STUDENTS RETURN TO SCHOOL UNDER STRICT HEALTH PROTOCOLS by Fardah

 

Jakarta, 30/9 /2021 (ANTARA) - Indonesia has managed to overcome a drastic COVID-19 spike triggered by the Delta variant and culminating in July 2021 after imposing tough public activity restrictions dubbed as PPKM level 4 for nearly two months.

The national task force for COVID-19, on September 19, 2021, recorded 1,954 fresh confirmed cases and 117 deaths over the last 24 hours, bringing the tally to 4,213,414 cases and the death toll to 141,826.

The figures showed a sharp decline compared to 56,757 fresh confirmed cases recorded on July 15, 2021, and daily deaths at 2,069 on July 29, as Indonesia's daily COVID-19 cases hit a record when the country faced the second COVID-19 wave that had overwhelmed the nation's medical facilities.

Following the significant drop in new cases, the government has decided to ease the semi-lockdown measures and lower the PPKM levels to 2 or 1 in several regions.

Another factor leading to the decision is that the country's vaccination rate is relatively high, even higher than the target set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The authorities have administered 90,361,002 first shots, accounting for 43.3 percent of the target of over 208 million, and 50,688,220 second shots, or 24.3 percent of September 29, 2021, afternoon.

The government rolled out its COVID-19 vaccination program on January 13, 2021, for healthcare workers, public service officers, elderly people, and teachers. Later, students aged 12 years old and above were also covered.

As nearly all teachers and many students have been vaccinated, a face-to-face learning process becomes possible, so several schools are allowed to open under strict health protocols.

"We hope to start (face-to-face learning activities) as soon as possible because we want the students to immediately get the knowledge back in school," President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said recently while reviewing COVID-19 vaccinations at the State High School 3 in Wajo District, South Sulawesi.

INDONESIA REDOUBLES EFFORTS TO REDUCE CHILDHOOD STUNTING by Fardah

Jakarta, Aug  25, 2021 - Indonesia's children are its future and its most valuable asset. In fact, the present condition of children under the age of five is a reflection of Indonesia’s future.

 

Therefore, the government is eager to make sure that the younger generation grows healthy and becomes a golden generation by prioritizing and accelerating a drastic reduction in stunting rate among Indonesian children.

 

The national stunting rate, recorded at 37 percent in 2013, declined to 30.8 percent in 2018, and 27.6 percent in 2019. Currently, the stunting rate is around 27.7 percent. The government has set a target of reducing the stunting rate to 14 percent by 2024.

 

Four Indonesian districts have continued to report a very high number of cases of stunting, a growth disorder caused by chronic malnutrition in children — Jeneponto (41.3 percent) and Bantaeng districts (21 percent) of South Sulawesi, Minahasa district (38.6 percent) of North Sulawesi, and South Nias district (57 percent) of North Sumatra.

 

However, the government has been facing a huge challenge in the implementation of the stunting reduction program owing to the COVID-19 pandemic that started in early 2020.

 

"The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a challenge in reducing the stunting rates. Achievements from the last seven years must be maintained to achieve the 14-percent target by the end of 2024," Vice President Ma'ruf Amin noted at the virtual National Coordination Meeting on stunting prevention on August 23, 2021.

 

The government is determined that despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the stunting reduction program continues and is expedited, and has asked all regional heads to assess all work programs, activities, and local government budgets. 

GOVT TAKING CARE OF CHILDREN ORPHANED BY COVID-19 by Fardah

 

Jumat, 20 Ags 2021 20:44

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Gahazy Pranatayudha, 12 years old boy living in Pemalang, Central Java, suddenly became an orphan as he lost both his parents to COVID-19 this August.

His father succumbed to the coronavirus on August 6, 2021, and two days later, on August 8, his mother also died of the virus, leaving the only child in the family all alone.

