Trip to RI organized by mafia: Survivor<\/p>\n
Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Bogor<\/p>\n
The dream of a better life had led the migrants from the
\nMiddle East to take an extraordinary risk. Tragically, that risk
\ndid not pay off and their dream became a nightmare when their
\nboat sank in the Java Sea on Friday.<\/p>\n
Over 350 people, mostly Iraqis, died in the tragedy. Two
\npeople are in hospital while 42 other survivors are being
\nsheltered at the Wisma Palar in Bogor and the Ragal Villa in
\nCisarua.<\/p>\n
At the Ragal Villa, Amal Hassan, accompanied by her 19-year-
\nold son Amjad Abas, told The Jakarta Post how the two of them
\nbecame part of the tragedy.<\/p>\n
The Iraqi woman said she was in contact with people in
\nMalaysia and Indonesia who claimed they could arrange to bring
\nher to Australia.<\/p>\n
\"Let me tell you, these people are mafia... but I was
\ndesperate to escape the fearful conditions in my country, I
\nthought this might be our way out,\" Amal said.<\/p>\n
She said her husband used the same method two years ago and
\nwas now living in an immigration center in Melbourne.<\/p>\n
About three months ago, she and her son left Teheran for Kuala
\nLumpur in Malaysia and later traveled by boat to Medan in North
\nSumatra, where their contact had been waiting for them at the
\nport.<\/p>\n
They were later taken to the Sahid hotel, where she was
\nimmediately greeted by men who claimed to know who she was.<\/p>\n
\"Later they asked me if I wanted to go to Jakarta where they
\nclaimed to also have some 'channels'. The fee for the Jakarta
\ntrip was US$100 per person,\" she explained.<\/p>\n
At the Soekarno-Hatta international airport, they were
\napproached by four Arabs who later took them to a shabby hotel,
\nand a few days later they were taken to the Amelia Villa in
\nCisarua.<\/p>\n
\"A man named Abo Kossi came to the villa and told us that he
\ncould arrange for a trip to Australia for US$1,500 per person.
\nLater I gathered that these people (traffickers) are based here
\nin Cisarua,\" she said.<\/p>\n
\"After my friends and I paid, we were transported by a bus one
\nnight to a port, I'm not sure where, and we departed by boat to
\nBandar Lampung.\"<\/p>\n
After arriving there during the evening of the following day,
\nthe group of 418 people boarded another vessel, which was
\nsupposed to take them to Christmas Island.<\/p>\n
\"When we saw the condition of the boat, some of us immediately
\nobjected to traveling in it because it appeared so old and
\nfragile,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Amal said that Abo and his friends insisted that the boat was
\nin perfect condition and that it would be able to travel safely
\nto Australia.<\/p>\n
\"When we protested, they told us to either get on the boat or
\nrisk having our money lost,\" she added. They also pointed guns
\nat them, forcing the desperate people to get on board.<\/p>\n
Despite her horrific experience, Amal and her son are
\ndetermined to get to Australia.<\/p>\n
\"I want to meet my husband there, and I believe in Australia
\nwe will find a good life.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/trip-to-ri-organized-by-mafia-survivor-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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