The Nightmare of Child Labor

Millions of Indonesian children are living in a nightmare. While others of their age are playing or learning, they sweat in the sun, selling newspapers or begging on the streets. Thousands toil in factories with pay thats only enough to keep them alive. Many not only lose their right to childhood and development, but also face sexual harassment in the workplace. Poverty makes it all simply impossible for the children to escape exploitation in the workplace. Reports filed by TEMPO journalists show this sad situation prevails not only in big cities like Jakarta, Surabaya and Bandung, but also in far-off places like Kangkung, a fishing village in Bandar Lampung in southern Sumatra.