Govt Urged to Investigate Human Trafficking Syndicate

ARSIP PRIBADI

Migrant workers from Indonesia who experienced job fraud in Cambodia are in a company dormitory in Sihanoukville City. They hope to be immediately repatriated to Indonesia and their wages paid.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Many migrant workers from Indonesia are believed to have been victims of human trafficking in Cambodia, the Philippines and Thailand. In addition to ensuring the protection and repatriation of the victims as soon as possible, the Indonesian government has also been urged to seriously investigate the network of perpetrators in Indonesia and the country of placement.

During the period April-July 2022, Migrant Care received complaints from a number of Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) working in fraudulent investment companies in Cambodia, the Philippines and Thailand. Regarding the confinement of the Indonesian migrant workers in Cambodia, the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh has evacuated and rescued 62 Indonesian workers in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

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The head of the Migrant Workers Study at the Migrant Care, Anis Hidayah, said on Monday (1/8/2022) that from the reports received, the majority of alleged victims in Cambodia were trapped in a trafficking syndicate operated by a local syndicate network in cooperation with a syndicate in Cambodia. The syndicates offer jobs in various ways such as online or offline recruitment.

The majority of the alleged victims were recruited through job vacancies on Facebook social media with the account names of Indonesian Cambodia Jobs, Indonesian Cambodian Community and other fake accounts. "In addition to Facebook, syndicate brokers also intensively approach victims directly, so there are two ways, online and offline," Anis said at an online press conference.

The offer came via a family friend who put him in touch with an agent.

Yanto, a family representative of one of the victims who has not been repatriated, said that his younger brother was lured by a salary of Rp 9 million (about US$600) per month to work for a fake company in Cambodia. Before leaving, he was also asked to pay Rp 4 million. The offer came via a family friend who put him in touch with an agent.

“Initially, our family questioned why we had to pay. However, because we were eager for our brother to be able to work, we ended up selling our gold bracelets and using our savings. We know where the [agent] is, but we haven't taken any legal steps; we are still consulting first," said Yanto.

KOMPAS/PANDU WIYOGA

A number of undocumented migrant workers who were victims of a boat accident were presented at the Batam Navy Base Command Headquarters, Riau Islands, Friday (17/6/2022).

Migrant Care's findings showed that the Indonesian migrant workers were promised work as operators, marketing and customer-service personnel in Cambodia with the lure of a salary of US$1,000-1,500. The victims came from several areas, including Medan, North Sumatra; Jakarta; Depok, West Java; Indragiri Hulu, Riau; and Jember, East Java. Anis said that the syndicate later sold the victims at various prices, in the neighborhood of $2,000, to several companies.

"They were immediately sold to other companies when they made a mistake, complained or were suspected of reporting to the Indonesian Embassy or Migrant Care, or if they helped other workers, who were being tortured," she said.

Torture

They were forced to work 17 hours a day, which violates the international standard of working hours, which is 8 hours a day.

Most of them were not paid and even if they were, they only got $500 per month. If they resigned, they were required to pay a fine between $2,000 and $11,000.

They were also held captive for various durations, some for 11 days, some more, and even handcuffed.

The work environment was also prone to violence and torture. “According to reports and evidence we received, they were beaten and given electric shocks until they were bleeding and bruised. They were also held captive for various durations, some for 11 days, some more, and even handcuffed. The situation resembles the practice of modern slavery. This is a strong indication of the practice of elements of the criminal act under trafficking in persons (TPPO)," said Anis.

In addition to ensuring protection, legal assistance and repatriation for Indonesian citizens who have become the victims of trafficking syndicates in a number of countries, the government and police should also thoroughly investigate the perpetrators and their networks in Indonesia as well as work with the Cambodian police to investigate the syndicates in the country.

Migrant Care

Legal-aid coordinator of Migrant Care, Nur Harsono said that although the Foreign Ministry had successfully repatriated the 62 victims held captive in Cambodia, it was not enough.

The central, regional and village governments should also intensify supervision of various migrant-worker recruitment agencies and brokers, which usually use social media or go directly to the villages to hunt for the workers. Such supervision is needed to identify illegal networks and prevent similar cases from recurring. According to Nur, at present, the government seems to be passive and only reactive when there is a case.

Coordination

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi plans to meet the Cambodian National Police to discuss the follow-up to the treatment of the human trafficking case. The meeting will be held behind closed doors on Tuesday (2/8). Coincidently, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi was in Cambodia to attend a series of ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meetings.

KOMPAS/KHAERUL ANWAR

Migrant workers from the islands of Lombok and Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara, usually spend their free time working on Saturdays and Sundays at Taman Victoria Park, Hong Kong.

The director of the Protection of Indonesian Citizens at the Foreign Ministry, Judha Nugraha, said in Phnom Penh that the condition of Indonesian citizens who had just been rescued from Sihanoukville was continuously monitored. "They have arrived in Phnom Penh, at the place provided by our embassy," he said.

According to him, it is possible that the local police will find more victims of human trafficking.