Exloring Life Eternal

I saw only one (1) citation of trafficking specifically in Aceh. However, _my_guess_ is that Aceh was not unaffected in previous years since North Sumatra borders Aceh province & people can & could travel. There are indications by Indonesians which would agree with this.

Since the Tsunami:
http://www.childtrafficking.org/cgi-bin/ct/main.sql?ID=1311&file=view_news.sql&TITLE=-1&TOPIC=-1&YEAR=-1&LISTA=No&GEOG=-1&FULL_DETAIL=Yes

This site is a conservative political site but was written not long
after the tsunami. It was referred to me by someone:
http://www.theconservativevoice.com/articles/article.html?storyid=1976

On the conference held in Medan (info about increased enforcement of
laws in Indonesia):
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_20246.html

Young women / girl children used for military purposes (an opion
piece):
http://203.2.218.61/asiapacific/specials/indon/opinion_child_informants.htm

http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2002/18245.htm
The years I looked at: 2002-2004 each had some issues with
women/children & trafficking in North Sumatra / Medan & Aceh/Banda
Aceh.

- During the year, some Acehnese women turned down marriage proposals
by security force members, only to have their parents threatened. Women
who did become engaged to security force members sometimes became
targets for GAM rebels.
- East Java, Jakarta, West Java, North Sumatra, and South Sulawesi
Provinces have the largest street children populations (see Section
6.f.).
See section 6.f.
Also under RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Section 1 Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom
From: item b. Disappearance.


This site on women includes a line on Aceh, but does not all pertain to
trafficking of children:
http://www.catwinternational.org/factbook/Indonesia.php

This document was written before the "peace" accord which was signed
between the Aceh separatists & the Indonesian national Government this
year.

http://lfip.org/laws822/docs/indhumantraffrpt%5B1%5D.pdf

A Citation on page 45:
Majalah Kalingga, February 2000 (characteristic of trafficking in
children in North Sumatra);

Pages 53-54
- Were offered and promised to work in restaurants, karaoke, houses and
hotels to children.
- The recruiter operated at malls/other recreational places, suburbs,
information were spread from mouth to mouth
- Were promised instant jobs (without having to apply)
- Were promised jobs with high salary and interesting facilities
All referenced to: Majalah Kalingga, February 2002 (character of
children trafficking for prostitution in North Sumatra)

Page 64:
Provincial office for Department Social North Sumatra discerned that to
combat children trafficking was a difficult effort especially when it
is done voluntarily. They stated to not having legal instrument to
combat children trafficking and the authority was laid in other
institution.

Page 68:
Saudi Arabia as a destination for domestic workers only began in the
1970's


From a table on page 46:
d) In 1999 1,712 cases were revealed and addressed and were brought
into trial for 1,390 cases. Data gathered based on the location where
women trafficking cases were revealed are as follows:

CITIES 1999 2000
Medan 286 282
- From Page 46

From tables on pages 59, 60:
Sumatra : Medan is source & region of transit.

Children trafficking in Medan showed as follows:
Region of origin Tembung, Helvetia, Tanjung Gusta, Semarang, and
Tangerang
Region of transit Padang Bulan
Target location Bandar Baru, Deli Serdang, Sicanang, Belawan, Warung
Bebek, Firdaus, Rampah, Dumai, Tanjung Balai
Karimun, Pekanbaru, Riau.

(This is near Aceh & statistically would imply similar things in Aceh.
... The report elsewhere terms trafficking of women & children as an
iceberg type problem where really only the tip of the problem can be
seen due to the massive shoreline in Indonesia! I have seen stats
indicating 200,000 domestic servants from Indonesia in Saudi Arabia,
often subject to mistreatment & usually with little recorse if they are
Indonesian. According to 2 witnesses closer to the fact, Indonesia no
longer knowingly permits domestic workers to go to the Arabian
Peninsula due to the serious problems that have resulted which the
Indo-govt cannot help with.)

