Hera Diani, Jakarta – The Lebanese poet Kahil Gibran once said "Your children are not your children" – that is, they are the property only of God, not their parents.

In Indonesia, however, children are still seen as objects, facing a range of abuses, often at the hands of their families and the state.

In its year-end report, released Thursday, the National Commission for Child Protection, said that nearly 13.5 million Indonesian children had suffered human rights violations over the last year.

Commission secretary general Arist Merdeka Sirait said the state was responsible for 72 percent of the cases of child abuse reported to the organization.

"There were many cases of malnutrition, trafficking, child labor, drug abuse... Around 11 million children do not have birth certificates and 65,000 lost their citizenship," he told The Jakarta Post.

Malnutrition affects around 123,696 children, the report said, while more than 6,000 suffer from diseases like diarrhea, HIV/AIDS and polio.

More than 61,000 children dropped out of elementary school, 87,545 out of junior high school and 83,508 out of senior high school.

"The state is still reluctant to place the problems of children on a parallel with the issues of politics and the economy, even through their responsibility to protect the children is stipulated in the Constitution," Arist said.

The government often places children's suffering in the domestic domain of its policies, he added.

"But based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Indonesia, as a state party, is obliged to take strategic moves to respect, protect and fulfill children's rights without discrimination," Arist said.

The commission also saw the abandonment of children by the state in the nation's television programming. It said that 62 percent of its content, both TV programs and commercials, incited violence.

"In this case, the state has passed its responsibility to the parents," Arist said.

The commission also received 1,124 cases of violence against children between January and September this year, consisting of 247 cases of physical abuse, 426 cases of sexual abuse and 451 cases of psychological abuse, most of which came from family members and neighbors.

In 2005 the commission saw a total 736 cases of abuse, and 441 in 2004.

"The state contributed to this by not fulfilling its responsibilities. Economics were also a factor, and the television and other media also contributed," Arist said.

"On the other hand, there is the exciting fact that people no longer see cases of sexual abuse as embarrassing. Even more parents are filing reports with us about sexual abuse their children have suffered."

The commission has urged the government to establish a ministry for children, allocate 20 percent of the state budget to education as the Constitution mandates, provide free education and health services and stop the media from showing violence, mysticism and pornography.