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Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB)A founding member of the
International Migrants Alliance (IMA) and with members
from Indonesia, Nepal,the Philippines, Sri Lanka and
Thailand
c/o APMM, No. 2 Jordan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong SARTel no(s):
(852) 3156-2447, 2314-7316 Fax no(s): 2735-4559 E-mail:
[email protected]
Justice for Kartika!End the abuses and slavery of foreign
domestic workers in Hong Kong
30 August 2013
The Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB) expresses its
anguish and outrage onthe plight of Kartika Puspitasari, an
Indonesian migrant worker. While Hong Kongboasts itself as one of
Asias world city, how foreign domestic workers are treated inthe
city remains barbaric, uncivilized and undignified.
The case of Kartika Puspitasari is a living testament that
abuses remain and themodern-day slavery of FDWs is still a feature
of how we are treated in Hong Kong.
On August 24, the South China Morning Post published an article
about KartikaPuspitasari who was forced to wear a diaper and was
tied to a chair by her employerswithout food and drink while the
employers family went on a five-day holiday inThailand.
Her employers, Tai Chi-wai, 42, and his wife Catherine Au
Yuk-shan, 41 are now beingtried in court for allegedly abusing
Kartika repeatedly from October 2010 to2011. According to Kartika,
her hands and feet were tied every night, she could only
eat after three days, she had to use the public toilet, she was
forced to wear theclothes of the three-year old child of her
employers, deprived of underwear, could onlygo out in the presence
of her employers, was not paid her salary and was also deniedher
rest days.
This is a grave act of human right violations against an FDW who
was treated like amodern-day slave. While this may be an extreme
case, it shows that abuses andexploitation of FDWs persist.
Many of these remain undocumented and unreported and the
perpetrators are
unpunished for they happen in the privacy of households with the
victims denied ofeven the basic right to communication.
The HKSAR governments mandatory live-in employment arrangement
reinforces thevulnerability of FDWs to abuses. It creates the
condition for abusive and exploitativepractices to perpetuate such
as making FDWs work long hours (even up to 20 hours aday), denying
many of sufficient food and rest, not providing FDWs with private
anddecent sleeping quarters, withholding FDWs documents and
communication devices,etc.
Kartikas case has also revealed the urgency to legislate the
working hours of FDWs.
The current efforts to legislate working hours should not suffer
the fate of theminimum wage legislation where FDWs have been
arbitrarily and unjustly excluded.
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This condition in Hong Kong the mandatory live-in employment
arrangement andthe lack proper regulation on working hours
contravenes provisions of theInternational Labor Organization (ILO)
Domestic Workers Convention or the C189.
The Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB) calls for the Hong
Kong government toheed the demand of foreign domestic workers to
make live-in policy optional andleave the living arrangements to
the mutual agreement of employers and employee.We further call on
the Hong Kong government to repeal the Two-Week Rule or theNew
Conditions of Stay (NCS) because it not only discriminates Against
FDWs but alsomakes it difficult for FDWs to find a new employer
after an employment contract isterminated. It also aggravates the
vulnerable situation of FDWs for they are forced toendure
difficulties and sufferings because of fear of losing jobs.
Finally, we stand in solidarity with Kartika and other abused
FDWs in their quest forjustice. Furthermore, it is vital that
indemnification should be given to Kartika and allthe benefits that
she is entitled to while her case is being heard. Surely, the
courtmust decide in favor of Kartika as a warning to those who
treat FDWs as slaves anddeny them their rights and dignity as
workers, as women and as human beings.
Abolish mandatory live-in arrangement!Abolish the Two-Week
Rule!Legislate working hours for foreign domestic workers!Justice
for Kartika and other abused foreign domestic workers!
Asian Migrants' Coordinating Body (AMCB)
Affiliates:
Association of Sri Lankans in Hong Kong (ASL-HK)Association of
Indonesian Migrant Workers in Hong Kong (ATKI-HK)Far-East Overseas
Nepalese Association - Hong Kong (FEONA-HK)
Filipino Migrant Workers' Union (FMWU-HKCTU)Friends of Thai -
Hong Kong (FOT-HK)
Indonesian Migrants Muslim Alliance (GAMMI)Indonesian Migrant
Workers' Union (IMWU-HKCTU)
League of Indonesian Migrant Workers (LiPMI)Overseas Nepali
Workers' Union (ONWU)
Thai Regional Alliance (TRA-HK)United Filipinos in Hong Kong
(UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK)
United Indonesians Against Overcharging (PILAR)
