World Street Children News :: Indonesia Streetkid News

Sympathy is now a crime

Soeryo Winoto, Jakarta

Once a friend of mine said that a man from his ethnic group would never become a beggar. "For us begging is a very disgraceful act. Street criminals are more respected."

He could be laughing now upon hearing the Jakarta administration’s new bylaw that bans, among others, beggars. The ordinance, which will replace the existing 19-year-old ruling, also prohibits people from donating money to beggars.

What about street singers and street children? If the new ordinance is properly and consistently enforced, there will be no place for buskers to sing for money in public places. Street children are no exception. Worse, unemployed people who manage traffic for money from motorists, locally called Pak Ogah, will also be cleared from the streets once the new bylaw is enacted.

Punishments for the offenders vary, with people giving money to beggars to be fined between Rp 100,000 and Rp 20 million or sentenced to two months in jail.

There are still more than 100 activities that will be prohibited by the new bylaw for disrupting public order.

The reason to issue the new ruling is cleaning up the city. The administration could claim the new ordinance as an achievement, but it will only provide blatant proof of its failings. The bylaw was endorsed despite the fact that the administration has failed to review enforcement of city regulations and make improvements.

As always, the administration will leave the enactment of the new bylaw in the hands of law and order officers, who are known for their use of violence and acts of thuggery. For street vendors, illegal squatters, beggars, street singers and children, the law enforcers are no less than merciless punishers, although many times they can show their extorter’s face.

There are many regulations and city ordinances that have been flawed due to the officers’ poor performance, not to mention the administration’s inconsistency. Given the generally poor state of law enforcement, it will be fair for the administration to take action against the law and order officers.

Experience has shown that law enforcement, including the enforcers, become the problem itself. Now through the new bylaw the city administration seems to be zeroing in on the objects of regulation, but ignoring the enforcement side.

In the absence of traffic police, private traffic regulators, or Pak Ogah, have contributed a lot to motorists. Only for Rp 500 Pak Ogah clear the way for motorists and ease their mental stress after being trapped in traffic congestion.

Are traffic police officers and law and order officers aware of this situation? When the new bylaw takes effect, can people sue the administration once they are caught in traffic congestion just because there are no traffic policemen or law and order officers?

As tax payers, people have the right to enjoy smooth traffic. But in chaotic traffic like Jakarta, the people are forced to tolerate and endure the congestion, which occurs even on a small lane. Where are the traffic police? As most Jakarta people are aware, the police love to stand by at "lucrative" corners where traffic violations frequently take place.

Nobody wants to become beggars, Pak Ogah or street singers. Their presence on the streets is a clear picture of the very real problems facing the country. These people only reveal the pressing problems of poverty and unemployment which the state has been unable to address.

Article 34 of the Constitution stipulates that destitute people and neglected children are to be taken care of by the state. Then, legally, unemployed and destitute people, including beggars and street children, can claim their constitutional right.

In this sense, the bylaw appears as the Jakarta administration’s infamous effort to divert attention from the real problem: its failure to provide enough jobs. The poor once again fall victim in the blame game. The true problem is poverty, not city cleanliness!

Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso needs to explain to the public what was really behind the bylaw. Otherwise he will only leave a time bomb for his successor Fauzi Bowo, who will take over next month.

Unemployment is a national issue and Jakarta has become the land of hope for job and fortune seekers. It’s the job of the Jakarta governor to address unemployment by boosting investment and other job creation initiatives. That’s the way to clean beggars, buskers or Pak Ogah from the streets, not by criminalizing them.

Didit Hari Purnomo: Getting children off the street

Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya

While most people try to chase happiness in the form of a pay rise or a better job, Didit Hari Purnomo left his job as a TVRI cameraman a few years back just to help disadvantaged women and children in the East Java capital of Surabaya.

"The government pays no attention to street children or impoverished women," the 55-year-old man said last month.

In 2001, Didit set up the Sanggar Alang-Alang training center on Jl. Gunungsari 24, Surabaya, where women and children can come if they feel unsafe or are homeless.

Didit said street children were often portrayed as downtrodden but many of them had made the decision to leave home themselves and shunned control.

