Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) has urged the government to seriously deal with online prostitution that has involved children.

The chairman of KPAI, Susanto, in a written statement here on Sunday said that his party urged the government to evaluate and impose sanctions on digital platform providers who are indicated to carry out prostitution activities involving children.

"KPAI has asked the Ministry of Communication and Informatics to take curative steps to curb various digital media applications loose in protecting consumers, so that they are very easy to abuse, including children," he said.

According to him, the business world should support the implementation of child protection as mandated by Law No. 35/2014 on Child Protection, that the business world is a pillar of child protection in building policies (company's rules or standard of operations/SOPs) by having a child protection perspective.

For example, it is prohibited to employ children, especially in the worst child labor (which damages the health, safety and morals of children), the products produced should be safe and comfortable for children, and the business world has a social responsibility for the implementation of child protection.

Susanto said that Jakarta's Metro Jaya Police had revealed the practice of sexual exploitation of children in prostitution activities in various hotels in Jakarta.

On March 18, the police rescued at least 15 child prostitution victims in a hotel owned by CCA, a public figure, whose name was also dragged into this case.

"KPAI sees this case as a structured crime that contains elements of the recruitment of minors in online application advertisements by pimps, then transfer, placement, holding and reception at hotels by exploiting economically vulnerable children for the purpose of sexual exploitation," he said.

He said that there was an indication of human trafficking connected to hotels as companies that receive benefits.

The Commission also urged the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy to be proactive in implementing the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Regulation No PM.53 / HM.001 / MPEK / 2013 concerning Hotel Business Standard. Hotel management must have a child protection perspective and implement the Children Right Of Business Principle (CRBP) which regulates the responsibility of the business entities for child protection.
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Translator: Zubi M, Fardah
Editor: Suharto
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