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Some 1000 female migrant workers are being held in captivity by a company whose license has been revoked by the Department of Manpower and Transmigration.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