"Cybercrimes, particularly sexual exploitation and harassment, are an important issue today. We are not aware that our children have been increasingly exposed to information technology at schools and other places," Director General of Social Rehabilitation of the Social Affairs Ministry Edi Suharto noted here on Wednesday.
As the most populous nation in Southeast Asia, Indonesia plays a strategic role in leading cooperation among ASEAN member states in addressing common issues, he remarked.
"The government, non-governmental organizations, and international institutions can work together to take precautionary measures against crimes related to child exploitation," he noted.
To this end, an inter-sectoral dialog on an integrated national response was held in Jakarta on Feb 7-8 as part of the efforts to put an end to online sexual exploitation and harassment against children in the ASEAN, he stated.
The dialog was organized by the East Asia and Pacific Regional Office of the United Nations Children`s Fund, in cooperation with End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism, the ASEAN Secretariat, and Social Affairs Ministry, to formulate minimum standards to respond effectively to any sort of online sexual violence and exploitation against children.
"Many perpetrators of sexual violence are from other countries, while the victims of sexual violence are very often children from developing countries due to their poor knowledge and economic needs. The children are only given a small amount of money sufficient to buy food items and toys," he stated.
Reported by Desi Purnamawati
(T.S012/B/KR-BSR/B/H-YH)
Reporter: antara
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
