Prostitution in Indonesia - History

History

Little is known about precolonial Indonesia's prostitution, although the purchase of sex slaves and "quasi-contractual" sexual relations are thought to have occurred. Following the spread of Islam in Indonesia, prostitution is thought to have increased due to Islam's disapproval of contractual weddings. Javanese kings kept large stables of concubines, while Balinese widows without familial support could be prostituted by their king. Koentjoro study's find that prostitution in Indonesia developed because of colonization (see Ingleson, 1986 in Koentjoro, 1998) and the role of Mataram Kingdom (See Wanita dan Kekuasaan, Mudjanto, 1987?)

During the early Dutch colonial period, European men wishing to find sexual gratification began hiring native prostitutes or concubines; this was accepted by financially motivated local women as well as some families, who volunteered their daughters. Because interracial marriage was discouraged or outright forbidden, this arrangement was accepted by Dutch leaders.

Widespread prostitution began in the early 1800s, when the number of concubines kept by the Royal Netherlands East Indies soldiers and government officials declined; native men leaving their wives to look for work in other areas also contributed to its rise. In 1852 the colonial government began requiring regular health checks of prostitutes to check for syphilis and other venereal diseases; prostitutes also had to carry identification cards. These did not curb the growth of prostitution, which increased dramatically during a period of extensive construction in the late 1800s.

The 1852 law was later replaced by another, more stringent, public morality law in 1913, which criminalized "purposely bring about the fornication of others with a third party and make this his profession", or pimping; no mention was made of prostitutes. Enforcement of these laws proved more nearly impossible, and for a period of time investigation of brothels required a permit from the governor.

During the Japanese occupation of Indonesia, existing prostitutes were selected to serve the Japanese army in special brothels. Other women and girls, both native and Dutch, were forced to become "comfort women". After World War II, the migration of women from remote villages to cities, coupled with a high divorce rate, caused another increase in prostitution.