In Samarinda, East Kalimantan, June 10, 2021, was the saddest day for the Mansyur family, as Dila, Manda and Ade lost their parents, Mansyur and his wife, who both died of COVID-19 at a hospital in less than 24 hours. Their father was buried at 1:00 p.m. local time, and in the evening, their mother also passed away.

In East Java Province, 5,082 children lost their parents to the virus, according to Andriyanto, head of the local women's empowerment and child protection office on August 3.

"Those children will be counseled by psychologists who will assess them and help strengthen their mentality," he said.

A total of 11,045 children had become orphans due to COVID-19 as of July 20 this year. As per provisional data, Indonesia has around four million orphans, not including children who were victims of the COVID-19 pandemic. The data will continue to be updated with inputs from local governments, the Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini reported.

Her ministry is developing concepts and models for handling children who have lost their parents due to COVID-19, the minister said.

"It has been mandated in the 1945 Constitution that the poor and neglected children be looked after by the state. At the Social Affairs Ministry, the handling is carried out by the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation," Rismaharini said on August 13, 2021.

The handling of orphans must involve various related parties, as its implementation must have a legal and budgetary basis, she pointed out.

Indonesia moves to protect children as COVID-19 cases spike by Fardah

 Jakarta , June 30, 2021(ANTARA) - With Indonesia’s second COVID-19 wave affecting a significant number of children, the government has been quick to decide on opening vaccinations for the 12-17 age group.

According to the COVID-19 task force, the number of coronavirus cases involving children reached 12.6 percent, accounting for more than 250 thousand of the total 2,033,421 cases, as of June 23, 2021.

Data from the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection shows that as of June 2, 2021, children from the 6-17 age group constituted 5.6 percent of the total COVID-19 cases, while 2.3 percent of children up to the age of five years were affected by COVID-19.

One out of every eight Indonesians exposed to COVID-19 is under 18 years old, and children fall in the category that is at risk of succumbing to the coronavirus, the data shows. One of every 83 Indonesians dying of COVID-19 is a child, the government data further shows.

Children can contract and die of COVID-19 based on the presence of comorbidities, such as obesity, tuberculosis, and hypertension, according to chief of the Indonesian Pediatric Society (IDAI), Aman Pulungan.

This should draw attention and become a reason to remain vigilant and for asymptomatic people to conduct self-isolation, he added.

The IDAI has recommended that 10 percent of the children be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Besides, all activities of children in the 0-18 age group should be conducted online, it has advised.

It has further recommended preventing children from venturing out of their homes, teaching them to remain disciplined in following the health protocols, immunizing them, and increasing breastfeeding to protect them from COVID-19.

The number of COVID-19 cases among children has become a cause for major concern for the government, which is preparing to open vaccinations for children in the 12-17 age group.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has earlier revealed that his ministry is considering the use of the Sinovac and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for children below 18 years of age.

Sinovac has been approved for the 3-17 age group, while Pfizer has obtained approval for the 12-17 age group.

Indonesia was expecting to receive Pfizer vaccines in June this year, and according to some reports, the Pfizer shipment from America has been delayed until August this year.

Indonesia fights to prevent child marriage amid COVID-19 pandemic by Fardah

 Jakarta, March 27 , 2021 (ANTARA) - Eni, a resident of West Nusa Tengga (NTB),  regretted that she allowed her 14-year-old daughter to marry last May 2020. Eni (not her real name) told BBC Indonesia in August last year that her daughter was often beaten by her husband, who was four years older.

She recalled that her daughter insisted to get marriage because she had been often together with her boyfriend since the COVID-19 pandemic that forced students to study from home.

Another a story of a child marriage was about 17-year-old Dini (not her real name), whose life had been disturbed by a powerful earthquake in Central Sulawesi, that destroyed her school and buildings. While staying in refugee camp, she had often spent time with her boyfriend and as a consequence she got pregnant. So, she decided to get married and drop out of school.

