China Hong Kong SAR: News and Images

[Jlaw]

No Chinese is forcing phillippino and Indonesian maids to come over to Hk. They were tricked by local hiring agencies to come over, they should Crack down on them.
The Hk employer should not have physically assaulted her. He should have just fired her if he was unhappy with her work.

 

[Aepsilons]

No Chinese is forcing phillippino and Indonesian maids to come over to Hk. They were tricked by local hiring agencies to come over, they should Crack down on them.
The Hk employer should not have physically assaulted her. He should have just fired her if he was unhappy with her work.

Where there is a demand, there will always be a supply. Anyways, irrespective of what country they are from, domestic workers are still people and should be subject to decency and respect from the employers. Many year ago, there was an issue in Japan where the employer was abusing the Filipino domestic worker , and after it caught media attention, this resulted in stricter enforcement of hiring agencies. One thing that was being done was that the employer took the worker's passport from her. This is illegal and now there are laws to prosecute anyone who does this to employees -- and it us done severely by the courts.

This news report is a lesson for all of us, especially for societies in Asia who are bringing in domestic workers. It is hurtful for the domestic workers to be treated with no self respect, and it is shameful for those who are the ones abusing.

There should be special punishments for those who take away rights of migrant workers. I applaud your stance.

Of course, my friend.

A lot of countries can learn from this, especially those richer countries who hire a lot of foreign workers from poorer countries.

Absolutely!

 

[Cossack25A1]

Where there is a demand, there will always be a supply. Anyways, irrespective of what country they are from, domestic workers are still people and should be subject to decency and respect from the employers. Many year ago, there was an issue in Japan where the employer was abusing the Filipino domestic worker , and after it caught media attention, this resulted in stricter enforcement of hiring agencies. One thing that was being done was that the employer took the worker's passport from her. This is illegal and now there are laws to prosecute anyone who does this to employees -- and it us done severely by the courts.

This news report is a lesson for all of us, especially for societies in Asia who are bringing in domestic workers. It is hurtful for the domestic workers to be treated with no self respect, and it is shameful for those who are the ones abusing.



Of course, my friend.



Absolutely!

There is supply-and-demand for foreign workers but if the politics and economic policies of the country where foreign workers came from were to change, it could lead to fewer foreign workers being "exported."

But yeah, hearing from the news, reading news articles and a few blogs, there are illegal agencies but cracking them down is not easy - many have ties with criminal organization, a few which may be backed by a politician.

 

[Aepsilons]

There is supply-and-demand for foreign workers but if the politics and economic policies of the country where foreign workers came from were to change, it could lead to fewer foreign workers being "exported."

But yeah, hearing from the news, reading news articles and a few blogs, there are illegal agencies but cracking them down is not easy - many have ties with criminal organization, a few which may be backed by a politician.

It is indeed very disgraceful to read reports of employers abusing their employees like this. In my hometown, there is a man who hired a Filipina domestic worker , eventually he ended up falling in love with that lady and they got married. Its funny , too, because the man mentioned was in his early 40s and the lady was in her early to mid 20s. Anyways, they have a lot of children , and the children keeps the guy active (he is much older now). As you can see not all domestic workers are treated unfairly, but there are some instances where employers do abuse them.

Going back to what you said, however, you're right. If reports continue that domestic workers from a specific country are continuously maltreated abroad , specifically in a particular country, then the originating country may implement laws to stop the exporting of domestic workers. I think one example is Indonesia, which has recently passed a law that forbids sending of domestic workers abroad.

 

[Nike]

We want to stop to sending those maids in near future

 

[Aepsilons]

We want to stop to sending those maids in near future

As Indonesia continues to develop the nation's industry, and opens more jobs, more opportunities in the country then that should reduce the need for people to go abroad to look for work.

Going back to maids tho, I don't like to call them 'maids', but nanny because many of the house keepers (shiroi) who are hired are usually tasked with the primary duty of taking care of children. Growing up we had a Filipina maid who was more than just house keeper, but was also the baby sitter, 2nd mother figure especially to my younger siblings. It takes a lot of mental stamina and rigor to live abroad to care for other , and that's i consider the job duty very noble and respectable. I can still remember our nanny , who used to care for us dotingly. She would also teach us some basic Tagalog phrases.

