"All parties related to human trafficking handling must integrate (human) rights into their analysis as a follow-up action to the cases," said Komnas HAM chairperson Atnike Nova Sigiro on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Conference on human trafficking in Kuta, Bali.
She explained that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK), and the police are involved in the handling of human trafficking.
Human trafficking, which includes slavery, sexual exploitation, forced labor, and forced marriage, is a form of human rights violation that has an impact on women, children, migrants, refugees, and people with disabilities, she added.
Sigiro also noted that ASEAN is a region that has a high flow of migrant workers, reaching 10 million workers annually, of which 50 percent were women.
"Prospective workers must be equipped with adequate knowledge and protection before departure, and in the destination countries, there must be a procedure to ensure their protection," she underscored.
She said that based on data from the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, the number of victims of human trafficking stood at 297 in 2018, and the number jumped to reach 752 people in 2022.
In June 2023, the National Police reported that 1,006 people became victims of human trafficking that were sent abroad to become illegal and domestic workers, she said.
Komnas HAM noted that several Indonesian citizens have become victims of human trafficking through scamming or online fraud in Vietnam, Cambodia, and several countries in ASEAN.
The commission has also handled the human trafficking of Thai and Cambodian nationals employed as ship crew members in Benjina, Aru Islands, Maluku, in 2015.
"Observing this cross (border) human trafficking problem, a human rights approach needs protection and prioritizes human rights under jurisdiction, including for those who are not Indonesian citizens," she affirmed.
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Translator: Dewa Ketut, Raka Adji
Editor: Anton Santoso
Copyright © ANTARA 2023
