are domestic maids in Indonesia living as slaves?

[Sergio]

Hi Tracey,

I hate to hear things like that! This kind of EVIL goes on all over the world not just Medan and it is REALLY sickening! May God forgive me what I do to these people if I should ever run into them!


Hi FreoGirl,

Yes I really feel for this girl and I hope she comes home soon!

I hate it when I hear people say "money is not everything", it takes people with money to even say such a thing, try and tell that to these poor girls from your and Tracey's posts! Unfortunately we can not survive without money and people who exploit these poor victims of poverty in such ways deserve a special place in Hell!

 

[Bert Vierstra]

Article:

Hundreds of thousands of Indonesian girls working as domestic maids are being abused and treated as slaves because the government is showing no will to implement the laws it has passed to protect them, the international organisation Human Rights Watch said yesterday.
Girls as young as 11 are enduring working days of up to 18 hours, no or paltry pay, no statutory rights, no days off, trafficking, beatings, sexual abuse, denial of education and no private space, the group alleges in a 74-page report.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/indonesia/Sto ... 25,00.html

 

[Tommy]

Freogirl, let me know how it goes. I'll throw in a few hundred thousand rp's for her homebringing and well-being. :wink:

 

[Roy]

Unfortunately, this issue of abuse of young girls, be they sent off to be pembantus in foreign lands, or just offered up as prostitutes is a problem that will not be resolved very soon.

This issue is epidemic throughout all of Asia. This issue is based within cultural and economic realities.

Sadly, the resolutions, by any government, to these horrific realities will take many years to take hold, and in the mean time, many more young girls will fall victim. But, in the meantime, one can do what we do, and that is to take this issue “one girl at a time.”

Not wanting to elaborate on our involvement in various charities, or NGO’s…one can just think about making a difference, even if just one at a time. THAT is what initiates effective change…and nothing else.

 

[Margriet]

Re: RE: are domestic maids in Indonesia living as slaves?

I hate it when I hear people say "money is not everything", it takes people with money to even say such a thing, try and tell that to these poor girls from your and Tracey's posts!

Hi Sergio,

Do you mean me maybe when you said this, because I can remember I made a post like that in another topic.....but actually I meant that concerning happiness....of course you need money to get these girls out of this situation. I just meant that money can't make you happy....but of course it can help a little bit because you can do a lot more if you have some money.

 

[made marko]

Someone I care about very much had just recently lost the job she had worked for years. The company deided to move to Hawaii, giving it's employee's less than 1 month notice. This woman is university educated(SH), and put in many extra hours and effort for this verbally abusive boss.
At first we thought that this may be a great oportunity for her to find better employment. And thanks to a forum member that I consider no less than a brother, a fine oportunity was offered her.
Instead she has now left Bali for JKT. An uncle who has often helped her family, offered her a job there with the understanding she will now marry his son; a man she knows little about.
It is what is expected of her to do. and She will.
She is frightened.
I am saddened.
We were in love.
It is time that changes occur, I think.
A woman is no less than a man!
These are our sisters, daughters, mothers and wives!
Rice too is a woman and where would we be without her?

 

[Thorsten]

Hi FreoGirl,

so it will take 1.5 mio RPs to get her home , less than 150 € !
I trust in you and in the story you told here, so gimme a bank account and I will send you the bucks to get her her home.

regards
Thorsten

PS: this will be an unique support, cause I cannot afford to save all abused Indonesian girls :wink:

 

[Tracey]

This is slightly off topic & I aplogise, but just had to share a conversation with my 6yr old daughter on the w/end...

We were watching parts of the LIVE8 concert & the snippets in between of the starving kids in Africa..

Maddison loooked at me & asked why these kids have no food or water & look so sad, I told her they are all very poor & living in a very poor & corrupt Country, so the monies donated go elsewhere, not to those that need it...

