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."