Coordinating Minister For Political, Legal And Security Affairs: America Calls Indonesia A Destination And Transit Country For Human Trafficking

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD/DOC. VOI

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD revealed data from the US Embassy and Consulates that stated that Indonesia was a destination and transit country for traffickers.

"The United States Embassy and Consulate in Indonesia in 2021 reported that Indonesia is one of the main countries of origin and at a certain stage, has also become a destination country and transit for the world's TIP," said Mahfud at the National Coordination Meeting for the Task Force for the Prevention and Handling of TIP. reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, September 14.

Mahfud stressed that Indonesia must prevent and stop human trafficking because it can interfere with the sovereignty of the country. Because the occurrence of the Crime of Trafficking in Persons (TPPO) has very complex root causes such as poverty, education, and weak literacy.

Based on data from the PPPA Ministry compiled from 2019-2021, at least the victims of TIP incidents have touched 1,331 people. With details of 1,291 victims or 97 percent of them are dominated by women and children as a vulnerable group.

According to Mahfud, victims usually come from families who live in villages and are taken to cities that are foreign to themselves, so they are easily exploited abroad due to the lure of getting a job.

"This is because it is difficult to get a job, of course, it is an incentive for Indonesian citizens to work abroad. Then they become damaged, become victims of persecution, sometimes the wife they leave behind has an affair, so everything is damaged,” he said.

Mahfud said cases of cross-border trafficking in persons usually occur in countries that are at level II or countries that have regulations, but in practice, it still needs improvement, such as Indonesia.

TIP incidents can also occur in level III countries. Where the rules and practices are really very problematic in preventing and dealing with TIP.

With this report, Mahfud reminded government colleagues to maintain their integrity in carrying out their duties at the national, constitutional, and Indonesian-related levels in the eyes of the world.

The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs asked all parties, not to corrupt policies or be complacent with bribes that would allow the state to lose money and make people live in fear because of human trafficking that destroys lives.

"Many cases occur where our Indonesian citizens are often exploited into forced labor, especially in household sector work, factory teachers or oil palm plantations," he said.

Mahfud also requested that the spirit set forth in Law Number 21 of 2007 concerning the eradication of the criminal act of trafficking in persons be maintained both in terms of maintaining the integrity of the nation from the threat of horizontal or vertical conflict.

"So our inability to provide jobs and so on, it will cause our sovereignty to be insulted. In our life as a nation and state, how often do we get negative thinking by small nations just because we are not able to take care of it,” he said.