"They think they are beyond the law and will twist and break the law … this is why so many street children in Surabaya are behind bars."

He said the government had no program that was specifically aimed at getting children off the streets and back into school.

Didit was born in Lumajang, East Java, on Sept. 14, 1952, into a middle-class family. His father, the late Subandi Singosaputra, or Mbah (Grandfather) Singo, had more than 40 hectares of farmland in Yosowilangun subdistrict, Lumajang.

Mbah Singo was known for his generosity. Every month he donated money for the education of the poor children who lived in the subdistrict and its surrounds.

"Before he died, he said that if you wanted to be happy, you should do a lot of charity work. Don’t wait until you are rich, until the endpoint of your life. Help the poor as much as you can," Didit said.

Before the establishment of Sanggar Alang-Alang, Didit spent most of his time at the Joyoboyo bus terminal. He would approach the street children roaming around the terminal and ask them to come to an open classroom, situated near the public toilets.

"In the meetings, I would encourage them to share their problems and we’d discuss solutions," said Didit, adding that in the first few weeks only five children attended the class, which was held Tuesdays from 10-11 p.m.

The number of children increased slowly from eight to 10 to more than 20.

"Many bus passengers joined the meetings out of curiosity. They thought I was a pharmaceuticals salesman," he said.

Didit said many of the gangs operating in the area, who had used the children to beg or steal for them, felt threatened by the establishment of the group and tried to scare him off. Even the terminal management accused Didit of disturbing public order.

"They wouldn’t leave me alone. I had these big tough guys threatening to kill me. They vandalized my car, which was parked in the terminal," he said.

Didit refused to give up. He later moved his activities to a vacant lot in Gang Kelinci in Surabaya, a residential area where sex work thrives.

But the sex workers did not feel comfortable with his presence and asked him to go. And, once again, he began receiving death threats from the neighborhood thugs.

"They also threatened my family. Every day they called my wife, telling her I should stop my activities. I was on the point of calling it quits.

"But my wife encouraged me to continue teaching the street children even though we had few resources and no external funding" said Didit, who is married to Endang Budharetnowati.

Didit also drew courage from the children who wanted the program to continue.

He later decided to move his activities to an abandoned property on the banks of the Kalimas River in Surabaya. Didit also taught the children how to play musical instruments.

Once again, he came up against resistance. The local administration said Didit’s activities gave homeless people a reason for moving to the area.

But there was growing media interest in Didit’s Education for Street Children program. A few short television segments, an article in a well-read newspaper and word of mouth worked wonders. The street children were invited to perform in a charity night show held by some expatriates in Surabaya and the Surabaya International School.

"I used the proceeds from the show to rent a place for street children. At the same time, people starting making donations," he said.

Today, hundreds of the children who have been assisted by Sanggar Alang-Alang no longer work on the streets but in companies, or run their own businesses. Another 100 students are still in the group’s care.

"That’s what makes me proud and happy, because I managed to get some of them off the street. Better lives for these poor children are no longer a dream but a reality," he said.

He is also happy because his daughter, Ramadhani Wuri Pramesti, is active in running Sanggar Alang-Alang’s programs, including teaching English, sewing and other vocational skills to domestic workers in housing complexes.

Ramadhan to see donations paid at counter

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Ramadhan is a perfect time for Muslims to share, especially with the needy.

But new instructions from Governor-elect Fauzi Bowo to avoid giving to beggars — whose number usually multiplies as Idul Fitri draws near — doesn’t make it easy for generous hearts.

Following the instructions, on Monday the City Council banned donations to street musicians, street children and beggars.

Meanwhile, non-profit donation organizer Dompet Dhuafa and state-run Badan Amil Zakat Nasional (Baznas) have teamed up with Hypermart and Hero to offer a non-traditional giving opportunity. Donations for the poor will be accepted at check-out counters across Greater Jakarta, expanding the definition of one-stop shopping.

"It is the second year we will cooperate with Hypermart to help Muslims who wish to give alms," Dompet Dhuafa president Rahmat Riyadi said at a program launch event at Hypermart’s Jakarta City Center outlet in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta.

The program is on at Hypermart’s 31 outlets nationwide where shoppers can give their alms to the cashier.

