GOVERNOR'S IDEA TO LEGALIZE PROSTITUTION SPARKS CONTROVERSY

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 6 (Antara) - Alleged rampant online prostitution has led Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaya Purnama (Ahok) to propose an idea to legalize, certify, and localize prostitution in a bid to tackle the social vice.          However, the governor's idea has stirred up a hornet's nest as it runs counter to morality. Condoning, let alone legalizing, certifying, and localizing prostitution just means justifying slavery and human trafficking as prostitution is not free from these practices.          "Within the system of prostitution, there is slavery. With or without certification, you can find exploitation, criminalization, human and even child trafficking there," Minister of Social Affairs Khofifah Indar Parawansa stated on Thursday last week.          Therefore, the minister voiced his objection to the Jakarta administration's plan to provide certification to sex workers in the capital city.          Earlier, the Jakarta governor had recommended that the city administration should legalize prostitution in certain areas.          The governor noted that legalizing prostitution in certain areas will provide an alternative solution for it.          "Legalizing a prostitution site would be a solution because no matter how hard we try, we will never be able to eradicate prostitution. It will always exist as long as humans exist," Governor Ahok emphasized.            Online prostitution has now come under the radar following the murder of Deudeuh Alfisahrin. Alfisahrin alias Tata was found dead in a rented room on Jalan Tebet Utara Road, South Jakarta, on Saturday, April 11. Her naked body was recovered, with socks gagged in her mouth and wires around her neck. The suspected killer is believed to have been a client of the deceased.          According to Itet Tridjajati Sumarijanto, a member of Commission VIII on religious affairs of the House Representatives (DPR), the racket of rampant commercial sex workers promoting themselves through the online media is inseparable from the emergence of the instant culture.          "It happens because commercial sex workers want better life instantly although it is actually a fake life as it sacrifices their dignity," Tridjajati said last week.          Tridjajati, who is also a lawmaker of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), expressed concern over unfettered online prostitution, saying that such a culture is closely linked to the hedonism lifestyle in big cities.           "I think, apart from the economic factor, this lifestyle also contributes to prostitution," she noted, calling on all parents to instill character education in their children since an early age.          After all, social media such as Facebook and Twitter can be easily used to promote online prostitution services.          Minister of Communication and Informatics Rudiantara said it is strongly believed that the social media is used as a means to conduct clandestine transactions to promote rampant online prostitution.          "Porn websites can be easily detected and directly blocked, but in many cases, they use social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and BBM as a means of promotion," Minister Rudiantara remarked in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Sunday (May 3, 2015).          He pointed out that it is easy to detect such a service if it is provided using a website, and thus, internet access to it can be blocked, but it is difficult to detect if it is carried out through the social media.          "It is one-on-one or retail in nature, but to look at it, one can just access Twitter and click on the tick mark, and it will appear. But basically, it is difficult to detect," the minister noted.          Therefore, he called on the public to play an active role in fighting prostitution practices by reporting it to the authorities when they find indications or suspicious online media.          "In order to detect such a practice easily, the government should not only be alone in fighting against the social vice practice, but the people must also take part. The more reports are made, the easier it is to find the culprits," Minister Rudiantara pointed out.           According to Rudi, his ministry has blocked several websites offering sex services or those suspected to be involved in prostitution activities. However, new ways are being used to promote prostitution through the social media.          Therefore, Ahok raised the idea to legalize prostitution. He even suggested that commercial sex workers should be given certification and localized in certain places.          Ahok suggested that the administration should provide an area or building as a prostitution site. Following this, sex workers can be given professional certification that will be useful for data collection and for conducting periodic health checkups.          The governor mentioned that the administrative policy to close a red light district in Jakarta in previous years, such as the Kramat Tunggak brothel in North Jakarta did not bring an end to prostitution. The sex workers moved to another area, he revealed.          However, the idea to legalize prostitution has been opposed by several quarters, including the women's wing of the Muslim organization Indonesian Hizbut Tahrir (Musliman HTI).          The Muslimah HTI criticized the idea to localize prostitution in an effort to solve the problem and to avoid the spread of HIV/AIDS. It emphasized that legalization and localization are not a solution to the problem.          "The idea only shows a pragmatic and secular thought process. Prostitution is a banned practice in any religion and norm," Iffah Ainur Rochmah, spokesperson of the Muslimah HTI, said in press release on Monday (April 27).          She stated that matters running counter to religions will only endanger and harm morality.          "The idea that it respects human rights will only create immorality and various new problems," she remarked, adding that a liberal lifestyle that deviates from religious teachings is the main reason for rampant prostitution, which is now promoted through the online social media.          Therefore, Minister of Social Affairs Khofifah Indar Parawansa opposed the idea to legalize and localize prostitution.           Prostitution is a serious crime, she stated, adding that legalizing it would mean supporting slavery.  "If we agree with the idea to localize prostitution, it would mean we were justifying slavery itself," she remarked.           The current lifestyle has altered the way people conduct the business of prostitution. Now, there are numerous websites on prostitution on the internet, which is a matter of concern.           Minister Parawansa expressed hope that Indonesia would follow Sweden in its efforts to curb the prostitution rate and its clients.            "Sweden was able to reduce the country's prostitution rate and its clients by 75 percent and 80 percent respectively in three years," the minister revealed on Sunday.            She pointed out that the decline in prostitution in Sweden was due to the country imposing severe punishment on people involved in prostitution services.            "Let us pray, so that the prostitution problem in Indonesia can be solved. If Sweden can do that, why cannot we," she stressed.            She said that Indonesia was not only facing a high level of morality decadence but also decriminalization where prostitution was not considered a crime.           While in fact, according to the social affairs minister, prostitution encompasses slavery, criminalization, exploitation, and human trafficking.