The Batam Police have arrested a Buddhist monk and a temple caretaker after they were accused of labor exploitation and sexual abuse of five children in their temple.
The police received information that the monk, identified as Yo Chi Su, was hiding in West Jakarta. However, he was said to be constantly on the move, and the police managed to track him down and arrest him this morning at a hotel in Sunter, North Jakarta.
“There was some resistance, but it was handled swiftly by the officers,” said Commissioner Agumg Bima, head of the Balerang Batam Police’s Crime Investigation Unit, as quoted by Detik today.
In addition to Yo Chi Su, the police also arrested a temple caretaker, identified by his initials BGS, in Batam. The two have been named suspects in the exploitation and sexual abuse against minors.
YCH is being flown back to Batam for investigation.
Over the weekend, locals in Batam heard about Yo Chi Su sexually abusing a little girl in his temple. After they rescued her, the victim said that there were four other children being kept in the temple and forced to work without pay, as well as being sexually abused.
According to the police, two of the girls, who are both from Jakarta, claimed that they were first sexually abused by the monk in the capital before being brought over to Batam.
The police did not say how long the children were forcefully kept in the temple for.
