Nurfika Osman – The National Commission on Children Protection has noted an 82-percent increase in recorded cases of abandoned babies, and has blamed poverty and unwanted pregnancies for it.

Seto Mulyadi, chairman of the commission, also known as Komnas Anak, said that so far this year it had recorded 186 cases of abandonment, up from 102 in 2008.

Of the cases this year, 68 percent of the babies were found dead, Seto said, adding that only two babies had been reunited with their parents. "About 70 percent of the babies were born into poor families with the parents abandoning them because they couldn't afford to support them," Seto said. "This shows that the government is not doing enough to protect children or to curb poverty."

Vice President Boediono said on Friday that since 1990, the poverty level in the country had decreased from 60 percent to 14 percent in 2009.

Boediono said he would lead a new government body – named the National Committee for Poverty Alleviation – formed specifically to tackle poverty.

Seto said that the number of recorded cases was the tip of the iceberg.

"I believe the number is much bigger than the data is showing, so we would like the government to set up a special ministry to protect children," he said, adding that he was disappointed that child protection was merged with the former State Ministry for Women's Empowerment, since renamed the State Ministry for Women's Empowerment and Child Protection.

He said that it was important to establish a special Ministry for Child Protection as 90 million out of the nation's 230 million people were children.

"If we can create a dedicated ministry, we will be able to protect children much better. They are our assets for the future and we cannot let them be abused," he said. "Their [protection] should be prioritized as they are the most vulnerable in our society and the most susceptible to violence."

Apart from poverty, the increase in the number of abandonments was also due to unwanted pregnancies, he said. "Pregnancies caused by casual sex and rapes also contribute to the rising number of abandoned babies," he said.