Jakarta – The number of street children in Jakarta has risen significantly during the past three years, from 3,724 in 2009, to 5,650 in 2010 and 7,315 in 2011, an official said Wednesday.

Jakarta administration secretary, Fadjar Panjaitan, cited the figures based on data from the Jakarta Social Services Agency.

"The increasing number of street children isn't attributable to worsening conditions in Jakarta. On the contrary, it is caused by impoverished conditions outside Jakarta, which force these children to come to the city," he said, after receiving lawmakers from the House of Representatives' Commission VIII overseeing religion and social affairs.

Fadjar said many of the street children are managed by certain people, and that he fears for their safety, citing their vulnerability to violence and sexual exploitation. Most of the children beg on the streets, play music or became vendors, he added as quoted by kompas.com.