Human Rights Violations In The Nickel Industry Also Happened To Chinese Migrant Workers
PRESS RELEASE – Jakarta (23/2) – AMAR Law Firm & Public Interest Law Office (AMAR) reported human rights violations against Migrant Workers from the People’s Republic of China in the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP), Bahodopi District, Central Sulawesi.
Migrant Workers from China experience a lot of physical, psychological, and financial suffering as human beings while working in the IMIP area. Among them are (i) poor working conditions and poor personal protective equipment, causing health problems such as respiratory problems, memory loss, fast heart rate, and so on, because the factory is filled with dense smoke and it is difficult to breathe, (ii) being forced to work 12 (twelve) more hours every day, without holidays and rest days, (iii) Migrant Workers from China are locked up in the IMIP area, their passports are withheld, and they have difficulty communicating with their surroundings due to language barriers, (iv) excessive wage deduction fines due to minor mistakes at work, (v) inadequate medical facilities, workers have to travel great distances to get medical services at the Regional General Hospital, and (vi) prohibition of association and gathering to form a labor union for Migrant Workers from China.
AMAR represents several Migrant Workers from China. Mr. X as one of the workers was only able to work for 6 (six) months because of the heavy suffering he experienced. AMAR visited the National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Indonesia (Komnas HAM RI) on Thursday, February 23rd 2023, to submit a report regarding alleged human rights violations experienced by Migrant Workers from China who experienced these human rights violations.
There are many similarities in the bad conditions and suffering that are also experienced by Indonesian workers at IMIP. Including some of the recent developments in the occurrence of horizontal conflict between workers in North Morowali, because the root of the problem is bad working conditions and the many violations of human rights that have occurred.
The government has an obligation to respect, to protect, and to fulfill human rights. The rights of Migrant Workers from China, among others, are protected by the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 39 of 1999 concerning Human Rights, International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families which has been ratified through Law Number 6 of 2012, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which has been ratified through Law Number 12 of 2005, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which has been ratified through Law Number 11 of 2005, and various laws and regulations in the field of manpower.
Therefore, AMAR encourages the National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Indonesia to seriously use its authority to carry out studies, research, monitoring, and other necessary matters regarding alleged human rights violations in the IMIP area, both against Migrant Workers from China and Indonesian Workers.
AMAR Law Firm & Public Interest Law Office
Citylofts Sudirman, 26th Floor, Unit 2615
Central Jakarta – 10220
Contact person:
Airlangga Julio
Harold Aron Perangin-Angin
Alghiffari Aqsa