Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – Cheap makeup, stilettos and condoms, sometimes. Perhaps it's time to go beyond the prettified Pretty Woman stereotypes of women on the make to lift the lid on the ugly reality of Indonesia's quietly thriving prostitution industry.
As the politics of sexuality capture headlines through the pornography bill in Jakarta, the strident debate is of little significance to "Bunga", one of thousands of 'licensed' underage sex workers.
While many commercial sex workers play hide-and-seek with police, "Bunga" was free from official interference – thanks to a special letter, allegedly written by police officers, that effectively licensed her activities.
"The letter was written on a bar owner's suggestion to police," Bunga told journalists at Medan-based Indonesia Pusaka Foundation, an organization providing legal assistance for children, as she showed them the letter.
Her confession sheds light on an industry which many acknowledge but few discuss. It's a trade which has thrived not only because of demand but also due to covert protection.
Prostitution is illegal in this country, but the Social Services Ministry does unofficially oversee certain red light districts – formerly at Kramat Tunggak in North Jakarta and the Dolly Complex in Surabaya, East Java – as a means of trying to rehabilitate sex workers.
More disconcerting are the frequent allegations of security officers involved in protecting the industry. Longtime problems of the abuse of women by their pimps and the prevalence of sexually transmitted disease are not the only issues, with the rampant exploitation of child prostitutes such as Bunga.
"I am 15, but the letter says 18," Bunga, who's name means 'flower', remarked. The native of Medan, North Sumatra, claims prostitution in Walet complex, Bagan Batu, Riau province, has long been backed by unscrupulous security officers.
She said local police guard the prostitution complex located in a plantation area far from the city center. "I don't know how many, but in each bar, there was always a (plainclothes) policeman guarding it. They carry firearms."
The elementary school dropout says she worked there for five months, earning about Rp 300,000 per day. Many of her customers, she added, came from Malaysia and Singapore.
Her story is not unlike the tens of thousands of minors forced into prostitution. If not sold by their elders, they are often enticed by tempting offers by pimps.
The National Commission for Child Protection last month said 40,000 to 70,000 children were illegally traded for commercial sex annually. In a survey of 12 major cities, the Commission also found 27,000 locations which hire under-17s as prostitutes.
Bunga said she was forced into prostitution by a man named Deni, who in October lured her from Medan with the promise of work in Riau. What transpired next is the story of a thousand victims: She was raped and then forced to serve clients in Rokan Hilir.
"He threatened to kill me. Out of fear, I did everything he asked, including giving him Rp 500,000 each week," she said.
Thankfully the second child of nine was tracked down by her parents in March. The foundation has helped her parents' file a report against Deni with the Medan Labuhan Police, but so far there has been no action taken.
North Sumatra Police spokesman Comr. Aspan Nainggolan, when asked about the alleged involvement of police in the sex business, would only pledge to take action if evidence was found.
"If it is true that police officers are backing prostitution, then it's a big problem. We don't have the authority to intervene in the case since it is in another province, but we will work together with the Riau Police," he said.