Indonesia has been facing double disasters since last year, notably natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The two disasters have been identified of hampering efforts to prevent child married. Economic problem and out-of-wedlock pregnancies often forced girls under 19 years old to get marriage.

Save the Children has warned that up to 2.5 million more girls around the world are at risk of marriage in the next 5 years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic's damage to education and the economy could reverse decades of progress on child marriage and pregnancy.

"COVID-19 has made an already difficult situation for millions of girls even worse. Shuttered schools, isolation from friends and support networks, and rising poverty have added fuel to a fire the world is struggling to put out. But we can and we must extinguish child marriage,” UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said.

Worldwide, an estimated 650 million girls and women alive today were married in childhood, with about half of those occurring in Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, India and Nigeria, according to UNICEF.

“One year into the pandemic, immediate action is needed to mitigate the toll on girls and their families,” Fore said, adding: “By reopening schools, implementing effective laws and policies, ensuring access to health and social services – including sexual and reproductive health services – and providing comprehensive social protection measures for families, we can significantly reduce a girl’s risk of having her childhood stolen through child marriage.”

In certain regions in Indonesia, child marriage practices are quite common. According to the 2018 Socio-economic National Survey (Susenas), one in every nine girls aged 20-24 gets married before the age of 18. Its number is around 1.2 million, manifesting the 8th highest number of child marriages in the world.

Safeguarding Indonesian children from violence and COVID-19 by Fardah

Jakarta, July 25, 2020 (ANTARA) - The Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry observed National Children's Day (HAN), celebrated every July 23, with this year's theme: "Children are Protected, Indonesia is Advancing" and bearing tagline "Indonesian Children are Happy at Home."

HAN 2020 was commemorated amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic that has compelled children to stay indoors and study from home, as their schools have remained shut since March 2020 following the government’s announcement of the country's first confirmed cases.

A total of 329 representatives from 34 provinces, 69 representatives of the Children's Forum, and 44 performers at the Happy Concert at Home took part in the celebration held via the Zoom application.

Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister I Gusti Ayu Bintang Darmawati Puspayoga, who led the virtual celebrations, pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic having restricted everyone's activities, though it had failed to dampen the Indonesian children’s enthusiasm to commemorate HAN 2020.

"Today is your day. Today, all Indonesian children must feel a sense of joy and happiness, although a pandemic is sweeping across the world," Puspayoga told the Indonesian children.

The minister, however, pointed out that several problems encumbering Indonesian children in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic range from parenting issues presented on account of either they or their parents having contracted the virus to a reduction in learning and playing times owing to being homebound.

IMPROVING NUTRITION OF INDONESIA'S FUTURE GENERATION by Fardah

  Jakarta, Aug 26 , 2017 (Antara) - Children are the most valuable assets of a nation, as the future of a country lies in their hands.

          If the children are malnourished, they will experience stunted growth, and their brain development will not be normal.

          Indonesia is currently facing the issue of child malnutrition, and the country needs to make breakthroughs to solve the problem that threatens its future generation.

          According to the Health Affairs Ministry, some 37 percent, or approximately nine million children, under the age of five in Indonesia experience stunted growth and such cases are found across Indonesia.   
     Stunting is impaired growth and development observed in children due to poor nutrition, repeated infections, and inadequate psychosocial stimulation.

          Children are defined as stunted if their height-for-age is more than two standard deviations below the WHO Child Growth Standards median.

          Stunting in early life, particularly in the first one thousand days from conception until the age of two, has adverse functional consequences on the child.

          Some of these consequences include poor cognition and educational performance, low adult wages, and lost productivity and when accompanied by excessive weight gain later in childhood can lead to an increased risk of nutrition-related chronic diseases in adult life.

         Currently, Indonesia is one of the countries with a high prevalence of stunting as compared to that of other middle-income nations.

          Indonesia lies in the group of countries with the worst stunting conditions, with cases of stunting in infants and anemia in adult women, along with 47 other nations, including, Angola, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Haiti, Malawi, Nepal, and Timor-Leste.

