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Hong Kong treats domestic workers like slaves - Amnesty report

by Karrie Kehoe | @karriekehoe | Thomson Reuters Foundation
Thursday, 21 November 2013 17:00 GMT

Indonesian Migrant Workers' Union (IMWU) Chairperson Sringatin (C) and other domestic helper groups hold banners during a protest outside the Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong March 25, 2013. The protesters were against the court's decision to dismiss an appeal by two Filipino domestic helpers who were seeking permanent residency in Hong Kong. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

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Thousands of Indonesian women face a life of domestic slavery in Hong Kong, a report by Amnesty International said on Thursday, accusing authorities of “inexcusable” inaction on the issue

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation ) - Thousands of Indonesian women face a life of domestic slavery in Hong Kong, a report by Amnesty International said on Thursday, accusing authorities of “inexcusable” inaction on the issue.

“Exploited for Profit, Failed by Governments” found the women are exploited by recruitment and placement agencies, which seize their documents and charge them excessive fees after falsely promising them high salaries and good working conditions.

“The moment the women are tricked into signing up for work in Hong Kong, they are trapped in a cycle of exploitation with cases that amount to modern-day slavery,” Norma Kang Muico, Asia-Pacific migrant rights researcher at Amnesty International, said in a statement.

Hong Kong, which is home to more than 300,000 domestic workers, mostly females from Indonesia and the Philippines, is facing growing criticism from human rights groups over their treatment.

The report comes just weeks after a Hong Kong couple was jailed for torturing, beating and abusing their Indonesian maid whom they once dressed in a diaper and tied her to a chair for five days while they went on holiday.

Domestic workers are legally required to live with their employers and are tightly controlled by their local placement agency, the report said. Many have their documents confiscated, restricting their freedom of movement and their ability to escape from abusive employers.

BEATEN AND ABUSED

Two thirds of those interviewed said they had endured physical or psychological abuse.

“The husband always tried to touch me but I stopped him,” said one Indonesian woman, describing the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her employer.

“One day he returned home early when his daughter was sleeping and his son was at school. I was washing dishes when he grabbed me and pushed me to the floor. He dragged me to the bedroom and raped me.”

Another woman described the violence she suffered at the hands of her employer.

“He kicked me from behind and dragged me by my clothes to my room,” the woman said. “After locking the door, he smacked and punched me. He pushed me to the ground and kicked me some more. I was black and blue all over – my face, arms and legs. My mouth and forehead were bleeding.”

Those interviewed in the report said they had been pressured into working excessive hours – on average 17 hours per day – without a day off.

For fear of losing their jobs, they are afraid to speak out, Amnesty said.

SYSTEMATIC FAILURE

Hong Kong and Indonesia had both failed to enforce employment laws, Amnesty said.

“It is inexcusable that the Hong Kong and Indonesian governments turn a blind eye to the trafficking of thousands of vulnerable women for forced labour,” Muico said. “The authorities may point to a raft of national laws that supposedly protect these women but such laws are rarely enforced.”

Although Hong Kong’s Labour Department says it regularly inspects placement agencies, the government has not adequately enforced sanctions against agencies that violate the law, according to Amnesty.

Hong Kong, despite having ratified the Forced Labour Convention in 1997, still does not have a law that clearly defines forced labour.

It also does not have an anti-trafficking law, and nobody has been prosecuted for trafficking people for forced labour.

The Indonesian government is also failing to protect its citizens by not effectively supervising employment agencies in an effort to combat human trafficking, Amnesty said.

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