"The amount of the alms appears on the sales receipt. It’s transparent and involves no fees or taxes …. We hope people will be encouraged to donate more," said Carmelito J. Regalado, director of merchandising and marketing of PT Matahari Putra Prima, which owns Hypermart.

In the same program last year, Hypermart collected Rp 224 million (US$26,000) from 25 outlets nationwide.

Rahmat said the program would encourage concerned people to contribute to activities aimed at alleviating poverty. While there is some disagreement among state institutions as to income statistics, poverty is perceived to be a serious issue in the country.

"The money collected in the fund-raising program will go to shelters for street children and scholarships for the children of poor families," he said.

Baznas and Dompet Dhuafa also cooperate with other shopping malls, banks, restaurants, fast-food outlets, boutiques, hospitals and bookstores. They aim to facilitate payment of tithes by Muslims who usually pay in currency or in kind on the last day of fasting month.

North Sumatra cracks down on begging
Provided By: AlJazeeraEnglish
Al Jazeera’s Step Vaessen travels to Medan in North Sumatra where new measures will see people fined for giving to beggars.

Street children in need of the most help with HIV/AIDS

Desy Nurhayati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government should take effective measures to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS among street children as they are among the highest at-risk groups in Indonesia, groups said Wednesday.

National Commission for the Protection of Children secretary-general Ariest Merdeka Sirait said street children are very susceptible to HIV/AIDS because many of them are involved in promiscuous sexual behavior and are injecting drug users.

“The spread of HIV/AIDS among street children should be tackled immediately, otherwise it will lead to a worse situation,” he told The Jakarta Post. “The problem is that most of them lack knowledge about reproductive health and about how to protect themselves from the infection.”

He said street children have been excluded from the government-sponsored program to fight HIV/AIDS cases among high-risk communities, such as sex workers and drug users.

A 2006 study, conducted by the Indonesian Save the Children Foundation in several big cities across the country, revealed that street children were in particular danger of contracting HIV.

It found most of the at-risk children were involved in drug use and prostitution but few knew about the dangers of injecting drugs and unprotected sex.

Husein Habsyi, vice chairman of Pelita Ilmu Foundation — a non-governmental organization dealing with HIV/AIDS-related problems, said more than 90 percent of street children in Jakarta who were also drug users, were HIV positive.

“Of the 1,000 children, 200 of them have undergone laboratory tests. And 193 of them are positive,” he told the Post, adding that the ratio remained constant over the years.

He urged the government to take action.

“More must be done, not only preventive measures, but also curative. Those already infected should also be referred to health centers to get proper treatment.

“The program can be conducted in the form of youth-friendly counseling through youth centers, where they can have fun and learn how to protect themselves from infection.”

Habsyi also suggested a training program for health officials so that they would be better prepared for dealing with street children.

Health Ministry data shows that as of June, there were 5,813 HIV cases and 9,689 AIDS cases in Indonesia.

Separately, director of services and social rehabilitation at the Social Services Ministry Susanti Herlambang said her office, in cooperation with United Nations Children’s Fund and NGOs, is working on a project to give support to children with HIV/AIDS, particularly those from poor families.

“We also give working skills for their families and knowledge about how to treat their children,” she said.

Street Children Performance - Street Children Song
12 years old Luqman performed at GTC, Makassar. The song is about the life of street children.

Plot thickens around street-child murder

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The story of a mutilated body identified incorrectly last week by a woman in Jakarta who thought the body belonged to her then-missing 10-year-old son, Asep Ridwan Saefullah, has turned into somewhat of a murder mystery.

On Thursday Asep walked into the Cakug police station in East Jakarta accompanied by his mother, father and stepfather.

Asep was a few days ago found collecting rubbish on a train by his father and stepfather as they traveled by rail from Bandung to Jakarta.

Asep’s family, who thought they had buried their boy, has been summoned by police for questioning.

The boy was spotted first by his biological father Kusnadi who said his son was being watched carefully by the people who had allegedly employed him to work the streets and trains.

Asep said he had run away from home after receiving a bad school report and being too afraid to confront his mother.

"I was brought by (a man called) DK from Padalarang train station (West Java). He forced me to work as scavenger and street musician," Asep said.

