Journey Into the Heart of Darkness: Photo Documentary on Sex Trafficking of Minors in Indonesia
Daniel Jean | September 21 | 10:15-11:15 am
Topic: Art, International | Knowledge Level: Beginner
In July 2017, Daniel Jean flew to Indonesia to report on child prostitution in Indramayu district. This report was the result of a year and a half of research, contacts, and approaches with Indonesian stakeholders, including one in particular, Mr. Jeremy Wutun, a social worker who served as a guide for Daniel once in the field. The extreme trivialization of prostitution is what surprised the photojournalist the most. He expected to take great risks in order to document the matter. He expected to find it extremely difficult to interview pimps and prostitutes, but reality surpasses fiction. Throughout this presentation, Daniel will introduce you to the unexpected face of prostitution through the testimonies of 17-year-old, Devii, who received us after she had just had a miscarriage and of 18-year-old, Lia, who was saved from prostitution by a grandfather determined not to leave his granddaughter in the clutches of Jakarta pimps. Daniel will also show you around a village made up almost entirely of brothels where both prostitutes and pimps have received him without raising the slightest objection. It will introduce you to girls, young and old, who see no other way to survive than prostitution. Finally, he will present Talitha Koumi and the nature of the fieldwork aimed at preventing or rescuing the victims of this modern form of slavery.
Presentation Objectives:
· Explain how the district of Indramayu has become the cradle of prostitution in Indonesia and elsewhere in South-East Asia
· Demonstrate, with supporting photos, how commonplace prostitution is in the Indramayu district
· Explain how the culture and the sense of duty lock young girls into the obligation to prostitute themselves at the request of their parents
· Present the testimonies of survivors of prostitution
· Explain the field work done by Talitha Koumi with her partner organization Yayasan Kusuma Bongas