Ulma Haryanto & Rahmat – Yet another minor is being tried for a petty crime, this time in South Sulawesi, prompting activists to highlight the urgency of passing the Juvenile Court bill.

An 11-year-old boy identified as M.B. was indicted for unpleasant conduct on Thursday in Sidrap, South Sulawesi, after a stone he threw apparently hit the house of a local businessman.

The boy's father, Baharuddin, said the incident took place in October when M.B. and a friend were playing beside the house of the businessman, Laonding.

"My son saw a bird perched on a tree branch. He picked up a stone and tried to aim at it, but he missed. The stone hit Laonding's wall before it fell on top of a chicken coop," Baharuddin said on Friday, adding that the stone barely damaged the coop.

The two friends ran away but Laonding managed to chase them with his motorcycle. "He got his hands on my son and he hit him," Baharuddin said. "For this, I reported Laonding to the police."

Laonding was summoned for questioning five days later, but in return, he reported M.B. for "unpleasant conduct."

Even though M.B. was not arrested and his trial only began after school hours, the maximum penalty for his alleged crime is a nine-month sentence. Baharuddin has resigned his son's case to the hands of the prosecutors, but he said he hoped the other legal process against Laonding would resume.

Seto Mulyadi, chairman of the National Commission for Child Protection (KPAI), urged the public to monitor cases such as this. "Arrogance of the officers or a certain person may take place, or bribery, and so the media and community have to keep watch," Seto said.

Among other recent cases, a minor in Central Sulawesi was tried for stealing sandals worth $3.30 from a police officer.

Seto called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to campaign for children's protection.

"A lot of people are still unaware of the psychological and emotional state of children under 18," he said. "If they are delinquent, it shouldn't be seen as a crime, but as misbehavior. When a child misbehaves, it is not only about them, but their surroundings, their environment and their parents," he added.

Eva Kusuma Sundari, a lawmaker from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said discussions on the Juvenile Court bill were expected to finish in early March. "We hope in the future we will no longer see children end up in prison because of petty cases such as this," Eva said.