May 14, 2021
Security officers stop a bus at a checkpoint in Indonesia after the government imposed a travel ban earlier this month ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr festival.
Reuters
As Indonesian authorities turn back thousands of people trying to return to their hometowns for the Eid ul-Fitr festival despite a nationwide interstate travel ban, some have questioned the inflow of foreign workers into the country.
Earlier this month, charter flights from China brought in more than 400 workers to work on infrastructure projects ranging from toll roads to airports and ports in different parts of Indonesia.
Two of them later tested positive for Covid-19 - leading to accusations of government hypocrisy for stopping citizens from travelling domestically for the festival, known as Lebaran or Idul Fitri in Indonesia, that marks the end of Ramadan.
Indonesia & Malaysia: Migrant workers recruited from impoverished Indonesian province are subjected to modern-day slavery business-humanrights.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from business-humanrights.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
January 18, 2021
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It was around 3am when Antonious Remigius Abi, an ethics professor at the Faculty of Law at Santo Thomas Catholic University in Medan, North Sumatra, was awoken by frantic knocking on his front door. When he opened it, he found six young women carrying what seemed like all their worldly possessions.
“They were begging for help, saying ‘Please protect us. Don’t tell anyone we’re here’,” said Abi, who recognised from their accents that the women were from his home province of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) – one of the poorest in Indonesia . “They were clearly absolutely terrified.”
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‘It is modern-day slavery’: migrant workers from Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara face trafficking, abuse Aisyah Llewellyn in Medan Migrant workers from the province have no bargaining power once they go with a recruiter and they are victims before they even start work, according to a human rights lawyer. Photo: Shutterstock
It was around 3am when Antonious Remigius Abi, an ethics professor at the Faculty of Law at Santo Thomas Catholic University in Medan, North Sumatra, was awoken by frantic knocking on his front door. When he opened it, he found six young women carrying what seemed like all their worldly possessions.
Medan, Indonesia – Iwan is transgender, and a “micro-minority” in Indonesia.
Before COVID-19, he employed four other transgender people as hairdressers and makeup artists at his Anna Sui Salon in Medan in North Sumatra, but now he can afford to hire only one.
“We used to have 10 to 15 customers a day, now we haven’t had a customer in over a week,” Iwan said. “Maybe we get one customer every two weeks now. It’s been that way since the pandemic started in March.”
Salon work and the wedding industry are two of only a few sectors in Indonesia that offer employment opportunities to those who are openly transgender.