CHINA: Mother accused of abusing several domestic helpers in Hong Kong appears in court amid protests and petitions calling for better protection of migrant workers

Record ID: 334716

  • Title: CHINA: Mother accused of abusing several domestic helpers in Hong Kong appears in court amid protests and petitions calling for better protection of migrant workers
  • Date: 29th April 2014
  • Summary: HONG KONG, CHINA (APRIL 29, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CAR CARRYING MOTHER LAW WAN-TUNG TO COURT LAW AND HUSBAND WALKING INTO BUILDING HIDING BEHIND NEWSPAPERS AND FACE MASKS VARIOUS OF KWUN TONG LAW COURTS BUILDING VARIOUS OF MIGRANT WORKERS PROTESTING OUTSIDE COURT HOLDING BANNERS POSTER READING: "WE ARE WORKERS, WE ARE NOT SLAVES" (SOUNDBITE) (English) JUSTICE FOR ERWIANA SPOKESPERSON, ENI LESTARI, SAYING: "I think Erwiana is our symbol, symbol of slavery excess in Hong Kong. For many, many years no one believed whenever domestic helpers tell their story that we face so much problem in Hong Kong. So for many, many years people actually deny in Hong Kong and Erwiana is actually the one who exploit and expose everything to the world." PROTESTERS CHANTING POSTER READING: "JUSTICE FOR ERWIANA, NO MORE DELAY!" (SOUNDBITE) (English) JUSTICE FOR ERWIANA SPOKESPERSON, ENI LESTARI, SAYING: "So for Erwiana, the employer should go to prison and she must receive a big compensation for what she has lost. Physically she has suffered a lot, emotionally she has actually been tortured. And I think, beyond that, the Hong Kong government should fast-track the reform of their policies. If they don't, they will see more Erwianas, more victims, more Annies whose hand was chopped. They should really reform their policies as soon as possible." HONG KONG, CHINA (APRIL 27, 2014) (REUTERS) POSTER READING: "103,307 SIGNATURES. STOP EXPLOITATION NOW." VARIOUS OF ASIA-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL ROBERT GODDEN HOLDING PETITION CALLING FOR AN END OF EXPLOITATION OF MIGRANT WORKERS BANNER READING: "STOP EXPLOITATION NOW." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASIA-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL ROBERT GODDEN, SAYING: "I think what surprised many people is that they hear about abuse cases from places like the Gulf and there was an assumption that, actually, Hong Kong, rule of law, it was fine. But what we see is, like, there are some laws in place but actually not enough and they're just not being implemented properly. So I think there was a lot of surprise about what happened here. And Erwiana's case, like, illustrated that." VARIOUS OF MIGRANT WORKERS HOLDING BANNERS AND CHANTING HONG KONG EMBLEM
  • Embargoed: 14th May 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Crime,People
  • Reuters ID: LVA5KATPBQDWSKPA7IX58Y5MASE2
  • Story Text: A Hong Kong mother charged with abusing several Indonesian maids appeared in court on Tuesday (April 29) in a court case that puts the rights of the city's 300,000 foreign domestic helpers in the spotlight.
    Law Wan-tung, a 44-year-old former beautician, arrived at the Kwun Tong district court with her husband in sunglasses and face mask. They covered their faces with newspapers.
    The mother of two faces seven charges, including wounding, common assault and criminal intimidation against several maids, including 23-year-old Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, who first brought the case into light earlier this year.
    The court had heard in a January hearing that Law punched her maids, beat them with mops and threatened to kill their relatives.
    Law was released on bail after a brief court mention and the case has been adjourned until May 20.
    Outside the court house, about 20 protesters chanted slogans "we are workers, we are not slaves".
    Eni Lestari, spokesperson for civil rights group "Justice for Erwiana", said Sulistyaningsih had became a symbol for the city's migrant workers.
    "I think Erwiana is our symbol, symbol of slavery excess in Hong Kong. For many, many years no one believed whenever domestic helpers tell their story that we face so much problem in Hong Kong. So for many, many years people actually deny in Hong Kong and Erwiana is actually the one who exploit and expose everything to the world," she said.
    She also hoped the media glare would force the Hong Kong government to speed up reform of the system.
    "So for Erwiana, the employer should go to prison and she must receive a big compensation for what she has lost. Physically she has suffered a lot, emotionally she has actually been tortured. And I think, beyond that, the Hong Kong government should fast-track the reform of their policies. If they don't, they will see more Erwianas, more victims, more Annies whose hand was chopped. They should really reform their policies as soon as possible," she added.
    On Sunday (April 27), activists delivered a petition with over 100,000 signatures collected from around the world to the Hong Kong government, urging it to "end the endemic exploitation of migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong."
    Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific Campaign Coordinator, Robert Godden, said the case was surprising in a territory like Hong Kong which claims to abide by the rule of law.
    "I think what surprised many people is that they hear about abuse cases from places like the Gulf and there was an assumption that, actually, Hong Kong, rule of law, it was fine. But what we see is, like, there are some laws in place but actually not enough and they're just not being implemented properly. So I think there was a lot of surprise about what happened here. And Erwiana's case, like, illustrated that," he said.
    TIME Magazine picked Sulistyaningsih as one of the 100 most influential people and called her "the migrant worker who fought back."
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