VOX VICTIMAE VOX DEI: Peluncuran dan Diskusi Buku Settling Down The Struggles of Migrant Workers to Adapt

Suara korban merupakan suara Allah, begitu kira-kira yang disampaikan oleh Romo Ismartono, SJ membuka acara diskusi buku Settling Down The Struggles of Migrant Workers to Adapt pada Senin, 26 Maret 2018 di Sanggar Prathivi Building, Jakarta Pusat.

Romo Benny Hari Juliawan, SJ yang menjadi penulis sekaligus editor buku tersebut pertama-tama menyebutkan latar belakang dibuatnya buku. “JCAP memiliki kekurangan dari segi riset, padahal banyak data. Maka kami sepakat membuat penelitian bersama sehingga ada keterampilan baru dalam melakukan penelitian, memperluas jejaring atau cakupan karya lembaga”. Romo Benny memang sejak lima tahun yang lalu dipercaya menjadi koordinator Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific (JCAP) dengan fokus pada persoalan migrasi. Karena cakupan migrasi luas, dia berusaha mengisi kekosongan dengan spesifikasi pelayanan pada persoalan buruh migran. Selain menjadi koordinator JCAP, Romo Benny juga menjadi penasihat di Sahabat Insan. Maka buku Settling Down ini menjadi salah satu buah karya hasil penelitian bersama anggota JCAP. Sebelumnya, pada tahun 2016, JCAP juga sempat menerbitkan buku berjudul Left-Behind Children and the Idea of the Family dengan fokus tulisan pada persoalan keluarga buruh migran di Asia.

Terdapat 6 tulisan dari buku Settling Down ini yang masih memiliki benang merah dengan tema pengalaman buruh migran ketika mereka sampai di negara tujuan dan ketika mereka pulang ke kampung halaman. Keenam tulisan tersebut di antaranya kisah buruh migran di Taiwan, Korea, Filipina, Vietnam, dan Indonesia.

Di dalam buku Settling Down, Romo Benny menuliskan kisah buruh migran dari Indonesia berjudul “Going Back to Poverty: Failed Laboour Migration in Flores, Indonesia”. Romo Benny pun berbagi kisah yang ditulisnya kepada kami. Tulisannya itu berdasarkan pengalaman Romo Benny berjumpa dengan sekelompok pemuda berjumlah 12 asal dari Pulau Ende, Flores, yang dideportasi oleh Malaysia. Menurut Romo Benny hal ini menjadi menarik karena mereka berasal dari desa yang sama dan saling mengenal satu sama lain.

Kisah tentang 12 Pemuda Ende    

                                            

Di Malaysia, ke-12 pemuda Ende itu ditangkap dalam perjalanan menuju ke tempat konstruksi lain. Mereka bekerja untuk pemborong yang sama. Ketika tengah malam mereka akan dipindah, sialnya, mereka kena razia dan ditangkap. Usia mereka bervariasi di antara 18-50 tahun. Beberapa dapat dikatakan “veteran”, sudah sering keluar masuk Malaysia. Namun, bedanya kali ini mereka tertangkap karena semua tidak memiliki dokumen. Menurut Romo Benny hal tersebut merupakan fenomena migrasi tradisional, yaitu direkrut saudara atau teman sekampung. Pola rekrutmennya adalah “Kalau pulang ajak temanmu beberapa dan dibawa ke sini untuk bekerja”. Ini seperti di rumah ada asisten rumah tangga, dan saat pulang Lebaran dia mengajak teman atau saudaranya dari kampung. Ini lebih rumit karena melewati batas negara dan tanpa dokumen. Tentu berbeda dengan calo karena mencari untung dari penderitaan orang lain. Dalam hal ini tidak begitu karena teman sendiri: hari ini direkrut besok dia merekrut, sangatlah cair.

