Papua believed to be human traffickers` market : minister

Antara News, Wednesday, January 5, 2011 

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Women`s Empowerment and Children`s Protection Minister Linda Amalia Sari said here Tuesday there were indications that Papua and West Papua were a human trafficking market.

"There are indications that Papua and West Papua have become a destination for victims of human trafficking ," said Linda who is also executive chairperson of the government`s Human Trafficking Handling and Prevention Task Force in an expose of her ministry`s work programs in 2011.

She said her ministry was making an effort to further investigate the indications and find out the truth. "We are going to folow up the clues on human trafficking victims in Papua," she added.

Based on preliminary data her ministry had received, Papua and West Papua were thriving markets for human traffickers.

"According to preliminary reports, many underage women from other parts of the country have been brought to Papua and West Papua to work as waitresses and possibly as commercial sex workers," she said.

She said she was planning to set up branches of the Human Trafficking Hand;ing and Prevention Task Force in all cities and districts in Papua and West Papua.

At present such Task Force branches already existed in 20 provinces and 70 districts across Indonesia.

"The Task Force`s function is to monitor, discuss problems and obstacles as well as to synergize implementation of prevention and management actions against human trafficking nationally," she said.