World News - September 08, 2007
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Scores of Indonesians working in U.S. military camps in Iraq have been denied vacations and kept in the country despite the expiry of their contracts, the Foreign Ministry has revealed.
According to data from the ministry, 72 Indonesian migrant workers serving 17-month contracts as cooks, technicians and cleaners have already been kept in the country for over 20 months.
Foreign Ministry director for protection of Indonesian citizens abroad Teguh Wardoyo said Indonesian officials had been denied access to the workers despite three month's worth of requests through U.S. Embassies in Jakarta, Iraq, Jordan and Syria, as well as the U.S. State Department in Washington.
On Friday, the Foreign Ministry summoned the U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Cameron R. Hume in an attempt to address the issue. Teguh said that Stanley Harsya from the embassy's political section represented the ambassador at the talks.
Teguh added that U.S. officials at first denied there were Indonesian workers being kept past their contracts in Iraq.
"But after we showed our data, they said they wanted to help solve the problem. In our conversation, we demanded to be given access to our workers and that they are given their rights to vacations. U.S. officials have given us their commitment that they will work on (the matter)," Teguh said.
All 72 workers were sent to Iraq by South Jakarta company North Sea Java Group on Jan. 2, 2006. The workers' contracts guaranteed them pay of US$3,000 per month and two weeks of vacation per year.
However, Teguh said the workers "have not been allowed to leave the camp since then".
"This is probably because the U.S. military authorities are dependent on our workers and are afraid they won't come back," he added.
According to the Foreign Ministry, 86 workers were initially sent to Iraq, but 14 have already been allowed to go home.
One of workers, Steven Latu, reported to the government in June that his fellow workers were being denied their rights under their work contracts.
"We even contacted and asked that U.S. Iraq Policy Coordinator Mark Wilson give these workers consular access and solve this problem, but so far we have not received any positive results," Teguh said.
Teguh said U.S. officials had told him the country's response to his complaints had been slowed by the ongoing war in Iraq.
Teguh said he did not have any solid data to indicate if the workers have been working illegally in Iraq. However, he said North Java Sea Group was not registered with the manpower ministry.
"That's why I've asked the police to investigate the matter," he said.