I personally find it disgusting to hear people talk down on domestic workers or make fun of nations who export them. Those who poke fun and talk down on these hard working , family oriented people are devoid of moral virtue.

 

[Cossack25A1]

It is indeed very disgraceful to read reports of employers abusing their employees like this. In my hometown, there is a man who hired a Filipina domestic worker , eventually he ended up falling in love with that lady and they got married. Its funny , too, because the man mentioned was in his early 40s and the lady was in her early to mid 20s. Anyways, they have a lot of children , and the children keeps the guy active (he is much older now). As you can see not all domestic workers are treated unfairly, but there are some instances where employers do abuse them.

Going back to what you said, however, you're right. If reports continue that domestic workers from a specific country are continuously maltreated abroad , specifically in a particular country, then the originating country may implement laws to stop the exporting of domestic workers. I think one example is Indonesia, which has recently passed a law that forbids sending of domestic workers abroad.

Well I have seen Japanese men having Filipina wives that are younger thanks to the Arrival cards I had seen when I was still working at the PH Dept. of Tourism.

While in the PH we had laws, it is not quite implemented - either because of noncooperation, political will, the said "agency" is no longer trackable or simply corruption.

 

[Aepsilons]

Well I have seen Japanese men having Filipina wives that are younger thanks to the Arrival cards I had seen when I was still working at the PH Dept. of Tourism.

While in the PH we had laws, it is not quite implemented - either because of noncooperation, political will, the said "agency" is no longer trackable or simply corruption.

Its very common place for Japanese men who genuinely are looking for a wife , they do go to the Philippines because there is a stereotype (positive) that Filipina women are as beautiful as they are loyal and loving.

 

[Indos]

Indonesian domestic worker at Hongkong, looks amazing to see one who is praying there.....

 

[MastanKhan]

Hi,

Stopping workers is not the answer---the answer is in holding the abuser responsible for the act and creating an awareness in the community and nationwide---.

It is our moral obligation to respect people---regardless of their status---just because they are working for us---does not give us any right to control them.

We do not OWN these people and no one can own anyone---.

 

[Aepsilons]

Hi,

Stopping workers is not the answer---the answer is in holding the abuser responsible for the act and creating an awareness in the community and nationwide---.

It is our moral obligation to respect people---regardless of their status---just because they are working for us---does not give us any right to control them.

We do not OWN these people and no one can own anyone---.

100% agree with you, buddy.

 

[Cossack25A1]

100% agree with you, buddy.

In our case, we just want to reduce the reliance on the "OFW System" because it is not sustainable in the long run.... and our politicians (and the elite) are just milking on it.

 

[Indos]

This is the hero Erwiana (center), inspirational story indeed, Fight For Justice............

 

[Shotgunner51]

Hong Kong (AFP) - As she walks through Hong Kong's Victoria Park on a busy Sunday afternoon, Erwiana Sulistyaningsih is stopped every few steps for photos and hugs.

Most of her fans are Indonesian domestic workers enjoying their weekly day off, gathering as they always do for food, dancing and a chat, but there are Hong Kong families too.

This is the former maid's final day in Hong Kong after winning her case against the abusive employer who beat, starved and kept her prisoner.

On Friday, Law Wan-tung, 44, was sentenced to six years in prison on 18 charges including grievous bodily harm, assault, criminal intimidation and failure to pay wages in a case that made headlines around the world.

It has turned the 24-year-old Indonesian into a hero for many of her peers, and though her case shone a spotlight on the abuse often suffered behind closed doors, she isn't finished yet.

"I still want to help my fellow migrant workers who are abused and neglected by my own government," she told AFP.

"If there's an opportunity, I would like to create a foundation to help with these issues and to educate the Indonesian community so that they can understand our basic problems outside the country and back in Indonesia."

Softly-spoken and slight, with newly bobbed hair and huddled in a quilted orange jacket, she is sceptical that Indonesia will take meaningful action to protect migrant workers, arguing that the problem is so multi-layered and deep-rooted there is no quick fix.

- Systemic problem -

From a poor farming family in east Java, Sulistyaningsih's parents could not afford to send her or her brother to university.

After graduating from high school she worked as a waitress but was determined to save up for college and to help support her family financially, so moved to Hong Kong to join its army of domestic workers in 2013.

The city is home to nearly 300,000 maids, mainly from Indonesia and the Philippines.

