Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – The National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas PA) has lambasted the General Elections Commission (KPU) for planning to allow underage children to be involved in political campaigns during the 2014 election.
The KPU recently said it would likely allow political parties to involve children in their campaigns, a decision it claimed was fully endorsed by members of the House of Representatives.
Komnas PA chairman Arist Merdeka Sirait said the KPU was being spineless for allowing itself to be steered by the House.
"While the issue is still being deliberated, it means the KPU is already lost to the House," he told The Jakarta Post. "The KPU should have the power [to stand on its own]."
The House itself was not free from Arist's criticism. "It's clear House members only think of their own interests. It shows both institutions are lacking perspective in child protection as the law clearly forbids children from being involved in political activities," he said.
Arist was referring to Article 15 of Law No. 23/2002 on child protection, which stipulated that every child was entitled to receive protection from being abused in political activities.
Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Linda Amalia Sari also slammed the KPU for its policy, saying that children should not be involved in politics. "A [political campaign] is not a place for kids," she said.
The law states that whoever violates it could be sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison.
Arist added the plan was a setback for the country's effort to protect children. "The KPU had actually agreed to protect children after we showed them past examples of children being harmed during political campaigning," Arist said.
According to the data from Komnas PA, six children died during the campaign period of the 2004 election while four passed away in the 2009 election.
The involvement of children, therefore, could pose a serious threat to their safety, said Arist. "Election campaign organizers cannot ensure the safety of children [should they be involved]," he explained.
Arist also rejected the idea that by being involved in political campaigning, children would learn about politics. "It is not a form of political education. It actually instills a culture of violence as children are taught to abuse other political parties," he said.
The right form of education was the one being taught in homes and schools, where children could learn about democracy, according to Arist. "Political education starts from home and schools, not from lavish political parades," he said.
In an attempt to protect children from being exploited during the campaigning period, Arist said Komnas PA would monitor early political activities.
"If there are children involved, it is a practice of child exploitation and we would report it to the Election Supervisory Committee [Bawaslu]," he said.
Komnas PA also planned to challenge the planned-regulation issued by the KPU that would allow children to participate in political campaigning.
Arist said he would ask the Supreme Court to annul the regulation. "We will file a judicial review should the KPU proceed with the regulation," he said.
Deputy chairman of House Commission II overseeing domestic governance Arif Wibowo from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said it supported the idea of allowing children to participate in political campaigning, as long as the KPU regulated the matter.