Hong Kong domestic helper looks to changeattitudes towards migrants – using the world’s biggest stage
IndonesianEni Lestari, chairpersonof the International Migrants Alliance, will be the only speaker fromHong Kong at a curtain raiser for the UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants in New York A Hong Kong-based Indonesian domestic helper andlabour rights activist will draw global attention to the plight of exploitedworkers as the city’s only representative invited to address the United NationsSummit on Refugees and Migrants in New York on Monday. EniLestari, who chairs the International Migrants Alliance, has three minutes tomake an impact at the event, which marks the first time the UN General Assemblyhas called for a summit at the heads of state and government level on largemovements of refugees and migrants. “I don’t expect that I willchange the whole situation of migrants with a three-minute speech,” she told the SundayMorning Post. Revealed: the areas where Hong Kong employers pay domestic helpers theleast “ButI hope it will remind the world leaders about the reality that migrant workersface on the ground and that theyshould involve the migrant workers when they make the policies.” Theproblem “is that the badpeople have the regulations on their side ... If regulations change,employers will change” EniLestari, International Migrants Alliance Migrant workers account for 150million of the world’s 244 million international migrants, according to theInternational Labour Organisation. “Weare an invisible and voiceless community and never once has the governmenttalked to us when deciding on immigration polices,” she said. “With this UNsummit, we hope that will change, at least that there will be bigger participation of migrant workersin policymaking, whether it’s regional, national or international policies.” Lestariarrived in Hong Kong in 2000 after the Asian financial crisis took away herhopes of going to college, falling victim to labour exploitation in the firstseven months. Sixteenyears later, she finds the situation of domestic helpers in Hong Kong hasimproved – but only up to a certain extent “There is an improvement of knowledge,people are more aware of the law, there are more institutions supportingdomestic workers and the government has issued information in differentlanguages, but not in terms of regulations – the Hong Kong government still insists a helper shouldalways be a helper,” Lestari said. Despiteher negative experience when she first arrived, she said “there are lots ofgood people in Hong Kong”. The problem “is that the bad people have theregulations on their side ... If regulations change, employers will change”,she added. >From the Hong Kong government, shecalled for equal rights, along with “more >services and protection for domesticworkers”, a crackdown on agencies that >overcharge, regulation of working hours,and a minimum wage increase from >HK$4,210 to HK$5,000 a month. Lestarialso suggested the Indonesian government allow direct hiring instead of forcingdomestic helpers to pay fees to agencies – a requirement for their contracts tobe processed. The exploitation of workers in boththeir home and host countries would stop only with long-term solutions,Lestari noted. “I amtalking about solutions that address poverty, create schools, jobs, give equalopportunities to workers in their own countries … We want to change the wholeforced migration thing. It should be an option,” she said. However, Lestari conceded they were a long way off fromachieving such goals. “In the meantime, we want to appeal to governmentsto recognise our rights at different levels … Do not treat migrant workers as a source of profit, asslaves,” she said. No more windowcleaning: domestic workers to march in Hong Kong after helpers die in fallsfrom high-rises Some1,900 people are expected to attend the conference on Monday, includingpresidents and prime ministers of the UN member states. The Asia PacificMission for Migrants, Indonesian Migrant Workers Union and Justice Centre werethe three other local organisations invited to join the summit. PiyaMuqit, director of Justice Centre, a non-profit human rights organisation whichcampaigns for the rights of refugees in Hong Kong, said she intended to callfor a joint effort to tackle the current mass movement of refugees. “The EastAsian countries should take responsibility in this global issue. That’ssomething we will be advocating for,” she said. Thereare more than 330,000 domestic workers in Hong Kong. As of June this year, thecity had 11,169 outstanding claims from asylum seekers.
