Siti, from Indonesia, had objects thrown at her face by an angry employer Photo: Christian Action
Abuse of domestic helpers is far to common in Hong Kong. Too many migrant workers are suffering exploitation, physical and psychological abuse, even rape and torture. Awareness should be raised of the problem and the services available to victims so they know where to go for help. Most maids don’t know there is help available to them.
Two charities lead the way, Christian Action and Mission for Migrant Workers, an offshoot of St John’s Cathedral. Statistics published by the Mission make depressing reading:
- One out of every 25 migrant workers reports physical assault. 0.3 per cent complain of sexual assault, rape or torture.
- Seven out of 10 report they have to work long hours.
- One third say they are forced to sleep in unsatisfactory conditions such as a drawer or toilet.
- One out of five report they are victims of employment fraud. They are not paid properly, sometimes not at all.
- One out of 10 say they are made to clean windows on high floors dangerously.
- Twenty-three per cent complain of insufficient or poor quality food.
Christian Action cites cases of dreadful behaviour towards domestic helpers. Siti, a 20-year-old from Indonesia, went to work for a couple with two children. She was forced to sleep on the floor. Objects were thrown at her face by an angry employer. The abuse escalated into physical violence. Siti feared for her life. Her sister referred the poor girl to Christian Action, which took her under its wing, providing shelter, counselling and money. With this support Siti’s sense of helplessness faded and she gradually came out of her shell and began socialising again. Now she is back in Indonesia. Christian Action continues to seek justice for her with the police and other departments.
Ismiati is a 28 year old from India. Within three days of going to work for an employer she was given a bad performance review. Her boss complained of slow cooking. She poured hot water over Ismaiti’s back. Her condition was serious, but she was not allowed to go to hospital — until the police came. Ismiati was referred to Christian Action. With the support of the charity’s staff Ismiati slowly rebuild her sense of self worth. A court sentenced her employer to 12 months in jail.
A third case is one of the most terrible reported in Hong Kong. An Indonesian Erwiana Sulistyaningsih was so bullied and wounded by Law Wan-tung that Law was sentenced to six years in jail and ordered to pay $800,000 in fines. Erwiana was afterwards diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
It doesn’t help that a university study has found bias in the media against domestic helpers. Professor Janet Ho of Lingnan University studied Chinese press reports on cases of abuse against migrant workers. She analysed 400 cases and found the media tended to provide mitigating circumstances for perpetrators, while helpers were given “less space”. News stories highlighted “the emotional suffering of the perpetrators, like their commitment to their children “enhancing their image”, while “stealing readers’ attention away from the severity of the crime”, according to an HKFP report. ” Helpers who were victims of mistreatment became “a secondary concern in these stories”.
Domestic helpers make up about five per cent of Hong Kong’s population. 98 per cent are women, many financially supporting families at home, some in a desperate situation. Before the 1980s Chinese domestic workers were dominant. Then came the Filipinas followed by Indonesians and other nationalities. The latest available figures show 136,723 from the Philippines (48 per cent) and 140,720 from Indonesia (49.4). The rest were from Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal and other countries.
Hong Kong law requires helpers to live with their employers. Activist groups such as Amnesty International and Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor point to grievances against migrant workers. “Exploited for profit, failed by governments,” says Amnesty. Grievances include discrimination, the minimum wage and the two-week limit a helper may stay in Hong Kong at the end of her contract. The organisations allege serious human rights violations in Hong Kong and list abuses such as confiscation of travel documents, lack of privacy, pay below the minimum wage and being “on call” at all hours. Many migrant workers are systematically exploited, victims of agents and unscrupulous officials. The debts they incur as they seek work to support their families often lock them into a cycle of abuse and exploitation.
In 2013 Amnesty International said many Indonesians are victims of forced human trafficking. It criticised the Hong Kong and Indonesian governments for having “failed to enforce domestic legislation which could have protected migrant workers from trafficking, exploitation and forced labour. In particular they have not properly monitored, regulated or punished recruitment agencies who are not complying with the law.”
For foreigners who are not domestic helpers Hong Kong law says they will be eligible for permanent residency after seven years. Helpers are specially excluded under the law, given only temporary visas. Some women enter into marriage or relationships that allow them to stay and in a percentage of cases this leads to abuse.
The government requires maids to leave Hong Kong within two weeks of contract termination unless they found another employer. This is a form of discrimination, Human Rights Monitor says, because it applies to no other foreign workers. This rule can pressure helpers to stay with abusive employers. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women called on the government to repeal the two-week rule and to implement more flexible policies regarding domestic helpers. The United Nations Human Rights Committee called on Hong Kong to scrap the two-week and live-in laws.
If a helper seeks redress because she has been abused by an employer the process becomes time-consuming and costly. It can take 15 months for her case to reach District Court or the Labour Tribunal. And she is not allowed to stay here to see her case through. Activist groups accuse Hong Kong of allowing “modern-day slavery”.
If anyone knows of a domestic helper who is in distress advise her to go to Christian Action or the Mission for Migrant Workers. These charities will take her under their wings, giving her shelter, counselling, and legal aid. Christian Action headed by Cheung-Ang Siew-mei, has provided support for one million disadvantaged, marginalised, displaced or abandoned people since 1985. It trains and educates women so they will be better able to support themselves. It operates a service centre in Chung King Mansions assisting the needy with food, clothing and shelter as well as providing educational and psychological support. Mission for Migrant Workers, based at St John’s Cathedral, has been giving support to needy migrant workers for 43 years, serving an average of 5,000 annually. It sends staff to accompany helpers who have to face courts or tribunals. It assists them in preparing documents to back their claims. At Bethune House the Mission provides shelter to suffering workers and ensures they mix with others in similar circumstances for emotional support. The Mission has Migrant Care Centres in many districts of Hong Kong partnering with other migrant organisations. Its experienced staff visit prisons and hospitals to help care for helpers. You can help. These charities need volunteers and donors.
For further details contact:
Christian Action https://www.christian-action.org.hk/en/
Mission for Migrant Workers https://www.migrants.net/
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