Malaysian syndicate uses new strategy to buy Indonesian babies<\/p>\n
Bambang Bider, The Jakarta Post, Pontianak<\/p>\n
Pregnant Indonesian women are being lured to Malaysia with
\npromises of high-paying jobs, only to be kidnapped and their
\nbabies sold for adoption or worse.<\/p>\n
The women are even prevented from breast feeding so they do
\nnot become too attached to their new-born babies.<\/p>\n
This horrifying practice was revealed only after three women
\nand their new-born babies escaped from a dormitory housing a
\nnumber of Indonesian women in East Malaysia and made it back to
\ntheir villages in Kalimantan and told the Legal Aid Institute of
\ntheir ordeal.<\/p>\n
The institute contacted the Indonesian consulate in Sarawak
\nwho informed police who then raided the dormitory in Sekama
\ndistrict in Kuching, some 400 kilometers north of the West
\nKalimantan provincial capital of Pontianak, last week.<\/p>\n
The three women, identified as Mia, 21, Siti, 28 and Ati, 21
\nwere recruited to be employed in Malaysia in high-paid jobs. The
\nwomen, all pregnant at the time, were either abandoned by their
\nhusbands or had became pregnant through casual sex.<\/p>\n
Unlike the previous cases, the pregnant women were recruited
\nto be employed in Malaysia.<\/p>\n
\"We were promised jobs as domestic servants or factory workers
\nin Sarawak, while they turned out to be eying our babies for
\nsale,\" Mia, from Ketapang, West Kalimantan, said.<\/p>\n
In the past, Malaysian and Kalimantan brokers have purchased
\nunwanted babies from sex workers. The babies, bought for between
\n5,000 Malaysian ringgit (about Rp 11.5 million) and 20,000
\nringgit, were trafficked by their mothers until they reached the
\nborder in Entikong in West Kalimantan or Nunukan in East
\nKalimantan.<\/p>\n
The three said they fled the dormitory several days after
\ngiving birth. They cooperated with each another to improve their
\nchances of escaping the syndicate.<\/p>\n
\"We could only pray for our safe passage. We risked everything
\njust so we and our babies could get away safely. Praise the Lord,
\nwe had the strength to survive. Imagine how we managed to return
\nhome after just having given birth,\" Mia sobbed.<\/p>\n
The three women are still staying at the shelter of the Legal
\nAid Institute in Pontianak.<\/p>\n
\"They will testify following the capture of a married coupled
\nbelieved to be involved in the trafficking in Sekama. I will
\naccompany them,\" said the women's lawyer Hayriah.<\/p>\n
According to Mia, a Ketapang High School graduate, expectant
\nmothers at the dormitory were well cared for because the agent
\nwanted the babies to be born in a good condition so they sold for
\nhigh prices.<\/p>\n
The women were not allowed to breast feed the children so they
\ndid not form emotional ties.<\/p>\n
Malaysian buyers were mainly interested in clean-skinned
\ninfants with almond-shaped eyes.<\/p>\n
Since the majority of buyers are of Chinese descent, babies
\nwith Malay features are less attractive. They are sold for only
\n5000 ringgit per baby, compared to between 10,000 ringgit and
\n15,000 ringgit for a Chinese baby girl and 18,000 ringgit for a
\nChinese baby boy. Unattractive babies will be offered at very low
\nprices or even door to door.<\/p>\n
During the raid a young Malaysian couple allegedly involved in
\nthe infant trade were arrested on June 21. Six women from West
\nKalimantan who were found in the building are being housed at the
\nSarawak police station. Seven babies were taken to hospital.<\/p>\n
Along with the successful raid in Kuching, Sarawak police
\nuncovered another baby trafficking syndicate in Sibu on June 25,
\narresting two men and two women during raids on three houses.<\/p>\n
According to the Borneo Post, police rescued nine babies aged
\nbetween one month and four months.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/malaysian-syndicate-uses-new-strategy-to-buy-indonesian-babies-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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