Migrant workers held in house

Migrant workers held in house

BATAM, Riau: Local police and the city manpower office have
not taken any action against the holding of 253 female workers
destined for overseas employment arranged by a local company.

The company, PT RCI, locked up the would-be migrant workers in
the Bukit Golf housing complex, Sungai Panas, before local people
and activists from Nahdlatul Ulama youth wing Anshor finally
discovered their nine-month confinement and released them by
breaking in last week, Antara reported.

Some of the young women said they had not been allowed to go
out and communicate with relatives while others had been
physically abused, with only meager amounts of food being given
to them.

They became stranded in Batam after responding to newspaper
advertisements which promised them employment in Malaysia and
Singapore as housemaids for a monthly salary of Rp 1.1 million.

Police, meanwhile, have questioned eight people but no
suspects have been arrested for further investigation.