Human Trafficking Emergency in Batam City (as ASEAN’s Golden Triangle)

Image: The Official Domestic Port of Sekupang, Batam.

Batam is the largest city in the Riau Island Province. Based on the regional regulation  no. 2 of 2004 concerning the Batam City Spatial Plan states that according to the Regional

Spatial Plan of Batam City in 2004 – 2014, the area of Batam City is 3.990,00 Km2, consisting of land area of 1,040 km2 and sea area of 2,950 km. It includes more than 400 islands, 329 and some have name including the outmost islands in the border area. Batam is called the golden triangle of ASEAN because it is the border of Malaysia and Singapore. Therefore, it becomes the center of business crossing between the 3 countries (Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore).

Batam is strategic area of the MEA (Asean Economic Community) because it is the center of gateway for the trade industry that is oriented toward export and import and free trade zone. This is used by the human trafficking mafia for their criminal act of smuggling and in human trafficking. Batam was used as a transit area for smuggling through illegal routes in several areas.

The Indonesia National Police’s Criminal Investigation Unit identified 10 routes of human trafficking reported by the official KEMENPPA website. Malaysia and Singapore are the transit areas for destination of Middle Eastern countries. The routes as follows:

1. Jakarta–Malaysia–Middle Eastern
2. Jakarta–Batam–Malaysia– Middle Eastern
3. Jakarta–Medan–Malaysia– Middle Eastern
4. Jakarta–Batam–Singapura– Middle Eastern
5. Bandung–Batam–Malaysia– Middle Eastern
6. Surabaya–Jakarta–Batam–Malaysia– Middle Eastern
7. Surabaya–Batam–Malaysia– Middle Eastern
8. Nusa Tenggara Barat – Surabaya –Jakarta–Pontianak–Malaysia– Middle Eastern
9. Nusa Tenggara Barat –Surabaya–Batam–Malaysia– Middle Eastern
10. Nusa Tenggara Timur – Surabaya – Batam – Malaysia – Middle Eastern

The criminal act human trafficking (TPPO) is the recruitment, threating, smuggling, coercion, and violence of exploitation purpose. Exploitation is an action that is not limited to prostitution with or without consent from the victims. Forced labor or service, slavery or the similar thing, oppression, extortion, utilization of physical, sexual, the organ of reproductive, the unlawful action such as organ transplanting or other taking advantage of someone’s power and ability to get benefit weather material or immaterial.

 The TPPO law is regulated in law no. 21 of 2007 concerning the eradication the criminal act of human trafficking. The provisions on the human trafficking prohibition have been regulated in article 297 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) which determines the women and boys trafficking and qualifies the acts as crime.

This illegal business has been spread rapidly in Batam City before the Covid-19 pandemic. The arrest of criminal businessman and appeal of the authorities and government regulation are not able to decrease and stop the practices. The local regulation related to the TPPO prevention has been decided by the Mayor of Batam no. 5 of 2005 concerning prevention and handling the human trafficking victims: The human trafficking has extensive network. Batam city is one of the transit area and destination for the human trafficking in Indonesia. Therefore, it is necessary to formulate regional policies as outlined in the regional regulation;

The victims was smuggling by fishing boats through remote ports at some illegal crossing lanes in Batam City. The Motives of this action is the lure of high salary to the victims. The victims were forced or unforced agreeing to have fake document to support the illegal business. The lure is considered as solution to their families’ economic problem. Their false identity aims to make the process of the recruitment and departure of the victims to the destination countries easy.

The victims are also vulnerable to get sexual violence during the process of departure, transit, and when they arrive to their destination. The exploitation cannot be avoid such as irregular working hours, abusing of working contracts, and paying salaries that are not in accordance with the first agreement. (Irna Fitri Yani) (Irna Fitri Yani)