PAPUA STRIVES TO BECOME CHILD-FRIENDLY PROVINCE by Fardah

Jakarta, Aug 25, 2017 (Antara) - Indonesia's eastern most province of Papua is far from Jakarta, but the central government is paying special attention to it, particularly to public welfare, and protection of children and women in the province.

        It was with this purpose in mind that the Joko Widodo (Jokowi) administration had appointed Yohana Yembise, an indigenous Papuan, as Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister.

         Yembise has frequently visited Papua Island, comprising the Papua and West Papua Provinces, to participate in public awareness campaigns for the protection of children and women, and to help deal with various associated problems.

        Papua needs special attention, because the children and women on the island have been frequent victims of physical and sexual violence. In 2016, some 2,000 cases of violence against children were reported both in Papua and West Papua Province.

        "Most cases of violence against children include sexual abuse, physical violence and child neglect by parents," Harli Siregar, assistant to local public prosecutor office, said earlier this year.

        Speaking at a function to commemorate National Children's Day in Pekanbaru, Riau Province, on July 23, 2017, Social Affairs Minister Khofifah requested parents to provide the best education, healthcare, love and protection to their children.

         She urged the parents and teachers to not hurt children, but to keep them happy.

VACCINATION CAMPAIGN TO FREE INDONESIAN CHILDREN FROM MEASLES, RUBELLA by Fardah

Jakarta, Aug 2, 2017 (Antara) - The Indonesian Government has demonstrated a strong political will by launching a measles and rubella (MR) vaccination campaign to achieve an ambitious goal of eliminating measles and rubella by 2020.

         The campaign has been launched in accordance with WHO's Global Measles and Rubella Strategic Plan, 2012-2020.

         The two-month national campaign was officially kicked off by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at a function held in Islamic Junior High School 10 in Sleman, Yogyakarta, on Aug 1, 2017.

        The Head of State expressed his hope that Indonesia would be free of rubella and measles by 2020.

        "I fully support the national campaign on immunization to protect the children from measles and rubella," Jokowi stated.

        The function was attended by First Lady Iriana, Coordinating Minister for Culture and Human Development Puan Maharani, Minister/State Secretary Pratikno, Health Minister Nila Moeloek, Special Presidential Staff Staff Johan Budi SP, Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengkubowono X, and Sleman District Head Sri Purnomo.

        According to him, immunization is crucial for children's health as it could prevent deadly diseases.

        "That is the responsibility of parents and also the state," he noted.

        In Indonesia, less than one percent of children have received measles and rubella immunization, while ideally it should be more than 95 percent, he noted.

        The government has a strong commitment to eliminate measles and control rubella and to make the country free of measles and rubella by 2020, he affirmed.

         Working to eliminate measles and rubella can help strengthen health systems in general and immunization systems in particular.

HAPPY CHILDREN FREE FROM VIOLENCE AND MALNUTRITION by Fardah

Jakarta, July 27, 2017 (Antara)- A family is a place where children can find love, security, safe shelter, and nutritious food. The family is the beginning of the formation of individual maturity and the personality structure of a child.

         To highlight the important roles of family in child rearing, the Indonesian Government had chosen "Protection of Children Begin from Family" as the theme, and "I am Indonesian Children, I am Happy," as the main message of the commemoration of National Children's Day 2017.

         The function taking place in Pekanbaru, Riau, on July 23, was led by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), who was accompanied by First Lady Iriana.

          Some 3,000 children from every province in Indonesia participated in the event, where President Jokowi performed several magic tricks to entertain them.

         In his remarks, the Head of State reminded children to avoid and prevent bullying among them.
    "I have a message for you. Like in the play just now you must not bully your friends. Do you agree? You must not insult or make fun of your friends," he said, adding that they must respect and help each other.