"DK said he would give me a chocolate bar if I wanted to go with him."

The 10-year-old is registered as a fourth grader in the Al Hikmah Islamic School in Bandung, West Java.

Asep said he traveled with DK to several places including Cilegon, Merak, in West Java and as far as Surakarta, in Central Java.

"He hit me with a piece of wood every time I failed to pay him daily fees worth between Rp 25,000 and Rp 40,000," Asep said, showing scars on both his feet.

And he was not the only child who accompanied the man called DK, Asep said.

"There are others. They’re called Asep Salim and Dede."

"All of us slept at one train station after another.

"DK always brings (with him) a samurai and a sickle.

"He (DK) told me that he was (part of) an armed robbery gang in Senen, Central Jakarta."

Meanwhile, a street child — identified as SI — said he recognized the picture of the mis-identified mutilated boy as Andre, a fellow street musician he knew in Pondok Kopi train station, East Jakarta.

SI said he had never met Asep before but said he knew who DK was.

"Andre also (traveled) with DK. They left Padalarang train station and I never saw Andre after that," SI said.

Another street child named TI, said he witnessed seeing a child murdered by DK in a hut near a train station in East Jakarta.

"The boy was asleep after sniffing glue," TI said.

"He was stabbed by DK and then cut into two pieces," he said adding he saw the man taking a bath and cleaning blood stains from his body.

TI said he knew the victim as Damaris.

Both SI and TI were questioned by police.

Mutilated boy misidentified, mystery remains

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

An investigation into the brutal murder of a young boy was set back when it was revealed that his body had been identified incorrectly and that the missing boy was alive.

Police announced Thursday that the body of a child found in East Jakarta on July 9 was not that of previously missing 10-year-old Asep Ridwan Saefullah, as earlier reported.

Asep was found alive by his father Kusnadi and stepfather Kamaluddin on a train from Bandung to Jakarta on Wednesday and is now safe at home.

Kusnadi and Kamaluddin were traveling to Jakarta to be interviewed by police when they saw several boys collecting trash from the train, closely watched by a few adults.

"The men were armed with samurai swords and machetes," said Kusnadi at Cakung Police station in East Jakarta.

"I saw a boy picking up garbage from the train. I called ‘Asep’ and he turned to me," he said, adding that the men initially attempted to stop them from taking Asep.

"They showed us their sharp weapons," said Kamaluddin.

An officer at the police subprecinct, who asked for anonymity, said that the forensic team at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital had announced that the deceased was likely to be the son of a woman from Bandung.

Asep’s mother Awangsih had approached police after her son had been missing for two weeks.

The officer said Awangsih had told the forensic experts that physical features such as a scar from stitched on the mutilated body’s left foot were the same as her son’s.

They also said a blood test matched Awangsih’s type B blood with the dead boy’s, although Awangsih says she and Asep’s father were never given blood tests.

She eventually claimed the body, however, and it was buried at Kiara Condong last week.

Police said DNA testing had not been carried out because it was regarded as unnecessary after Awangsih had claimed the body.

This is the second time the mutilated body of a child has been found in Jakarta this year.

The local community was initially concerned that the deaths were the work of a syndicate selling human organs, although forensic experts have dismissed such speculation, saying that professional help would be required to ensure the organs could be used.

The body of a boy was found in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, in April, although it had not been dismembered. Both victims were strangled and there were signs of sexual abuse.

Arist Merdeka Sirait, the secretary general of the National Commission for the Protection of Children’s Rights, called on the government to take the murders seriously.

"Whether or not there is (an organ stealing) syndicate, what happened to the boys is alarming because our children are no longer safe out there," he said.

He said the police needed to handle the case carefully because it involved street children, whose rights were often ignored.

"Street children are not criminals. If they are summoned as a witness, please treat them like one," he said.

The Cakung Police officer said the investigation would have to restart entirely, but was confident that they would catch the perpetrator.

"We have indications that the suspect is the same as our earlier target," he said.

Awangsih said Asep often played with street children at the train station near his home.

She said that on June 30, Asep had asked for permission to visit an aunt living in Sukapura village, not far from their house in Kiara Conding.

