given the money, but he continues to influence me. He even threatened if I did not receive the money, I will not be departed. Reluctantly, I took the money. However, I gave it to my mother and I did not take it to Maumere. I snared by debt bondage. Tickets have been prepared on the day of her departure. I did not ever think that I would be a prostitute. When I arrived in Maumere, I was immediately told to serve customers. Initially, I did not want to but I was forced. I was tortured for being held. I cannot call and cannot be everywhere. The house was guarded a bouncer, I was not allowed to go home before I pay three million Rupiahs. I snared by debt bondage. Until, A customer helped me. He would pay the debt and buy me a ticket to went back to Makassar”.

By mobile Phone (connected with the wrong number)

The contact between the perpetrators to the victim through the mobile phone is the most unique case in this study. 'DW' admitted that the first time know and contact the trafficker by mobile-phone. He got a call from women that wrong/unknown number. Then, they become a couple, Although they had never met before. "DW" runway and met her lover in Pare-Pare.

Disscussion

child trafficking that is closely related to the cultural context. Bales (2005) said that the vulnerability of human trafficking is not only caused by poverty. Instead, the vulnerability is also connected to the local culture, including cultural roles’ in authorizing trafficking indirectly. Women and girls are seen as a commodity that may be used to help to increase family economy. They are expected to stay at home to do household chores, or working elsewhere to earn money, such as becoming a housekeeper or other work (Inter-Parliamentary Union and UNICEF, 2005; Lie & Lund, 2008).

Children who runaway are particularly vulnerable to entrapment tactics used by sexual traffickers (Estes & Weiner, 2001, TVPRA, 2005).

Why runaway ?because they expect a better life outside their home. They rather be on the street as they was hoping life is not as hard or hostile than living in their existing home environment. Estes & Weiner (2001)

Impact A survey on a total of 775 teenage runaway shows that 70% of women and 24% of men reported of being sexually abused, while 35% of both sexes reported to be experiencing physical abuse (Molnar, Shade, Kral, Booth, & Watters, 1998).

Sexual harassment is also a cause of children being trapped in prostitution.

Some researchers found that most of the children who had previously been trapped into prostitution are among those who have experienced sexual harassed, and some of them been neglected by their families (Farley, Lynne, & Cotton, 2005; FACJJ, 2007; Hanna, 2002).

The Advancement of information and communication technologies is one of the causes of trafficking in persons is also recognized by Cameron and Newman (2008) that the development of information technology makes it easy for criminal groups to foster communication with other networks set elsewhere, including to trap victims.

• Meanwhile, in a recent study by interviewing 100 women involved in prostitution in Vancouver, it was reported that alomost 82% being sexually abused during childhood, with an average of four perpetrators (Farley et al., 2005). Children trapped in the sex trafficking will defend their status as prostitutes as the only way to survive (Hanna, 2002).

Suggestion and Conclusion • Family is an important social institution to keep a child from the shackles of trafficking. Parents need to create a warm family atmosphere, comfortable, fulfilled with an abundance of love and instead become perpetrators of violence and exploitation of children. Healthy family environment can help to fulfill the needs and interests of any child, and to prevent the child to seek external supports. Families need to hear any complaints and the response of all the dangers that threaten the safety of children, including disturbances that can also come from any family member.

• The issue of child trafficking need to get serious attention from all relevant parties as this phenomenon happens globally. Vulnerable places like boarding house, streets, workplaces and nightclubs needs to be controlled by the authorities in order to ensure that there were no children being victimized.

Thank You Very Much