Columban Fr Peter O'Neill works with migrant workers, immigrants and victims of human trafficking at a centre run by the Diocese of Hsinchu, Taiwan. He shares with us the story of some of the victims he meets in his work.
Here is Siti's story
Siti (not her real name) comes from a very poor family in Indonesia. Her family managed to send her to primary school but could not afford secondary education for her. Siti's family own a small plot of land on which they barely support themselves by growing rice.
When Siti turned 18 a man from the village came to her home offering her a job as a carer of elderly people in Taiwan. This man works as a recruiter for a labour agency. Siti was told that she would be able to earn a lot of money that she could send home to her family.
Siti accepted the job offer. She was then sent to the agency's office in Jakarta where for several months she learnt Mandarin Chinese, Chinese cooking and how to use modern utensils, unknown in Siti's village, such as microwave ovens, electric irons and washing machines. She also learnt the different skills necessary to be a carer of the elderly.
A few days before Siti was due to leave for Taiwan, she was told by the Agency to take out a loan from the local bank at an interest rate of 18%. This loan and the interest rate added up to $3000 that was to be deducted from her first year's salary. Siti's parent's home and small plot of land were offered as collateral to the bank, in case she could not pay back the loan.
Siti then flew to Taiwan. She was met at the airport by the Taiwanese agent and taken to the family where she was to care for the elderly. The family that received Siti live on the second floor of a two-storey building. They own a restaurant located on the ground floor. Siti soon discovered that she had to rise at 4:00am every morning to go to the market to buy ingredients for use in the restaurant.
She then had a full day ahead of her, working in the restaurant. She prepared and served meals, cleaned tables and washed dishes.
Throughout the day, Siti constantly had to check on the elderly members of the family on the second floor. When the restaurant closed at 9:00pm she then had to spend the next three hours cleaning, washing and ironing for the family on the second floor.
Siti's salary was $600 per month. At the end of her first month, however, she only received $40. She had to repay her bank loan back $300 per month for 10 months. Another $200 went to pay for her visa and her medical certificate and $60 went to the labour agency.
After six months of working like this, Siti was sleep deprived and in a totally exhausted state. When she complained to the labour agent he threatened to send her home which she greatly feared due to the need to continue her bank loan repayments. As time went on Siti started suffering severe stress and the beginnings of a mental breakdown.
It was in this weakened state that Siti fell prey to the promises of an illegal labour agent who offered her an illegal job in a karaoke bar. She accepted and ran away from the family where she was working. She had to pay this agent $300 to get this job which would be deducted from her salary.
She was introduced to the mamasan (the female manager) of the karaoke bar who told her all she had to do was to serve the customers (all male) and sing karaoke songs. She would live with the other women at the bar.
When Siti began work, she soon discovered she was forced to wear "suggestive" clothing which made her feel uncomfortable. She was told by the mamasan that if a customer wanted "extra service", she had to provide it. Siti told the mamasan that she did not want to work as a prostitute.
The mamasan threatened her that if she did not, she would inform the police of her illegal situation and she would be sent to prison. Siti was terrified that her family would lose their home and land. She and the other girls were locked in the bar after it closed each night. They had no means of escape.
Unknown to Siti, the local Taiwanese police had received a tip off about the karaoke bar and it was raided. Siti and four other Indonesian women were rescued by the police and sent to the Hsinchu Diocesan "Shelter for Abused Migrant Workers and Victims of Human Trafficking".
The Shelter offered Siti and the other victims legal aid and helped them find another job while their case was being processed through the courts. In this way, Siti could continue to repay her bank loan. The Shelter offers victims a variety of support such as counselling, Chinese classes, computer lessons, arts and crafts, dance lessons and workshops of personal development.
Siti remained at the Shelter for one and a half years until a court decision was made about her case. The mamasan and the owner of the karaoke bar were sent to prison. But although Siti had been a victim of abuse, the fact that she had run away from the family where she first worked meant that Siti could not remain in Taiwan and would have to return home. This was the end of her opportunity to earn money to support her family.
We, at the Diocesan Migrant Workers Centre, continue to lobby the Taiwanese government to protect victims like Siti.
Columban Fr Peter O'Neill first went to Taiwan in 1991.
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LISTEN TO: Abuse at the karaoke bar (Duration: 6.17mins, MP3, 2.87MB) |
Read more from The Far East, September 2014