Confinement of helpers for three weeks in tiny windowless hotel rooms appears scandalous

^{The Silka Hotel, Tsuen Wan}

What is being done to some domestic helpers locked up in tiny hotel rooms appears scandalous — if what Hugh Chiverton said on RTHK is correct. Talking to fellow broadcaster Phil Whelan,  Hugh said the helpers’ rooms in the Silka Tsuen Wan hotel are only 10 ft by 10 ft and  windowless. The rooms are so small there is only space for a bed. They’re not even big enough to open a suitcase, Hugh said. Some helpers from Philippines and Indonesia are banged up in these tiny rooms for 21 days. If Hugh’s right, people who care about how deplorably some helpers are treated in Hong Kong will be horrified.

^{A windowless economy room at the Silka Hotel}

The Silka Tsuen Wan Hotel is the sole hotel permitted by HK Government to quarantine helpers. It claims to be four-star and has economy, standard and deluxe rooms. It’s girls banged up in economy rooms that Hugh is presumably referring to. The Silka website says these rooms are 107 sq ft. One wall is hard up against the double bed. There is almost no room to exercise and after a few days helpers will feel they are in a jail cell. In some ways it will be worse than prison where they would let out to exercise daily.

^{A more luxurious standard room}

The rooms cost from $16,800 for three weeks including three meals a day. The Kwai Chung hotel is fully booked for the next two months. Helpers whose kind employers try to look after them well and have put them in standard or deluxe rooms will be better off and survive the confinement with less psychological stress.

Eni Lestari, Chair of the International Migrants Alliance, said the Government allowing only one hotel to quarantine helpers amounts to “discrimination” and a “singling out of domestic workers”.