Indonesian workers

From Kompas

On July 2, 1994 I witnessed a very unpleasant incident at Sukarno-Hatta International airport at arrivals Gate 1, terminal D. Some ten angry looking staff of the Manpower Central Office were standing close to each other waiting for the arrival of Indonesian women workers from Saudi Arabia.

After customs examination, the women were directly led by the manpower officials to a certain place without inquiring whether they were workers or not. Angry exchanges took place between the women, who were actually tourists and had just arrived from vacation in the neighboring countries of Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam, and the manpower officials.

I know that only officials of the Immigration Office have the right to examine passengers' passports. When I was at the airport to fetch a colleague from Singapore, the manpower staff rudely asked to examine the women's passports.

I would like to appeal to the Manpower Office to deal with Indonesian workers who work abroad in a more humane way because they are certainly not criminals. Furthermore, let Immigration examine their passports.

Name and address

withheld