BATAM – Indonesia’s Child Protection Commission (KPAI) has criticized the involvement of elementary and junior high school students in a rally supporting the continuation of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program in Batam, warning that the activity could amount to child exploitation if it fails to meet child protection and participation standards.
KPAI Commissioner Sylvana Maria Apituley said children should not be mobilized to express views on public policy issues without strict safeguards. She argued that the action taken by Batam Education Office Head Hendri Arulan was inconsistent with provisions of Indonesia’s Child Protection Law.
“In my view, what the Head of the Education Office did was wrong, inappropriate, and should not have happened. It contradicts Article 15 of the Child Protection Law, which prohibits the involvement of children in political activities,” Sylvana said on Monday (June 22, 2026).
According to her, if the Education Office received complaints from parents regarding the suspension of the MBG program, discussions with lawmakers should have involved parents or guardians rather than students.
“If the Education Office receives complaints from parents, then it is the parents who should communicate with the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD), not the children, even though the children are the direct beneficiaries of the MBG program,” she said.
Sylvana explained that children’s participation in public decision-making processes is only permitted under strict conditions. Organizers must adhere to seven child participation principles and ensure the implementation of child safeguarding measures throughout the activity.
The seven principles include ethical implementation, relevance to children’s lives, voluntary participation, a safe and comfortable environment, equal access and opportunities, the involvement of adults who understand children’s rights and safeguarding standards, and mechanisms for evaluation and follow-up that are clearly communicated to participating children.
“There are seven principles of child participation rights that must be fulfilled by any party seeking to involve children. The requirements are very strict and cannot be ignored as happened in this case,” Sylvana said.
She added that children must also receive clear and age-appropriate information about the issues they are being asked to support or discuss.
“Children must receive clear information about what they are speaking out on. The information must be appropriate to their intellectual and emotional development, and the process must be carried out in a safe and comfortable manner,” she explained.
KPAI also questioned the decision to hold the activity in a public space. Sylvana argued that if the goal was to educate students about the importance of the MBG program, such discussions could have taken place within the school environment.
“If children are to be informed about the importance of the MBG program, they can discuss it in school on a daily basis, not on the streets on the way to the DPRD office. That alone appears to violate the principles of safety and comfort for children,” she said.
In response to the incident, KPAI plans to contact the Batam Education Office to seek clarification regarding the event.
“We will communicate with the Education Office in Batam,” Sylvana said.
She reiterated that involving children outside the established participation principles could potentially constitute exploitation or manipulation.
“Beyond those principles, what occurs is exploitation and manipulation of children. At the very least, that is a possibility in what happened in Batam,” she said.
The rally supporting the continuation of the MBG program took place in Batam, Riau Islands Province, on Sunday (June 21, 2026). Batam Education Office Head Hendri Arulan acknowledged that his office had previously gathered school principals and teachers to discuss the suspension of MBG distribution at several schools.
Hendri said the Education Office had received numerous complaints from parents regarding disruptions to the program. He emphasized that the continuation of MBG is important to help meet students’ nutritional needs and support their learning process.
“We understand that children attending school need adequate nutritional intake. Receiving nutritious meals at school can help increase their motivation to learn,” Hendri said.
He added that the rally was organized in response to public concerns and demands for the MBG program to continue and remain accessible to students.
