- Name: Bandar Baru Village
- Archive Type: Place
- Early Formation: May 2, 2005
- Conclusion and Blessing: September 12, 2011
- Available File(s): Photos
- Keywords: Prostitution, colonial history, sex trafficking, plantation, Sumatra, Indonesia, women.
- Link: –
Bandar Baru is a small village, in Deli Serdang Regency, North Sumatra, particularly in Sibolangit Sub-district. This place has long been known as one of the largest lokalisasi (government-licensed prostitution areas) in the region. Among other factors, its history and geographical setting enhanced the development of this area. One of them is the Dutch colonial influence that brought the tradition of mistresses or mistresses.
In those days, it was the plantation that contributed to the new social dynamics in Bandar Baru. North Sumatra’s rich tea plantations, including Sidamanik, were managed by Dutch colonial entrepreneurs. To keep plantation workers active and entertained, the entrepreneurs often provided entertainment facilities that involved the presence of women. More specifically, colonial officials often brought in native women as mistresses who were placed in small inns to keep them hidden. Similar practices were found in other plantation areas in Indonesia.
In addition to colonial factors, Bandar Baru also developed as a strategic stopover on the Medan route to popular tourist destinations such as Berastagi, Kabanjahe and Samosir. To serve the needs of tourists and migrants, local entrepreneurs established villas and small inns. Some of them provide additional services in the form of the presence of female entertainers. This phenomenon is one of the reasons for the development of prostitution activities in the area.
Photo(s)
Source(s)
- Enos Paul Sianturi, Sejarah Prostitusi di Bandar Baru, 1980-2015 (Thesis, Medan: Universitas Negeri Medan, 2017).
- Dedi Arman, “‘Wanita Publik’ di Zaman Kolonial,” Kemendikbud, Harian Tanjung Pinang Pos, August 13, 2017, https://kebudayaan.kemdikbud.go.id/bpnbkepri/wanita-publik-di-zaman-kolonial/
- Editor, “Sejarah Prostitusi di Indonesia: Sudah Ada Sejak Zaman Kolonial,” Kumparan Sains, January 10, 2019, https://kumparan.com/kumparansains/sejarah-prostitusi-di-indonesia-sudah-ada-sejak-zaman-kolonial-1547095902341059119/4
- Martin Sitompul, “Prostitusi di Perkebunan Deli,” Historia.id, January 17, 2019, https://historia.id/ekonomi/articles/prostitusi-di-perkebunan-deli-vXj5r/page/1.
- Krista Surbakti, “Study on the Causes of Factors and Public Response to Prostitutional Practices in Tourism Object of Bukit Lawang,” INA-Rxis Papers (November 2019): 1-8.
- Mary Margaret Steedly, Hanging without a Rope: Narrative Experience in Colonial and Postcolonial Karoland (Princeton University Press, 2019).
- Rudianto Sembiring, “Bandar Baru: The First Step in the Education of Children in the Prostitution Zone,” Indonesian Species Conservation Program (July 2015).
Curated by AS (January 13, 2025); Edited by Abel K. Aruan (January 29, 2025).