He left and was not seen again until Thursday. Witnesses said he had been seen with a man only known as DK.

Several street children who knew Asep said they had seen a thug from Cicadas, Bandung, boarding a train with the boy.

Asep said DK had taken him at a train station in Padalarang, West Java.

Competition gives note of hope to street kids

City News - Wednesday, July 18, 2007

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Five hundred street children from Greater Jakarta are taking part in a music workshop as part of a contest that could see them win a recording contract.

Veteran musician Embi C. Noor, a jury member, said Monday about 1,300 children from 15 shelters registered for the contest.

During the first round of the contest last month, all of the children had a chance to sing and play an instrument.

Jury members selected the best 500 to move on to the next stage of the contest.

Embi said the children were selected based on musical skill, creativity, performance and uniqueness.

"Five hundreds of them moved on to the next step," he said.

The contestants are now taking part in a three-day workshop that started Monday. Fifty will be selected to attend another workshop that will last for a week and involve top musicians Dwiki Dharmawan and Franky Sahilatua.

"We will then pick the best three to do a recording with Sony," Embi said.

The event is being sponsored by Nokia, Sony BMG and Plan Indonesia, an international non-governmental organization focusing on children’s welfare.

Although there are numerous non-governmental organizations working with street children here, they continue to be a marginalized community that rarely receives attention from the government. One of the main ways for these children to earn the money necessary to survive is by working as a street musician.

While street children are often viewed with a wary eye by people who see them as little better than criminals, the children themselves are more likely to become victims of violence on the streets.

There are no official statistics on the number of street children in Greater Jakarta.

This contest will give a few of the children rare access to proper musical instruments and recording professionals. Organizers hope this will help the children get off the street and begin building a future.

Contest organizers have provided shelters with musical instruments, to give the children a chance to rehearse.

"We are trying to help these children who love music, because for them music is a perfect way to express themselves," said Plan Indonesia acting country director Pol DeGreve.

Susilo Adinegoro, the coordinator of Sanggar Akar, one of the shelters, said the contest was a good chance for the children to express themselves and develop their creativity.

"The most important thing is not the recording contract, but more about how the children learn to compete and interact," he said.

Hasan Aulia, general manager of Nokia Indonesia, said the contest might also help the country’s music industry.

"We also want to give an opportunity to the many talented street musicians to perform, and we hope with this contest they can be part of Indonesia’s music industry."

EXPRESS YOURSELF: Marginalized children of Greater Jakarta paint pictures at a festival in Proklamasi Park on Friday. JP/Ricky Yudhistira

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Festival celebrates work, talents of street children

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

More than 2,000 street children from 37 communities around Jakarta are taking part in a three-day cultural festival that began Friday at Proklamasi Park in Central Jakarta.

The festival, called "Children: The struggle to break the limit", is aimed at giving the marginalized children the opportunity to express their interests and talents.

"It is time for us, adults, to appreciate (street children) because they manage to survive despite the difficulty of their life by working hard," Sandyawan Sumardi, founder of Sanggar Ciliwung Merdeka, the non-profit organization that organized the festival, told The Jakarta Post.

It took about three months of preparation to put together the event, which is being funded independently, without donations from the government or foreign institutions.

Organizing committee chairman Stephanie Iriana expressed hope the festival would help unite street children, and those who work with them, to pressure the government to provide them assistance.

"All street children communities must demand the government pay serious attention to providing them proper access to education and work placement when they get older. It is supposed to be their (the government’s) responsibility to help all members of society," she said.

Topan, a street musician attending the festival, said it was a good opportunity to make friends.

"It is also a good place for me to increase my knowledge and skills," said the 16-year-old boy.

Indonesia, which will mark National Children’s Day on July 23, continues to struggle to ensure legal protection for children. This is particularly true for street children, who are often the victims of physical and sexual abuse by adults.

Sandyawan said the event was not meant to commemorate National Children’s Day.

"It is held as an opening act to commemorate the International Day of Peace on Sept. 21," he said.

He said the government and society should be more concerned by the victimization and trafficking in children.

Proklamasi Park is also the current home for a number of victims of the mudflow in Sidoarjo, East Java, who arrived several weeks ago to protest the government’s handling of the disaster.