         "If one of your friends is ill you must visit him/her and do not forget bringing her/him food so that he/she will get well soon," he told children attending the event.      
     Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa in her remarks she reminded parents to provide education, health needs, love, protection as best as they can to their children.

         She urged parents and teachers to not hurt children, but to make them happy.

         On the occasion, Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Yohana Yambise said number of cases of violence on children especially in Riau province was still very high.

         "Riau is ranked second with regard to the number of cases of household violence, child marriage and also child trafficking in Batam including Tanjung Pinang," she said.

          Ahead of the National Children's Day Commemoration, some 525 children from across Indonesia attended the 2017 National Child Forum being held in Pekanbaru, on July 19-22.

            During the forum, the children discussed about conditions in their regions and schools and play creative games.
  The forum was organized by the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry as part of a series of activities to celebrate National Children's Day that falls on July 23.

         As results of the Forum, the children issued ten demands and submitted them to President Jokowi.

        "First, we, children of Indonesia, demand to improve access to birth certificate services especially in remote areas," a representative of the Forum read out the demands.

         The second demand is to increase the role of the National Child Forum (FAN) in development process. The third demand is to involve community's figures in the implementation of marriage after reaching adulthood. The fourth is to support child friendly rearing and the fifth is to enhance control on narcotic distribution and protect children from cigarette advertisement.

          The sixth demand is to improve children health facility and save children from poor nutrition. The seventh is to increase education quality by implementing five days of school and admission zoning system. The eighth is to increase the use of healthy Internet based on the spirit of children literacy.

        The ninth is to improve learning for disaster safety for children residing in disaster-prone areas.The last is to protect children from any kinds of exploitation and sexual abuse.

         The number of children in Indonesia reaches some 80 million, or one-third of the country's population, according to Lenny Rosalin, deputy in charge of child rearing issues in the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry.

CROSS-MINISTERIAL COORDINATION NEEDED TO HANDLE STREET CHILDREN PROBLEM by Fardah

Jakarta, Dec 2, 2016 (Antara) - It takes a village to raise a child, according to an African proverb that leverages the cultural context and belief that it takes an entire community to raise a child.

         To deal with the problem of street children in particular, the Social Affairs Ministry alone is not enough. The cause needs cross-ministerial coordination, among other things, to return the children to their homes so that they can live decently.

         Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa recently informed that an MOU among multiple ministries and community elements was signed on helping street children. 
    "We agreed today to have an MOU among multiple ministries and community elements. There is a commitment to achieve a street-children free Indonesia by 2017," the minister said during an event, named "Declaration Towards Street-Children Free Indonesia (MIBAJ) by 2017." The event was held at the National Monument (Monas), Central Jakarta, on Nov 28, 2016.

         This was in line with a commitment to achieving the target under the street-children free Indonesia program by 2017.

         In fact, the declaration about the program was made for the first time in 2015, and the latest event was to reiterate that determination.

         Among the ministries involved in the program are the Manpower Ministry, the Education Ministry, the Coordinating Ministry for Cultural and Human Development, and the Health Ministry.

FAMILIES, MAIN GUARDIANS OF CHILDREN by Fardah

Jakarta, July 30, 2016 (Antara)- Since 1993, Indonesia has commemorated National Family Day (Harganas) every June 29 to recognize the important role of families in preparing future generation of the nation.

         This year,  the observance of the 23rd National Family Day was held in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, on July 30, at the presence of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and First Lady Iriana.

        "Families, as the main guardians of children, must make sure that its function to protect children is working. Violence against children must be stopped, and we must not tolerate it," the Head of State said before some 1,2 thousand people attending the event.

          This year's Harganas commemoration should provide momentum to strengthen the functions of families, he said, particularly religious, social, educational, reproduction, environmental and protective concerns.

         "If families could nurture productive ways of thinking and behavior, we will be able to produce Indonesia's golden generation, a generation of winners, a smart generation, a creative generation, an innovative generation, a productive generation, and a visionary generation," he said.