===
Yemen:
http://www.childtrafficking.org/cgi-bin/ct/main.sql?ID=2117&file=view_news.sql&TITLE=-1&TOPIC=-1&YEAR=-1&LISTA=No&GEOG=-1&FULL_DETAIL=Yes

http://www.childtrafficking.org/cgi-bin/ct/main.sql?ID=1864&file=view_news.sql&TITLE=-1&TOPIC=-1&YEAR=-1&LISTA=No&GEOG=-1&FULL_DETAIL=Yes

http://www.childtrafficking.org/cgi-bin/ct/main.sql?ID=1335&file=view_news.sql&TITLE=-1&TOPIC=-1&YEAR=-1&LISTA=No&GEOG=-1&FULL_DETAIL=Yes

Bahrain:
http://www.childtrafficking.org/cgi-bin/ct/main.sql?ID=1349&file=view_news.sql&TITLE=-1&TOPIC=-1&YEAR=-1&LISTA=No&GEOG=-1&FULL_DETAIL=Yes

Indonesia - ACEH REBELS OFFICIALLY DISARMED: Ending the 30-year insurgency

=====

In an answer to prayer, the civil war in Indonesia's Aceh province may be over after Free Aceh Movement rebels officially disarmed on Tuesday, December 27, effectively ending a 30-year insurgency one year after the tsunami destroyed their battlefield.

Christian groups working in Indonesia said peace talks between the rebels and the government were already underway prior to the December 26, 2004 tsunami. However, once the disaster struck, it forced the two parties to work together.

Many experts agree that the tsunami opened the door for humanitarian aid, relationship building and the potential for evangelistic work.

However, prayer remains essential. Thousands of people around the world have been praying for this region during the Praying Through The Window initiatives for more than a decade. Intercessors have prayed for this region because Indonesia is an area that has endured great persecution, even recently with many teenagers being beheaded. The hostility towards Christians may not stop overnight, but the absence of armed conflict is obviously going to be a good thing for the people of Banda Aceh.

The December 27 action paves the way for the guerrillas to transform themselves into candidates in provincial elections in April, in which they expect to win strong support. The Aceh rebels' army disbanding, which took effect immediately, is a key step in a peace plan born out of the devastation wrought by the tsunami to end an insurgency that has left at least 15,000 people dead.

"We are entering a political era now, we do not need weapons anymore," Sofyan Daud, one of the group's commanders, said.

The announcement came shortly after rebel representatives met with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Banda Aceh, the capital of the province that was the area worst hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami.

Under the peace accord, the government has agreed to withdraw its troops from Aceh, grant the province broad autonomy and allow former rebels to stand in the elections. The rebels agreed to disarm and disband.

The December 2004 tsunami left at least 156,000 of the province's people dead or missing and a half-million more homeless.

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Prayer Points

Please pray for:

* Praise God for this major step in bringing peace to the Banda Aceh area. Pray that one of Southeast Asia's longest separatist conflicts will come to an end in 2006. Pray also that Islamic oppression of the Acehnese will end.

* Thank the Lord that so many people found Christ in Indonesia during 2005. Praise God that the light continues to dispel the darkness. Pray that 2006 will be a great year for the Gospel in Indonesia.

* Thank God that the three Indonesian Sunday school teachers, who were jailed in September 2005 for allegedly forcing Muslim children to become Christians, are being used mightily by the Lord. Pray that God will continue to protect Rebekka Zakaria, Eti Pangesti and Ratna Bangun. Pray also that they will gain justice.

* Three men on death row (Tibo, Dominggus and Marinus), who are due to be executed shortly after a grossly unjust trials. They are accused of defending their people against jihadist attacks while the government stood by and did nothing to protect them.

* The revision of government regulations regarding church buildings in Indonesia, which is not proceeding well and needs divine intervention.

* Christian relief organizations working in tsunami areas to be allowed to continue to work without government or rebel interference.

* The 2005 increase in persecution of Christians in Indonesia to decline in 2006.

* Christians to be allowed to worship and live in peace as they rebuild their lives devastated by the December 2004 tsunami.

Sources: Mission Network News, The Associated Press, IndonesiaWatch, Open Doors USA
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RCVD from:
Window International Network [win@win1040.com]
for other relevant news: goto: http://www.win1040.com