The complicated problems of manpower
The complicated problems of manpower
By Wahyu Susilo
JAKARTA (JP): Industrialization has spurred inter-state
manpower mobility in Southeast Asia.
Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and
Laos are among countries supplying manpower for job openings in
Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam and Thailand.
Economic, cultural and political aspects influence Southeast
Asia's manpower migration character. Migrant laborers from
Indonesia and the Philippines usually find work in Malaysia,
Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, the Malay ethnic origin being
their common denominator.
Thailand, meanwhile, usually receives laborers of Indochinese
ethnic origin from Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Politics plays a significant role in labor migration in
Indochina. Long-winded political conflicts in Vietnam have led to
labor migration as practiced by the Vietnamese boat people.
In Cambodia, political disputes between Hun Sen and Ranarridh
have prompted border crossers to enter Thailand and work as
undocumented migrant workers (a more neutral term than illegal
workers).
Thailand is also home to thousands of migrant workers from
Myanmar, who fled their country when the current military
government canceled the outcome of the country's general election
won by the Aung San Syu Kyi-led National League of Democracy.
A 1995 report of the United Nations' Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ECOSOC) entitled Recent
Trends in International Migration in Asia, says that manpower
migration greatly affects industrialization and social changes in
Southeast Asia.
Singapore, it says, has derived the greatest advantage from
this migration of workers. The country's receipts from migrant
workers' taxes are increasing as many more new job opportunities
are available in domestic, manufacturing and construction
sectors.
Unfortunately, however, migrant workers have not been properly
provided with legal protection. The condition in Malaysia is
almost the same as that in Singapore. The difference being that
in Malaysia domestic and estate sectors absorb the greatest
number of migrant workers. Close to 75 percent of migrant workers
in the estate sector, however, are undocumented.
Ironically, the problem of migrant workers does not usually
receive high priority on the agenda of regional fora such as the
Organization of Islamic Conference, the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
These regional fora lay greater stress on economic interests
rather than on efforts to forge regional inter-community
solidarity. As a regional forum in Southeast Asia, ASEAN
prioritizes the economic and political aspects benefiting
capitalists and political power holders over efforts to nurture
interests of people in the region.
In the economic sector, ASEAN has not only given birth to the
ASEAN Chamber of Commerce and Industry but has also bolstered the
Sijori (Singapore-Johor-Riau) triangle economic region.
In the political arena, ASEAN has blindly thrown its support
behind the military regime in Myanmar, which is the target of
international condemnation owing to its repression of the popular
democratic movement of the Myanmar people.
On the other hand, however, ASEAN has yet to pay attention to
the fate of the common people in its member countries. Migrant
workers are the representation of the common people being
marginalized in the process of the region's economic growth.
After more than 20 years of existence, ASEAN has not even once
focused its attention on labor migration, a phenomenon which
often initiates constraint in diplomatic relations among ASEAN
member countries.
The death sentence passed in Singapore's court on Flor
Contemplacion, a migrant worker from the Philippines, strained
diplomatic relations between the two countries. Indonesia and
Malaysia have undergone similar tensions with border crossing of
undocumented workers from Indonesia to Malaysia.
As an ASEAN member country and worker supplier, Indonesia must
insist that ASEAN prioritize problems of labor migration
involving ASEAN member countries.
Many migrant workers from Indonesia employed in Brunei
Darussalam, Malaysia and Singapore have fallen victim to
swindling, torture and sexual harassment and abuse leading to
their incarceration, permanent and physical disability and even
death.
Data from the Women's Solidarity non-governmental organization
reveals the huge number of workers who have died or received
violent treatment in Southeast Asia (see Table).
Until now no structural efforts have been made to protect the
rights of Indonesian migrant workers.
As a matter of fact, people's solidarity has been forged in
dealing with problems related to migrant workers in Southeast
Asia.
Take for example the imprisonment in Malaysia of an Indonesian
undocumented migrant worker. In conjunction with this, Tenaganita
(a Malaysian NGO) drew up a report on human rights violations
committed by Malaysian officials against migrant workers.
As a result, Irene Fernandez, a member of the Tenaganita
governing board, was brought to court and charged with spreading
false reports.
In another case a woman migrant worker, Hartati, from
Indonesia, was tortured by her Singaporean employer. The
Singaporean people responded with anger and condemned the
employer and the recruiting agency, a manifestation of their
concern with, and sympathy for, Hartati and her plight.
This response indicates universal solidarity with respect to
the sufferings sustained by Indonesian migrant workers.
Therefore, it is important to continue forging and nurturing
popular solidarity in Southeast Asia and to press ASEAN to
seriously handle problems related to migrant workers in this
particular region.
The writer is an alumnus of the history department, School of
Letters, Sebelas Maret University, Surakarta and works as a
staffer at the Advocacy Division of Solidaritas Perempuan,
Jakarta.
Table: Cases involving Indonesian migrant workers in Southeast
Asian countries (Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam)
between 1991 and 1997
Case type Number of Workers Number of Workers
with Clear Identity without Identity
----------------------------------------------------------
Death 31 people 470 people
Violence 10 people 481,043 people
Undocumented 28 people 1,618,685 people
Source: Database of Solidaritas Perempuan, 1997