Jakarta, March 18 (Antara) - Child protection campaigners have
expressed concerns about the alleged abuse of children who were taken to
campaign grounds by political parties in the current legislative
elections campaigns.
"Data at the Child Abuse Supervision Desk show almost all political
parties allowed children to take part in their campaign activities,"
Chairman of the Indonesian Child Protection (KPAI) Commission, Asrorun
Niam Sholeh, said on Tuesday.
Over the past three days, the Indonesian political parties have been
conducting their 21-day campaign to contest in the upcoming April 9
legislative elections. However, they apparently involved children, even
though by regulations electoral contestants are not allowed to involve
children in their campaigns.
Therefore, the KPAI urged political parties to follow the regulations
and not abuse children in their campaign activities. "KPAI will report
the results of its monitoring to the Election Supervisory Committee
(Bawaslu) on Wednesday," Niam Sholeh said.
Niam noted that even though it was not allowed, political parties still
let parents bring their children to the campaign sites.
"Parents who deliberately bring their underage children to campaign
grounds may be sentenced to jail according to the law," Chief of the
Bangka District Child Protection Institute (LPS) in Bangka Belitung
Province, Nurmala Dewi, said in response to child abuse in campaign
activities.
"I ask all campaigners or political parties to tell their supporters
not to bring underage children to campaign grounds," she said.
Dewi threatened to sue parents who deliberately bring their children to
campaign arenas. She said she will not hesitate to report parents who
bring their children to campaign locations to the Indonesian Commission
for Child Protection (KPAI) in Jakarta.
According to the election supervisory committee Bawaslu, all political
parties have involved children in their current campaign activities.
According to KPAI's Asrorun Niam Sholeh, the Golkar Party had three
cases in its campaigns, while the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDIP) and the Democrat and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS)
had two cases, respectively, of involving children in their campaigns.
The other political parties that have one case each of violation are
the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party, the United Development
Party (PPP), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the National Mandate
Party (PAN) and the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI).
"The
PKPI held a campaign with a "dangdut" music show near the SDN 06 Pela
elementary school building in South Jakarta, where students were taking a
mid-semester test," Niam stated.
He noted that other parties, such as the National Democratic Party
(Nasdem), the People's Conscience Party (Hanuara) and the Crescent and
Star Party (PBB), had not yet been monitored taking children to the
campaign locations.
There are 12 political parties in the national level, which will
contest to win the votes of 185.8 million eligible voters in the
upcoming legislative election.
Besides the legislative election on April 9, the country will also hold a presidential election on July 9 this year.
The 12 electoral contestants are the National Democratic Party
(Nasdem), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Prosperous Justice
Party (PKS), the Indonesian Democratic Party Struggle (PDIP), the Golkar
Party (Golkar), the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra), the Democratic
Party (Demokrat), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the United
Development Party (PPP), the People's Conscience Party (Hanura),the
Crescent and Star Party (PBB) and the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party
(PKPI).
According to Bawaslu's Chairman Muhammad, all the political parties
have involved children in the first two days of their public campaigns
on Sunday and Monday.
"The results of our evaluation over the past two days showed that all
the political parties have committed violations by involving children in
political campaigns. This is an indication of violation against the
General Election Commission (KPU)'s Regulation No. 25/2013
(administrative violation against the general elections)," Muhammad
stated on Tuesday.
He added that based on Bawaslu's evaluationon, his agency found that
there was a political party that had earlier planned to involve children
in the campaign activities. "There was a political party that had
planned to involve children. We will summon the political party
concerned," Muhammad remarked.
Actually, Law No. 8/2012 on Legislative Elections does not elaborate in
detail that children are not allowed to take part in campaigns, but Law
No. 23/2002 on Child Protection stipulates that every child has the
right to protection against the abuse of political activities, armed
conflicts, social unrest, violent events and wars, the Bawaslu chairman
explained.
Article 84 sub-article (2) letter j of Law No. 10/2008 on General
Elections stipulates that Indonesian citizens who do not have the right
to vote are banned from attending campaigns, Nurmala Dewi said
meanwhile.
"Violators of the law may be subject to stern sanctions. Under article
271 of the Election Law, they can be sentenced to three months up to one
year in jail and fined Rp30 million to Rp60 million," she noted.
Under article 87 of the Child Protection Law, parents who are found
guilty of abusing the rights of children may be sentenced up to 5 years'
imprisonment and fined up to Rp500 million, she remarked.
In the meantime, The General Elections Supervisory Committee (Bawaslu)
will summon Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) President Anis Matta over an
alleged violation of the election regulations.
"Based on the results of our investigation, we have found evidence that
Anis Matta deliberately involved children in an open public debate
campaign at Bung Karno Sports Complex on Sunday (March 16)," Muhammad
stated.
Therefore, Bawaslu will summon the PKS President and take a legal
action against PKS based on the law in force, he added.
According to Muhammad, PKS deliberately involved underage children in
the campaign on the grounds that the children were being provided with
political education as early as possible.
"In an interview with a private TV station, he (Anis) elaborated that
PKS intentionally involved children in an effort to build their
political militancy as early as possible. I think this is an indication
of violation of the General Election Commission (KPU)'s Regulation No.
25/2013 (administrative violation against the general elections,"
Muhammad argued.***1***
(T.A014/INE/B003)
EDITED BY INE |
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