5 July 2007
For many years we have known how Indonesian migrant workers, male and female, in Malaysia and Arab countries are treated, so what happened recently is really nothing new.
Actually, you don't have to go that far to look for employers behaving badly. Here in Indonesia a lot of people who can afford to have a pembantu (household helper) don't treat them any better. They have to work long hours for a small salary and have no rights at all. Occasionally we read about the misbehavior of the employer, but a lot of the employees suffer silently, until Lebaran (Idul Fitri) comes and they can return to their kampong and let their employer wait in vain for their return.
N. BRATA
Lembang, West Java
