(7/29/2002)
A meeting convened in Bali by more than 35 non-governmental organizations (NGO's) on Wednesday, July 24, 2002, demanded that the provincial government of the island take a stronger stand in preventing the sexual exploitation of children on the island.
Claiming to have a list of over 200 documented cases of sexual abuse of children committed by foreign pedophiles, the delegates at the gathering insisted that the government increase enforcement measures, apply the maximum penalties for those adults proven to be involved in sexual acts with minors, and undertake a permanent blacklisting of convicted sexual offenders.
According to those speaking at the meeting, sexual predation against young children on the island is highly organized. They report that the majority of local victims of pedophilia are young boys recruited by local "agents" or middle-men who seek their victims in impoverished villages across the island.
According to the English-language Jakarta Post, one clinic in north Bali reported treating 21 separate cases of sexual abuse, mostly young boys between the ages of 12 and 13.
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