SENTINEL WATCH February 7, 2005 Issue

SAFETY FOR YOUNG LIVES

BY BEVERLY GOLDSMITH

THE TRAGEDY CAUSED BY THE TSUNAMI IN South Asia continues to rally the world community in support of the survivors. But while aid has been flowing in to help them, the American Anti-Slavery Group has sounded an alarm concerning the well-being of thousands of orphaned children, now homeless and displaced, without family to care for them—and even worse, at risk of being abducted and sold into slavery. Birgithe Lund-Henriksen, child protection chief in UNICEF's Indonesian office, holds grave fears that criminal gangs in her country will use (and already are using) the atmosphere of chaos to kidnap these children.

Such calls from child protection groups have led Indonesian officials to ban the departure of children from the country. In addition, police officers have been placed in some Aceh refugee camps on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. TV reports in my hometown in Australia also indicate that government agencies in several locations have begun registering orphaned children so their whereabouts can be monitored.

As I noted in a recent article in this magazine ("Worldwide Crisis: Prayers Needed," January 17, 2005) child slavery—in particular, forced labor and sex-slavery—is already prevalent in Asia. While I'm pleased to see the action that's currently being taken to protect the tsunami orphans from being traficked, will it be enough? Is there more that can be done to protect these children, who have already endured so much suffering and loss?

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