By: M. Dinata*)
Hongkong court, has stated that Law Wan-tung (44) is guilty of Indonesian maid persecution. Law is accused of causing grievous bodily harm, criminal intimidation and failure to pay wages. In trial held on Friday, 27 February 2015, Law found guilty of 18 from 20 indictments. She had faced a maximum sentence of seven years and also have to pay a fine HK$15,000 ($1,934; £1,253).
This case happened when Erwiana Sulistyaningsih (24), the maid who work for Law since 2013, went back to Indonesia in January 2014 with a lot of injuries, scabs and lacerations on her skin after she worked there around eight months. Erwiana claimed that she has been beaten by various household objects and starved by her employer. She was punched very hard by Law which caused her incisor teeth fractured and she only given a very short time to sleep every night, only four hours.
Judge Amanda Woodcock said that Law “showed no compassion” to Ms Erwiana and other domestic staff. Law also saw them as “people that are beneath her”. Judge Woodcock said that the authorities in Hongkong and Indonesia have to make an investigation about the workers condition.
This case become a concern in Hongkong which employ about 300,000 maids from other parts of Asia, mainly Indonesia and the Philippines. Better protection for Indonesian migrant worker also become one of the main issue for Indonesian Government nowadays.
In order to decrease and stop any abusement to Indonesian migrant worker, President Joko Widodo, want to stop sending any Indonesian worker and maid abroad. He already called around 1800 Indonesian worker back to Indonesia and still more to come. He said that, this desicion is associated with Indonesia’s pride as a Nation. He set a target to Ministry of labor to make the roadmap and stop it as soon as possible.
*) The Author Is Brunei Darussalam Contributors.
