***Bahasa Version***

It is alarming to see the fact that Indonesian children have become new smokers.  Do you know?  Sometime ago, new baby smokers spotted out on the national news!

8-year-old kid from Sukabumi reported by Detik.com could spend two packs cigarettes in a day.  In 2012, Ilham Hadi from Karawang, Sukabumi, being another popular baby smoker beside Aldi Rizal, baby smoker who become international issue and YouTube sensation.

Will The President and The Cabinet remain silent  to see those depress facts?

I am a living example of tobacco victim who suffered from throat cancer on my 27 of age.  Like many other Indonesians, I started smoking since I was very young. I was only grade 6 of elementary school at that time.  I did it because of the peer pressure, I want to be looked cool by my friends.  And when I realize, everything was too late.  I used to be on the newspaper because of my school achievements, but now I become famous because of the tobacco sickness.  I can no longer achieve my dream to be a singer because my voice has gone.  I can no longer say “I love you” to my wife every day.

Mr. President, we, the young generation of Indonesia become the target of the Tobacco Industry.  Tobacco Industry has exploitated Indonesian kids.  Indonesia has known for being baby smokers country.  Data from Child Protection Commission shows about 239 thousand Indonesian children under the age of 10 are now an active smokers.  It showed us that government has failed to protect the rights of the people to health.

The major reason of today's young people become smokers is the massive tobacco conduct such as advertising and promotions.  A very limited and weak regulations on tobacco advertising made the tobacco industry can easily get the new young kids as a replacement smokers.  They even providing scholarships, spnosor for sports competitions and cultural performance as their manipulative corporate social responsibility or CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) washing.

Mr. President, will you stay silent to see these facts? Health quality of Indonesia's young generation has declined due to tobacco smoking.  There are lot of tobacco victims and their families stand together out there to fight for their rights. 

How many more victims have to fall until government realize to open theis eyes and take an action controlling the tobacco use in Indonesia?

I know that you as a President have a great mission of improving the health quality of Indonesian by initiating 'Healthy Indonesia' program.  But this will become waste if your people get sick and facing premature death only because of tobacco.

We need a protection from the dangers of smoking now! We have the right to be healthy individuals in a healthy environment!

Mr. President, the protection against tobacco smoking can be done by adopting the Convention on Tobacco Control, or FCTC (Framework Convention on Tobacco Control).  FCTC provides comprehensive protection such as an increase in cigarette prices and taxes, protection from secondhand smoke, packaging and labeling tobacco products, ban cigarette advertising, sponsorship, and promotions, product distributions, health education, smoking cessation programs, the prevention of smuggling, banning sale of cigarettes to children, and help to diversify the tobacco farming.

I believe by adopting the Convention on Tobacco Control, you are realizing the health mission to control the tobacco epidemic and ensuring the right of all young generation of Indonesia to obtain the highest degree of health.

Therefore, with all respect, I hope that Mr. President may:

1. Protecting young people from misleading advertising and marketing techniques done by the tobacco industry

2. Preventing young people, especially children to secondhand smoke

3. Preventing young people to the access to buy cigarettes easily and inexpensively without understanding the danger

4. Providing alternatives for tobacco farmers to other economically valuable resources if needed.