Photo: Zeyn Afuang/Unsplash
TLDR version: Poverty levels in Indonesia have risen dramatically as a result of the pandemic. This has forced many children to start working in order to support themselves and their families.
Some forms of work undertaken by these kids, as cited in the article, include street performing, operating tractors and carrying produce.
This puts them at serious risk of being trafficked or exploited.
More thoughts: The pandemic has resulted in massive loss of jobs across the world, with lower paid workers in many developing countries, not just Indonesia, being disproportionately affected.
Children in these developing countries are in an increasingly vulnerable position as their families become desperate to find ways of putting food on the table.
Many countries recognize the manifold dangers of child labour and have put into place laws restricting the employment of children, but where there is little social or government support during a time of chaos, the struggle for survival often takes precedence.
Read more about the indepth report of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on this issue at: wcms_745287.pdf (ilo.org), and more about Singapore child labour laws in Lex & Rex (The Race for Truth).