Cablegate: Indonesia -- Nomination for Dol Award for Elimination Of

VZCZCXRO5056
PP RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #1906/01 2880807
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 140807Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0317
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC PRIORITY
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5486
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 1364
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 1337
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 3152
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 5004
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2321
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2598
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 3160
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 3019
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 1192
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001906

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP, DRL, DRL/IL
(MMITTELHAUSER)
NSC FOR EPHU
DEPT OF LABOR FOR ILAB/OCFT EMUIRRAGUI, ILAB BSASSER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV ELAB ID
SUBJECT: INDONESIA -- NOMINATION FOR DOL AWARD FOR ELIMINATION OF
CHILD LABOR

REF: A. STATE 99123
B. 07 JAKARTA 3359

JAKARTA 00001906 001.2 OF 002

1. (U) SUMMARY: Mission Jakarta nominates Seto Mulyadi, a
campaigner for child protection, for the USDOL Iqbal Masih Award for
Elimination of Child Labor. Details of his leadership in the area
of child protection follow. END SUMMARY.

THE NOMINEE

2. (U) Nominee:
a. Name: Mr. Seto Mulyadi
b. Title: Chair
c. Organization: National Commission for Child Protection
d. Address: Jl. TB Simatupang No. 33, Pasar Rebo, Jakarta Timur,
13760, Indonesia
e. Telephone/fax/e-mail: tel: (62-21) 840-0573; fax: 841-6158;
e-mail: komnaspa@rad.net.id

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

3. (U) Background: Child psychologist, former children's talk show
host, and founder of an elementary school for home schooled
children, Seto Mulyadi has chaired the National Commission for Child
Protection (Child Commission or Komnas Anak) since 1998. Because of
his intrepid work to rescue children from the worst forms of child
labor, he has been barraged with life threatening phone calls and
his office was destroyed by arson in early 1998. The fire destroyed
thousands of records, computers and furniture, forcing the Child
Commission to start from scratch. Due to his efforts, Seto Mulyadi
is a worthy recipient of the Iqbal Masih Award.

RESCUING CHILDREN FROM SLAVERY

4. (U) Over the past 10 years, Mulyadi and a small staff have
uncovered cases of the worst forms of child labor involving tens of
thousands of children, rescuing many of them. Mulyadi's Child
Commission also operates a child protection hotline, and carries out
campaigns to protect children from abuse, smoking, pornography, etc.
In the past year alone, Mulyadi personally:

-- Undertook dangerous trips in early 2008 to the jungles of the
Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) region in order to document children
enslaved in illegal logging camps. His findings were nationally
publicized. He continues to fight for action to rescue these
children.

-- Led a fact-finding team in August 2008 to plantations in
Malaysian Borneo (Sabah) in order to uncover the situation of tens
of thousands of children allegedly trapped in bonded labor on
plantations. The investigation received widespread national and
regional publicity. The Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta announced in
September 2008 that it was jointly investigating the situation with
the Indonesian Consulate in Sabah, in response to Child Commission
findings.

-- Penetrated hidden factories in Jakarta where kidnapped children
worked round the clock behind locked gates processing birds' nests
to export for birds nest soup (Ref B). Mulyadi persisted despite
police unwillingness to cooperate, finally convincing authorities to
raid one factory, rescuing a dozen young children and arresting the
traffickers. The Child Commission team continues to investigate
other hidden factories which exploit child labor, working to gather
enough evidence to convince authorities to act.

5. (U) In previous years, Mulyadi led efforts to document and rescue
children trapped in sex slavery throughout Indonesia. Following the
December 2004 tsunami in Aceh, he led efforts to prevent orphaned
children from being trafficked and set up a children's trauma
center.

A LEADER'S WIDE IMPACT

6. (U) Dozens of NGOs and individuals in Indonesia are carrying out

JAKARTA 00001906 002.2 OF 002

local efforts to rescue children from the worst forms of child labor
but the Child Commission Anak leads in the scope and impact of its
efforts. It systematically investigates some of the worst cases and
through cooperation with authorities and publicity the Child
Commission has succeeded in bringing terrible conditions to light
and rescuing children. This is largely thanks to the leadership of
Seto Mulyadi. For his efforts and to support his work in the
future, Mission strongly nominates him for this prestigious award.

7. (U) Mulyadi is aware of this nomination and approves it.
HEFFERN

© Scoop Media