Sulistyaningsih says her story highlights Indonesia's endemic problems -- a lack of job opportunities and an unaffordable further education system.

"The government should provide accessible education especially for poor people," she says, as well as helping to create "decent jobs for decent pay, not just profit for investors".

That way, fewer people would feel they had to seek their fortune overseas, she says.

When they arrive in Hong Kong, the women known locally as "helpers" are often stung by massive agency fees back home, which leave them in debt -- something which local campaigners, Amnesty International and the judge in Sulistyaningsih's case highlighted as a major problem.

Sulistyaningsih herself says both her passport and a booklet explaining her rights were removed by her employment agency when she first set foot in the city.

"I was afraid because I had heard so much about migrant workers dying abroad, but I took the challenge hoping my fate would be better.

"Now I realise it's not just fate -- it's the system that makes us vulnerable."

Hong Kong-based campaign group Asian Migrants' Coordinating Body is planning to file an official complaint to the legislature about domestic workers' conditions, with the aim of forcing a reform debate in the city's de facto parliament.

- Lasting scars -

Sulistyaningsih says she is looking forward to resuming her studies in economics at the Catholic Private University in central Java, where she was offered a four-year scholarship after the establishment's owner read about her case.

While it is a new chapter after a three-month break for the trial, the impact of the abuse she suffered still clearly hangs over her.

"I hate the sound of loud voices," she said. "I still feel the trauma."

Her teeth remain chipped, her nose damaged and her feet scarred after the attacks by Law, and she still has regular counselling.

Both her mother, who had been a domestic worker in Brunei, and her father had been worried about her choice to leave, she says.

"My parents cried when they found out what had happened to me. But they are proud of me... at least I'm brave enough to speak out."

Sulistyaningsih's life will never be the same -- and while she smiles for the cameras in Victoria Park, there is a fierce determination to make her experience count for something.

"I feel very happy and relieved (after the verdict and sentencing) but in the back of my mind I think: 'If migrant workers are still being treated the same, what's it all for?'

"I will continue to fight with the government if they do not want to protect their workers."

Indonesian maid vows to fight on after Hong Kong court victory - Yahoo!7

It's a victory of HK's judiciary system as well, which continues to demonstrate it's ability in defending human rights and lawful freedom of individuals, no matter what are their nationalities. Hats off to HK!

A comparison should be made to the Ferguson crisis. Why the blacks are not protected by the law when an illegal abuse is made by whites?

A key take-away for Chinese is that China should also establish rules to protect the rights of foreign workers here, as we are seeing more of them going to into the country. English-speaking Christian Filipino maids (and Indonesian to a lesser extent) are getting more and more popular in China, just in Shanghai alone, the market is estimated to exceed HK, Singapore or Taiwan, both in quantity and salary level. However due to the lack of relevant law/policy here a lot of them work under tourist visa, and hence fall outside the radar of Labor/Tax department, I hope China government look into this and do something asap.

沪人大代表建议引进“菲佣” 菲佣能提升中国家政服务业水平？

 

[Aepsilons]

It's a victory of HK's judiciary system as well, which continues to demonstrate it's ability in defending human rights and lawful freedom of individuals, no matter what are their nationalities. Hats off to HK!

A key take-away for Chinese is that China should also establish rules to protect the rights of foreign workers here, as we are seeing more of them going to into the country. English-speaking Christian Filipino maids (and Indonesian to a lesser extent) are getting more and more popular in China, just in Shanghai alone, the market is estimated to exceed HK, Singapore or Taiwan, both in quantity and salary level. However due to the lack of relevant law/policy here a lot of them work under tourist visa, and hence fall outside the radar of Labor/Tax department, I hope China government look into this and do something asap.

沪人大代表建议引进“菲佣” 菲佣能提升中国家政服务业水平？

Agreed. This is a victory for the entire Chinese people because this is testament that Chinese Judicial System (afterall Hong Kong Judiciary is still part of the comprehensive Chinese Judicial System) is maturing in its quest to protect civil rights of domestic workers. Since there are some Chinese domestic workers (from country side / rural areas) working in the large cities such as Shanghai, Dalian, Ningbo, etc, sometimes some of them may experience abuse by their employers. It is time now that China, as a maturing and highly developing nation to secure the workers' rights of its work force even more now.

So, a victory to foreign domestic workers, and a victory to the objectivity and fairness of Chinese Judicial System !