"This is a form of violation of the rights of migrant workers," Coordinator of the Sub-Commission for Human Rights Advancement at Komnas HAM, Anis Hidayah, said here on Monday.
Cutting off communication, not paying wages for seven years, as well as barring a worker from returning to her home country, are acts that constitute a breach of the migrant workers' rights, she said.
"Everyone has the right to decent work," she stressed.
Hidayah pointed out that workers' rights are regulated through many international and national human rights instruments. In fact, the international regulations have been ratified by Indonesia.
In Indonesia, the rules pertaining to migrant workers are outlined in Law Number 18 of 2017 on Migrant Workers’ Protection. They are also laid down in the work agreements signed by workers.
"As for salary, it is usually agreed upon in the work agreement and paid every month. But if this has gone for seven years, it must be (cause for suspicion)," she said.
Some things also need to be reviewed in connection with the case, such as the mechanism for monitoring migrant workers abroad. The working conditions of the migrant workers need to be monitored by the authorities, too, Hidayah said.
It could be that Maryam's work conditions were not decent or not in accordance with the agreement before she went overseas, she said.
"Perhaps the work situation was not proper. Not even the most basic (requirement) was fulfilled," she noted.
The responsible party would also need to investigate whether Maryam enjoyed her rights, such as getting holidays and permission to leave the house, among others.
The Indonesian representative in the UAE must facilitate the mediation between Maryam and her employers, she added.
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Translator: M Zulfikar, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Sri Haryati
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