New menace: U.N. fears Asian orphans being exploited

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Fearing child-trafficking gangs will exploit the chaos of the tsunami disaster, Indonesia has placed restrictions on youngsters leaving the country, ordered police commanders to be on the lookout for trafficking and posted special guards in refugee camps.

UNICEF and other child welfare groups warn that the gangs — who are well-established in Indonesia — may well be whisking orphaned children into trafficking networks, selling them into forced labor or even sexual slavery in wealthier neighboring countries such as Malaysia and Singapore.

Such trafficking, if confirmed, would vastly deepen the suffering of children already struck hard by the Dec. 26 massive earthquake and tsunami. Indonesia estimates that 35,000 children on Sumatra island's Aceh province lost one or both parents to the disaster.

A 5.8-magnitude quake — the latest of numerous aftershocks — rattled India's Andaman Islands early today but there were no immediate reports of further injury or damage.

The focus on aid is intensifying as world leaders head to southern Asia to get a close look at the damage and work out a relief plan at a donor conference Thursday in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, who visited Thailand and Indonesia on Tuesday, pledged America's full support. The United States "will certainly not turn away from those in desperate need," he said.

He said the outpouring of American aid and humanitarian help could help Muslims see the United States in a better light.

"What it does in the Muslim world, the rest of the world, is giving an opportunity to see American generosity, American values in action," said Powell, who is accompanied by Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a brother of President Bush.

The U.S. government has thus far pledged $350 million and donations from private citizens and corporations in the United States passed more than $200 million as of Tuesday. One charity said online pledges were coming in at the rate of $100,000 an hour. Antibiotics and clothes were also donated abundantly.

Donors contributing to what one official called a "tidal wave of generosity" ranged from actress Sandra Bullock, who gave $1 million, to 3-year-old Antonio Cabrera, who joined his brothers in dropping off cash-filled sandwich bags at the American Red Cross office in Denver.