Companies hold

Companies hold
women hostage

Reading a Kompas' article of Dec. 21 , 2002 entitled Some 1000
migrant workers are illegally kept I can't help wondering why a
Tumbu Saraswati, who is a lawyer and also member of House of
Representatives, cannot do anything about a blatant legal
violation right in front of her eyes.

Some 1000 female migrant workers are being held in captivity
by a company whose license has been revoked by the Department of
Manpower and Transmigration. Apart from this isolation, workers
who want to quit or just leave must pay for hefty compensation.

Our study in 1999 about some 20 places which house migrant
workers showed that recruiting companies (PJTKI) had committed a
number of violations against regulations No 565/BP/1997 and No
02/Men/1994 with regard to recruitment fees, room facilities,
toilets, identity etc.

As far as I know, there are only three institutions in this
country authorized to limit one's freedom: the police, judges and
public prosecutors. But these all are governed by the Criminal
Code. Article 328 of the Criminal Code stipulates that the above
company's acts, are by definition, kidnapping. Based on that
view, Tumbu and other House members or the police should have
taken strict actions to set them free and bring the case to
court. It is lamentable that they put more emphasis on data than
on human freedom.

There are still hundreds of such accommodations in Jakarta or
other parts of Indonesia. Do we have to wait for a goddess of
Justice to come down to save them?

CARLA JUNE NATAN

Center for Indonesian

Migrant Workers

Jakarta