VZCZCXRO6201
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #1345/01 1960842
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 140842Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9514
INFO RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5198
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2753
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 1114
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1992
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2209
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 2830
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 0946
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 2796
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001345 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, G/TIP, EAP/RSP, DRL 
(MMITTELHAUSER) 
NSC FOR EPHU 
DEPT OF LABOR FOR BSASSER, SHELLER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV ELAB ID
SUBJECT: CHILD LABOR -- LAUNCH OF MAJOR USG-FUNDED PROJECT 
 
REF: A. JAKARTA 191 
     ¶B. (07) JAKARTA 3359 
 
JAKARTA 00001345  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY:  The International Labor Organization (ILO) 
on July 9 officially launched the second five-year phase of 
its anti-child labor project in Indonesia.  The project is 
funded by the U.S. Department of Labor/International Program 
on the Elimination of Child Labor (ILO-IPEC).  Both the 
Minister of Manpower and of Women's Empowerment gave opening 
remarks at the event.  Labatt also gave opening remarks, 
underscoring the success of the USDOL-funded project in its 
first five years and how the second five years will more 
deeply address the most egregious child labor problems.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
KICKING OFF A NEW PHASE 
 
¶2.  (U) On July 9, Manpower Minister Erman Soeparno and 
Minister of Women's Empowerment Meutia Hatta opened an event 
held to publicize the start of the second phase of the 
USDOL-funded $5.55 million ILO/IPEC Project of Support to the 
Indonesia Time-bound Program on the Elimination of the Worst 
Forms of Child Labor.  The project is funded by the U.S. 
Department of Labor/International Program on the Elimination 
of Child Labor (ILO-IPEC).  ILO Indonesia Director Alan 
Boulton also addressed the gathering. 
 
SECOND PHASE ADDRESSES ROOT CAUSES 
 
¶3.  (U) Labatt spoke at the event.  In his remarks, Labatt 
noted that during its first phase the project had made 
progress in withdrawing children from exploitative situations 
and raising awareness of the problem.  The second phase of 
the project would delve even deeper into addressing root 
causes of the problem.  Labatt noted that child labor in 
Indonesia has complex socio-economic roots and that this 
project addresses not just child labor but the causes related 
to education and poverty.  He noted how child domestic labor 
and child trafficking are important problems that Indonesia 
needs to make further progress in addressing. 
 
¶4.  (U) In his remarks, Boulton of ILO thanked the USG for 
its focus on the problem and funding of the project.  He 
explained that the project will target key problem sectors, 
including:  child domestic labor; child trafficking for 
sexual exploitation; child labor in plantations; and, street 
children.  The project will involve five key areas:  North 
Sumatra, Lampung (Sumatra), Jakarta, West Java and East Java. 
 The sectors and places were chosen to address the areas of 
serious child labor exploitation. 
 
GOI COOPERATION 
 
¶5.  (U) The two Ministers underlined the GOI's support for 
the project.  The ILO, for example, will work with the 
Manpower Ministry in enforcing child labor laws and improving 
workplace conditions, while the Women's Empowerment Ministry 
is responsible for the social programs to protect children's 
rights as well as overall coordination of child welfare 
programs.  In her remarks, Minister of Women's Empowerment 
Hatta's addressed the child labor issues in clear, critical 
terms, focusing at length on child trafficking.  Minister of 
Manpower Soeparno also made strong points against child labor 
and in praise of the project. 
 
¶6.  (U) The Director General for Non-formal Education at the 
Education Ministry also attended the opening.  Observers have 
noted that providing out-of-school and other informal means 
to educate children is crucial to the ILO approach to 
eliminate the worst forms of child labor, given the extreme 
poverty and inability of many families to afford education 
beyond the first six to eight years. 
 
A SOLID RECORD OF PROGRESS 
 
¶7.  (U) ILO's close cooperation with the Manpower Ministry 
 
JAKARTA 00001345  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
has been a major breakthrough in promoting labor rights. 
Though the Ministry has a history of problems, child labor 
protection is an area in which it has made good progress, 
working with police to stop trafficking and eliminate child 
labor in some areas.  Labatt and other Mission officials have 
visited many of the ILO child labor projects linked to the 
ILO-IPEC project and noted success in the places targeted. 
Mission continues to work closely with ILO and other 
international organizations to support the GOI and local NGOs 
in these efforts, and will continue to do this during the 
second phase of the large-scale project. 
 
HUME