DDHK News, Hong Kong - A number of migrant workers calling themselves the "Justice for Erwiana and Migrant Domestic Workers Committee" held a demonstration on Thursday (23/1) to demand the abolition of the rule of "staying at the employer's house" (live in rules).
The demonstrators came to the Labor Department in Central. They consider that the regulation is discriminatory and prone to harassment and abuse, as happened to Erwiana Sulistyaningsih.
"We demand the elimination of the Live-In Rule. We ask the Hong Kong head of labor to look into the problems resulting from the Live-In regulations, ”said Eman Villneuva of the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body in front of the Labor office on Pier Road, Central.
"Migrant workers are always victims of violence and abuse, both verbally and physically and it really disturbs us psychologically," he continued.
“Everyone knows that workers living in the same house as their employer may be discriminated against. Harassment and violence always happen. We demand that Matthew Cheung (Labor Secretary) see this matter clearly and immediately delete the Live-In Rule now. "
The demonstration action was attended by the Filipino Migrants Worker's Union, the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants, and the International Migrant Alliance.
Hong Kong Labor Secretary, Matthew Cheung, refuses migrant workers to stay outside the employer's house. Cheung thinks that Erwiana's case is just a personal matter between the employer and the maid.
However, according to the statement of the UN special reporter, Francois Crepeau, living in the same house with an employer is real discrimination and it is very vulnerable to harassment and abuse, both materially and physically.
"They shouldn't be confined by the Live-In regulation so that there won't be a case like Erwiana's," he said last Wednesday.
Erwiana's case stuck out in the international world. Her female employer, Law Wan-tung, 44, is required to pay a fine and guarantee of HKD 1 million for being an outside detainee and must report every day. Law Wan-tung will be tried again on March 25, 2014. (Titie W / localhost / project / personal / ddhongkong.org / ddhongkong.org). *
