Budi Rahmat, Pekanbaru – Crimes against women and children along with human trafficking were the central issues taken up by scores of demonstrators from the All Indonesia Student Executive Committee Women’s Forum (FP BEM SI) during a commemoration of International Women’s Day (IWD) in front of the Riau regional House of Representatives (DPRD) on Wednesday March 8.
Carrying banners and leaflets on these central issues the protesters took turns in giving speeches and called on the public to play a role in and be concerned about such crimes.
“The number of cases of sexual crimes against women and children continues to rise. This situation is of great concern”, shouted one of the demonstrators through a megaphone.
The student’s action was watched over by police with scores of women police officers on guard in front of the main gate into the Riau DPRD which had been intentionally closed. (*).
[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was “Peringati Hari Perempuan Internasional, Massa FP BEM SI Bawa Isu Human Traficking”.]
