Court acquits govt over migrant workers' woes

Court acquits govt over migrant workers' woes

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Central Jakarta District Court ruled on Monday that the
government should address coordination between relevant
ministries to relieve the plight suffered by overseas migrant
workers, but threw out the plaintiffs' demand for their
protection.

"The government should make concrete efforts to deal properly
with the sending of migrant workers abroad so that the Nunukan
tragedy does not recur in the future," presiding judge Andi
Samsan Nganro said as he delivered the verdict.

He was referring to the plight experienced by thousands of
migrant workers sent home by the Malaysian authorities. They had
taken shelter on Nunukan island, East Kalimantan, in 2002, where
inadequate facilities were provided. At least 72 of the workers
died from various illnesses.

On Jan. 24, concerned citizens and activists from 53 non-
governmental organizations filed a citizens' lawsuit against the
government and asked the court to order the officials to draw up
legislation to provide the workers legal protection.

The plaintiff included Catholic priest I. Sandyawan Sumardi,
cofounder of the Commission for Victims of Violence and Missing
Persons (Kontras) Munir and Nursyahbani Katjasungkana of the
Indonesian Coalition for Women (Koalisi Perempuan).

The accused included President Megawati Soekarnoputri, Vice
President Hamzah Haz, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirajuda
and Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs accused the government of
failing to provide services for its citizens who were seeking
their livelihood overseas and contributed large sums in revenue
to the country.

However, the panel of judges found the government had not
violated any regulations in the Nunukan tragedy, adding the
workers were sent home because they had worked in Malaysia
without proper documentation.

One of the plaintiff's lawyers, Choirul Anam, said that they
would appeal the verdict. "The judges have made an ambiguous
decision. They said the government had failed to address the
Nunukan problem but only handed down a lenient sentence."