Update | Hong Kong under pressure to improve rights of city's 300,000 maids
Indonesian politician, UN advocate for migrants express concern about helpers' lack of rights
Hong Kong is facing external pressure to bolster the basic rights of the city's 300,000 migrant domestic workers in the wake of the alleged abuse of an Indonesian maid by her employer.
An Indonesian politician said the country's parliament would pursue a new law protecting its citizens coming to work in Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, a United Nations monitor urged the Hong Kong government to relax the two-week rule for maids seeking new contracts and step up inspections to ensure adequate accommodation for live-in maids.
Mardiana Indraswati, a member of Indonesia's House of Representatives, said yesterday that the legislature might pass a new law to protect migrant workers following the alleged abuse suffered by Erwiana Sulistyaningsih.
The lawmaker made the remarks after visiting Erwiana in hospital in Sragen, Central Java.
"This case could be used to put into place a new law to protect all migrant workers," Mardiana said. "The parliament is now discussing this proposed law, which may prohibit local agencies from sending workers abroad without giving them adequate preparation and safety training."
François Crépeau, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, said there would be less abuse if labour inspectors were allowed into homes employing live-in maids but conceded it would be very difficult for Hongkongers to accept.
