By Kresensia Risna Efrieno

Indonesia is a very large country with a population of more than 270 million people. However, what happens if many of them suffer, are destitute, and even die because of hunger, poverty, and face injustice? Issues of injustice and violence occur everywhere including rape, murder, and even human trafficking faced by Indonesian workers. Then, what can we do? It was revealed in Stube HEMAT Yogyakarta discussion about what happened to Indonesian migrant workers abroad. An online dialogue about Peace and Justice program (Saturday, 25/09/2021) presented Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, a migrant worker who was abused by her employer in Hong Kong. Twenty of the student participants studied the reality of human trafficking and the chaos that occurred in it, while at the same time, the discussion was raising awareness of the problem.

In the discussion, Erwiana revealed several reasons why many Indonesians go abroad to work as laborers, even though Indonesia is a country rich of natural resources and other unmanaged potencies. It is assumed that they tend to be the consumers rather than producers that creates dependence and it triggers a crisis. Poverty, limited education, and unemployment are the reasons to work abroad as laborer, besides having an opportunity to go abroad even though the salary is low. On the other hand, the government opens job opportunities abroad because it increases 'state income' with the increasing number of migrant workers.

The history of population migration tells that there is a change in mindset as before 1980 the sending of workers were professional workers to Europe and the Middle East and the majority were men and there were no special rules. After 1980s, the laborers were sent to the Middle East and Asia, and the majority were women as household assistants, factory workers, plantation workers, and others. Furthermore, various regulations related to migrant workers emerged, from recruitment of workers through labor supply companies, various requirements, and even state revenue from the exchange rate for remittances of workers abroad. The data from BP2MI, in August 2021, there were 5.222 placements of Indonesian migrant workers consisting of 71% working in the informal sector and 29% working in the formal sector, with variety of educational background covering elementary, middle, and high school graduates that dominate over diplomas and universities. This is a challenge to improve the quality of the workforce to work in the formal sector.

The difficulties faced by the laborers have occurred since the beginning of recruitment, the training process before they are sent abroad, even when they arrive abroad it isn’t instantly they get good conditions or high salaries as promoted at the beginning. Erwiana herself chose to become a migrant worker because she was encouraged because of the undeveloped condition of her village, limited access to improve welfare. She applied for a job in a labor company and attended briefings and was eventually sent to Hong Kong. Unluckily, she was treated unfairly by her employer in Hong Kong, and she suffered various persecutions and tortures. Access to communicate with the company and neighbors was blocked so that she could not defend herself and her condition worsened. The employer will also run away from the responsibility by sending her back to Indonesia secretly. Arriving in Indonesia, she received help from fellow migrant workers and it went viral and became a big case in Hong Kong. The court process went on and the employer was punished and then Erwiana joined the struggle of the migrant workers. Choosing to work abroad is not a bad thing but it is not an easy thing. When someone wants to work abroad, he or she must have complete provisions such as mastery of language for communication, self-skill to work according to the field, and knowledge related to the rules of working abroad, so that cases of human trafficking can be avoided.

Let’s Indonesian youth, find your own-potency, combine it with natural resources and opportunities in your region so that there is no more unemployment but productivity to support welfare.

Oleh: Kresensia Risna Efrieno.          

And when we speak we are afraid,

Our word will not be heard, nor welcomed,

But when we are silent, we are still afraid,

So it is better to speak,

Remembering,

We were never meant to survive,

(Audrey Lorde, The Black Unicorn)

The poetry above opened a discussion of Stube HEMAT Yogyakarta on 'Sexual Violence and Human Trafficking' (Saturday, 9/11/2021) at Wisma Pojok Indah. Ariani Narwastujati, S.Pd., S.S., M.Pd., Executive Director of Stube HEMAT conveyed this verse as a reminder to speak out against sexual violence and human trafficking. This topic is part of the Peace and Justice program where violence against children, sexual violence, and human trafficking still occurs. Violations of children's rights in the form of pressure and sexual violence in Indonesia have soared reaching 1.192 reports according to the National Commission for Child Protection, in 2019 with several prominent cases occurring and spreading in remote areas. In addition, Indonesia is a supplier country for women workers to foreign countries so that human trafficking is vulnerable to occur. Many Indonesian women want to work abroad because of the lure of high salary, but they are recruited by illegal labor recruitment agencies without official legal protection and even trapped as victims of human trafficking, experiencing inhumane treatment, threatened with the death penalty, and ended up losing their lives.

What can students do? Stube HEMAT as a student assistance institution encourages students to be sensitive to social problems that occur around them, know what to do, and contribute ideas to reduce potential problems. Stube HEMAT Yogyakarta discussed with 20 students at Wisma Pojok Indah, Condongcatur (Saturday, 11/09/2021) by presenting competent practitioners, including Arnita E. Marbun, SH, MH, legal consultant at the Woman Crisis Center (WCC) Rifka Annisa, Rev. A. Elga J. Sarapung, (Executive Director of the Institute DIAN Interfidei) and Rev. Em. Bambang Sumbodo, S.Th., M.Min (Board in charge of Stube HEMAT).

Arnita in her presentation opened the participants' minds with the question, what do participants imagine about sexual violence and who could be the victims or perpetrators of sexual violence? This question provoked participants to recognize sexual violence that occurred in their immediate environment. Sexual violence can happen anywhere and everyone can be a victim or a perpetrator. Students must have the courage to say no to anything that is coercive and threatens humanity, and they also know what to do when sexual violence and human trafficking occur. It was revealed in this discussion that several participants had experienced sexual violence and they found the strength and courage to express it. Arnita, who has experience assisting victims of sexual violence said, “This forum is an open forum to strengthen and support one another. So when someone wants to 'share' they can help each other. Give a sense of security and empathy, support the victim, then help collect evidence and find competent people and institutions to handle cases.” Young people need to have provisions to take care of themselves and to help others maintain their dignity in life.

Rev. Elga Sarapung, a priestess serving in ministry and interfaith in various parts of Indonesia, revealed the fact that she frequently faced the reality of human trafficking cases in Indonesia. The cases are still very high and not easily resolved due to various triggers and interrelated situations. Poverty, lack of access to education and information, weak law enforcement, local customary culture, gender inequality, and limited labor recruitment are the triggers. A documentary video was played and visualized the story of a priestess and nuns in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara who often handle cargo containing bodies of victims of human trafficking who are sometimes not recognized when it arrived home in the area due to fake identities. She emphasized that trafficking is a serious humanitarian issue and religions must care for humanity and defend life in a dignified manner. Young students needed to build networks, both local and international related to the issue, be critical of existing cases and reduce opportunities for human trafficking.

Rev. Bambang Sumbodo at the end of the discussion reminded the importance of sexual education from the closest environment, namely the family to understand sexual violence. Regarding human trafficking, education and awareness are important to the community, from the immediate environment, about the dangers of human trafficking. Students from various regions in Indonesia must be sensitive to the surrounding environment and contribute by educating the community. From this point, it is time for students not to be silent and ignore the reality of sexual violence and human trafficking, but to be sensitive to the reality, brave to say no to violence, and dare to speak out against sexual violence and human trafficking.