Then she started talking about the few beggars & poor children in Bali & said when she grows up she wants to feed the world, starting with Bali & free everyone from their sadness, I told her that I was extremely proud of her & her plan, but that it would be a very big job, to which she said I will start small & help those in Bali that I know of that REALLY need help & from there I can help others.

She asked me if I could create a business in her name to feed these children...

Now I have no idea where or what, or even why she needs a business & I explained to her that to help others you have to go without!
Not like many of the BIG charities that have their offices on the biggest & most expensive blocks of lands in Melb!

She asked at school last term for any old books which she will donate to Helen Flavel, when we return to Bali later this year, there may not be lot's but I will be proud of her anyway for making the effort to sak at school & get as many or as few as she does, as every little bit does make a difference!!!

To Tommy & Thorsten, you are truly amazing!

 

[Sergio]

Re: RE: are domestic maids in Indonesia living as slaves?

I hate it when I hear people say "money is not everything", it takes people with money to even say such a thing, try and tell that to these poor girls from your and Tracey's posts!

Hi Sergio,

Do you mean me maybe when you said this, because I can remember I made a post like that in another topic.....but actually I meant that concerning happiness....of course you need money to get these girls out of this situation. I just meant that money can't make you happy....but of course it can help a little bit because you can do a lot more if you have some money.

Dear Margriet, absolutely no, I did not even realize you said that
In the end, and as a Christian, I must also say "money is not everything". All I meant was that the world we live in EVERYTHING cost money! Those with little just live without luxuries but those with none... well to them money IS everything.

Tracey, what a wonderful young girl you have! Children are truly the purest of us all!

 

[matsaleh]

Tommy & Thorsten, I was truly touched by your generosity....I only wish I'd thought of it first.

And Freogirl, if Tommy & Thorsten's generous donations fall short of the required amount to arrange for the girl's return, please send me a PM.

As Thorsten suggested, we may not be able to save all the abused girls of Indonesia, but we can start with one.

 

[FreoGirl]

Thank you everyone for your offers of support and assistance in getting this girl home to Lombok. I totally agree we can't help everyone, but it is the small differences that add up to the big differences!
Currently we are working to ascertain exactly what the situation is in Medan and how best to get her out of there and home. Once we have a proper plan and need to get the funds together I will PM those who have so generously offered assistance and work out how to go about things.
Thank you all so very much
Karen

 

[made marko]

I am her earning thos big us$, I would like to contribute also.

 

[Sergio]

Hi FreoGirl,

I have not forgotten about this poor girl stuck in Medan... I would love to hear some good news! I think we all would!

go FreeaGirl go! we're rooting for you Girl... go get her!

Please keep us informed...

Sergio

 

[Thorsten]

Agree Sergio,

and Freogirl take me serious, whenever any actions are planned and I will have a bank account, I will support this.
So please keep us informed.

best regards
Thorsten

 

[Roy]

Selamat Thorsten! One child at a time.

 

[FreoGirl]

Hi Everyone

Thanks for your continued support! The wheels are turning (frustratingly) slowly - we are STILL trying to establish the exact situation in Medan. They have attempted to contact her, but no luck so far. Now they are away for a few weeks (should be back next week). I also have been away for a couple of weeks, so not pushing for things to happen.
We have spoken to the police, but they say they can't do anything - she is not a 'missing' person. They say it is up to the family to go get her if she can't run away on her own.

If nothing happens with the people in Medan by the end of next week I want to consider sending my husband to get her. She doesn't know him, but he is pretty capable, and knows how to handle himself. He would take a letter from the family.

So I will keep you informed, and contact you by PM if we need to take up offers of assistance.