         The National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) outlined four major concepts during this year's Family Day.

        The four concepts are, respectively, families reuniting, interacting, empowering and sharing.

STOP SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN IN INDONESIA by Fardah

Jakarta, July 24, 2016 (Antara) - Indonesia observes the National Children's Day every July 23 to remind every element in the community that children are the most valuable asset that have to be protected jointly.

          Besides, children are the younger generation that will determine the future of the nation.

         This year's theme of the Children's Day is "Stop Violence Against Children" as assaults and violence, particularly sexual ones, against children are still quite rampant in this country.   
   Besides, the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry focused on three issues - sexual violence, child marriage and child prostitution, as it commemorated the Day this year.    
   Local district and provincial administrations across the country organized various activities to observe the Children's Day, which was commemorated for the first time in 1984.

        The government backed events for commemoration of the Day, however, were centered in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara Province, because the province witnesses a large number of child marriages.

        A declaration against child marriage was the subject of a campaign in 19 districts and cities of West Nusa Tenggara during the commemoration day.

        On the occasion, Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Yohana Yambise received the Voices of Indonesian Children, a list of appeals made by the children and conveyed by the National Forum of Children.

FREE REVACCINATIONS FOR CHILDREN WHO RECEIVED SPURIOUS VACCINES by Fardah

Jakarta, July 23 (Antara) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has paid serious attention to the case of spurious vaccines given to several infants, and has called for severe punishment to those who produced, marketed, and distributed the fake vaccines.

        Jokowi has also ordered a thorough investigation into the crime and free revaccinations to be given to the victims.

        The president recently visited the Ciracas community health center (Puskesmas) to personally oversee the administration of free revaccinations to the infants.

        "This morning, we offered revaccinations to the victims of fake vaccines, whose data has been collected and traced by the Police's Criminal Investigation Department, community health center, and the health ministry," President Jokowi stated at the community health center in eastern Jakarta, on July 18.

        A total of 167 infants in Ciracas and the surrounding areas had received fake vaccines, and so far, only 36 have been revaccinated.

        Revaccinations will be conducted in stages until all the victims are covered.

POLITICIANS, ACTIVISTS LAUD NEW GOVT REGULATION ON CHILD PROTECTION by Fardah

Jakarta, May 27, 2016 (Antara) - Politicians and child protection activists have lauded the issuance of Government Regulation No. 1 of 2016, which is the second amendment to Law No. 23 of 2002 on Child Protection, giving judges enough room to impose heavier punishment upon those guilty of raping and murdering children.

         President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) signed the government regulation on May 25, 2016.

         This Perppu is aimed at dealing with an emergency situation as the number of cases of sexual violence against children were on the rise," Jokowi said.

         He explained that the decree will regulate the enhanced sentence and additional sentences for such perpetrators.

         "These crimes have undermined the development of children, and have disturbed our sense of peace, security and public order," he pointed out, adding, "We will handle it in an extraordinary way."
    The increased sentence includes an additional one third of a  sentence for criminal charges, death penalty, or life imprisonment, or a jail sentence, with a minimum punishment of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years.

RAPISTS-CUM-MURDERERS DESERVE HARSH PUNISHMENT by Fardah

Jakarta, May 25, 2016 (Antara) - More and more horrific and brutal rape-cum-murders have been reported across the country lately even as the public and the government continue to debate harsher punishments that should be meted out to the criminals.

        Among the latest rape-cum-murder cases were the brutal killing of 18-year-old Eno in Tangerang, Banten Province, on May 13, 2016, and the tragic death of two and a half year old Laela Nurhidaya in Bogor, West Java Province, on May 8, 2016.

        The Metro Jaya Jakarta Police recently arrested  RAL (16), RA (24), and IH (24), suspects in the Eno murder case.

           The three had allegedly brutally raped and killed Eno in a rented house in Kosambi, Teluknaga Sub-district, Tangerang.

INDONESIA CONTEMPLATING SEVERE PUNISHMENT PLUS CHIP IMPLANT FOR SEXUAL OFFENDERS by Fardah

Jakarta, May 13, 2016 (Antara)- The news of a 14-year-old girl Yuyun, who was gang raped and murdered in Bengkulu Province, was followed by similar horrific incidents being reported from various regions in Indonesia.

         Many of the sex crimes had initially been ignored or almost forgotten, but information about them has surfaced due to public outcry following Yuyun's case.

         The gang rape and murder of the eighth grader took place in Bengkulu village on April 2 as 14 men aged between 16 and 23 years abducted the girl while she was heading home from school.

          The schoolgirl's bound body was found two days later in a ravine in a rubber plantation. Yuyun is believed to have died while being raped by the accused, who were said to be in an inebriated state.

          In East Lampung District, Lampung, a 10-year-old girl identified by the initials MS was gang raped and strangled to death by two men in an empty hut away from her home, on April 14, this year, though some reports claim that 10 men were part of the crime.

          MS's body was found in the hut on April 17 after her parents had reported her missing.

PORNOGRAPHY, ALCOHOL USAGE ENCOURAGING SEXUAL ASSAULTS IN RI: MINISTER By Fardah

Jakarta, May 12 (Antara)- The death of 14-year-old Yuyun after being raped by 14 teenagers in Rejanglebong District, Bengkulu Province, has sparked a public outcry across the country, and demands for a death penalty for the perpetrators.

         On May 4, at least 200 people gathered in Jakarta to protest the violence against women, as the Yuyun murder case is being compared with opening a `Pandora's Box' on the increased number of sexual assaults against women and children in the country.

         The gang rape and murder of the eighth grader took place on April 2 as she was snatched by the 14 men aged between 16 and 23, on her way home from school.

         The schoolgirl's bound body was found two days later in a ravine in a rubber plantation. She is believed to have died while being raped by the accused, who were said to be in an inebriated state.

HAZARDOUS HAZE FORCES SCHOOL CLOSURES IN SUMATRA, KALIMANTAN by Fardah

  Jakarta, Oct 25, 2015 (Antara)- The thick and hazardous haze emanating from the prolonged forest, peatland and plantation fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan has a significant impact on education on the two islands as it is frequently impending teaching and learning activities there.

       Schools have frequently been closed for temporary in many provinces badly hit by the haze, such as in Central Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, Jambi, West Sumatra, South Sumatra, Riau, and North Sumatra. 
   In East Kotawaringin district, Central Kalimantan Province, which is the worst affected by the haze, the local education office has once again decided to close schools - from kindergarten until senior high schools, due to the hazardous haze shrouding the region.

       "The school closure is extended until October 31," Head of the East Kotawaringin education office Suparmadi said in Sampit, on Oct. 25.

        The pollutant standard index in East Kotawaringin reached 680.73 ugh/Nm3 on October 23 and 24, which is categorically very hazardous.

GOVT PREPARES FOR EVACUATION OF HAZE-CHOCKED INFANTS by Fardah

  Jakarta, Oct 23, 2015 (Antara) - The prolonged drought in Indonesia, induced by El Nino weather phenomena, worsened the forest, peatland and plantation fires, leading to hazardous haze, particularly in six provinces.

         These six provinces are South Sumatra, Riau, Jambi, West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and Central Kalimantan. 
    Between June 29 and October 5, 2015,  at least 307,360 people in the six provinces sought medical treatment for respiratory problems and other diseases caused by smoke or haze from the fires.

         People living in regions covered by haze mostly suffered from acute respiratory infections, eye and skin irritations, pneumonia, asthma and diarrhea.

         The most high-risk groups that might suffer from poor air quality are infants, toddlers, children, pregnant women and the elderly. They are three times more likely to suffer very serious consequences than others. According to a media report, at least 10 people, mostly babies, have died so far due to the effect of haze.