Thanks again for all your support 8)
FG

 

[neilf]

I lived in Indonesia for 5 years. I lived in Jakarta. I know of lot of expats have only traveled to Bali and do not really see the true Indonesia. Indonesia is a grossly over populated country. It also has an inbalance of sexes. Majority female. Also an important point you must understand about Indonesia is that to Indonesians there is no such thing. A simple test.... When in Indonesia ask and Indonesian were they are from and the first thing they will reply with is the province they are from. And each province dislikes each other. for examples balinese don't like javanese and so on...You will also get the same response from an Indonesian living ouside of Indonesia. You will never ever get a response...I am from Indonesia. I am Indonesian.
So most Indonesians that can afford maids live in cities. Most maids come from the village. Not a village known to the employer. So having such a dislike for each province Indonesians are able to treat their maids poorly and never repremanded by the law. Also poorer citizens in Indonesia seem to know there place in Indonesian society and therefore accept their fate.
But you must also be aware that peolpe are still bought and sold in Indonesia for work and also the sex trade. Sudanese are especially well known for this. But the underlying fact is that Indonesia is so grossly over populated and so poorly educated that if these so called maids didnt come cheap there the unemployment rate in Indonesia would be unbelievable, most would probably go into prostitution, so therefore the government tollerates this Industry in Indonesia. But if you have ever lived or worked in Indonesia then you will know how lazy Indonesians are and therefore if they didnt have these maids their world would simply collapse!!!! So next time when you are in Indonesia and you employ a maid you are actually saving this person from a hard and difficult life. You are saving them from their very poor and under educated village, so treat them nice, treat them with respect and you will warm to each other very well.

 

[Roy]

Neilf, there is a great deal of your post that I personally disagree with, but this particular line really caught my eye:

for examples balinese don't like javanese and so on

My wife, who is Balinese, has quite a number of very close friends from Java, and so do other Balinese women and men that I know very well.

This was also troublesome to me:

And each province dislikes each other

As I read your post, it took me a while to understand that you were writing about Indonesia. In my seven years of living on Bali, and dealing most every day with people from all over Indonesia, I can't say I share your opinion or point of view, except of course when you write about maids, or pembantus...."so treat them nice, treat them with respect and you will warm to each other very well." Those words, none of us would ever disagree with.

 

[Ratih]

I have several friends from Java, too. It is not true that Balinese doesn't like Javanese. I don't know how neilf comes with that idea.

My cousin married to a Javanese woman. She has been my best friend ever.
All our family loves her dearly.

Ratih

 

[Sergio]

Thank you for the update FreoGirl.

neilf, I don't think you give the members of this forum enough credit... for one not all members here live in Bali.

"People being bought and sold in Indonesia for work and the sex trade"

We are all aware about the sex trade, I don't know about sold for work but the sex trade is bad enough! This is a disgusting problem in every developing country not just Indonesia! Oh what I would do to those exploiting the poor in these ways! :evil: (also I take it you meant Sundanese and not Sudanese... an easy typo to make.)

As for treating maids poorly; most Indonesians I know treat their maids just fine. Those that treat their maids poorly are arrogant scum and no one can tell me that it is expected or accepted! (Police not doing there job is an other thing)

Balinese disliking the Javanese... humm, I am going to regret saying this as I respect both Roy and Ratih here very much but I must admit I did find some resentment towards the Javanese in Bali... I even know Javanese in Bali that introduce themselves as Balinese to other Balinese because they are scared of being disliked otherwise and only their close friends know they are Javanese. Other have gone as far as to change their name to Wayan or Made and so on... Of course there are PLENTY of Balinese that don't dislike Javanese but apparently there are enough. However, any resentment towards the Javanese is understandable if you ask me... it's is not right that they are generalized but understandable non the less. The way I see it is that naturally those from surrounding provinces come to Bali to cash in on the tourism (I would) and that is where the trouble starts as they come with nothing, no family to lean on for support and no money and no plan B so many resort to being pickpockets and crocks (not all but enough for the Balinese to take notice of this.) However, in west Java the Balinese have an excellent reputation for being kind and hospitable people as do the people from Padang and many other places so using your own reasoning I would disagree with you that people from different provinces dislike each other, like you say Bali does not represent all of Indonesia.

Cheers.