Di Malaysia, ke-12 pemuda Ende  itu lalu dihukum 6 bulan penjara dan dideportasi. Apabila di Malaysia mereka dianggap kriminal yang melanggar undang-undang ketenagakerjaan, begitu mereka naik kapal dari Portland ke Tanjung Priok dan ditemui oleh pemerintah Indonesia, status mereka dari kriminal berubah menjadi korban. Di Jakarta mereka untuk sementara ditampung di Rumah Perlindungan/Trauma Center (RPTC) milik Kemensos sebelum dipulangkan ke kampung halaman. Menurut Romo Benny, perlindungan sosial kita masih banyak lobang. Ada dua masalah yang seharusnya lekas dibenahi. Pertama, lemahnya lokasi lintas sektoral (komunikasi dan koordinasi dari pemerintah pusat, kabupaten, ke provinsi, dan sebaliknya). Kemensos memulangkan mereka di Tanjung Priok dengan memberikan uang saku dan uang jalan. Dari Tanjung Priok ke Maumere mereka dijemput Dinas Kenakertrans Maumere. Di Maumere harusnya mereka dijemput oleh petugas dan diserahkan secara resmi kepada keluarga masing-masing, namun hal tersebut tidak terjadi. Akhirnya ketika negara tidak berfungsi, jaringan kekeluargaan masuk. Tengah malam mereka menelpon teman-teman mereka, lalu jaringan kekerabatan berfungsi: mereka dijemput motor dan kembali ke rumah mereka diantar teman-teman mereka itu. Tidak ada yang tahu baik itu Dinaskertrans karena katanya tidak ada laporan dari pusat, dan ketika sudah ada berita semacam itu provinsi pun tidak mengecek ke pusat.

Masalah kedua, tidak ada kegiatan yang dilakukan oleh para buruh migran tersebut untuk menambah keahlian mereka selama menunggu jadwal kembali ke kampung halaman. Misalnya saja, di RPTC, kebanyakan yang bekerja di sana adalah sukarelawan. Jumlah petugas hanya 1 sampai 2 orang saja, dan tidak ada kegiatan untuk mengisi waktu. Misalnya ada yang ingin membuat pelatihan memasak, tidak ada kompor dan alat-alat lainnya yang tersedia di sana. Sesekali para relawan membawakan alat pelatihan yang diperlukan. Namun di waktu lain saat melakukan kunjungan lagi, alat tersebut tidak ketahuan lagi ada di mana. Selain itu, selama masa penantian tersebut, tidak ada pula yang melakukan sosialisasi dan memberi tahu atau menanyakan soal hak hak mereka.

Sebagai penutup, Romo Benny memaparkan beberapa hal yang menjadi sebab terbentuknya deportasi, yaitu karena kepentingan nasional dua negara yang bersangkutan, sistem pelayanan perlindungan sosial, dan kerentanan para buruh migran: mereka berpendidikan rendah, ekonomi lemah, dan tidak berpengalaman. Agensi para buruh migran ini tidak diperhitungkan. Mereka tak pernah ditanya kenapa mereka bermigrasi, apa yang terjadi sampai di rumah dan lain sebagainya, sehingga kebijakan pemerintah yang dibuat selalu meleset. Selalu ada faktor lain selain persoalan ekonomi yang menyebabkan mereka pergi dari rumah. Misalnya dalam kisah kedua belas pemuda Ende tersebut, mereka bermigrasi bukan hanya karena uang yang mereka dapatkan dari hasil berkebun di kampung hanya terbatas dan cukup untuk sehari-hari, melainkan juga karena adanya imaji yang terbentuk dalam impian mereka. Mereka bukan bermimpi datang ke Jakarta, melihat Monas, melainkan ingin pergi ke Malaysia melihat Menara Petronas, karena cerita teman-temannya itu.

                           

Seringkali masyarakat berpikir bahwa buruh migran dengan dokumen, dan yang biasa disalurkan melalui PJTKI akan lebih aman. Menurut Romo Benny, “Migrasi tradisional NTT dapat dikatakan ambigu. Kalau bicara HAM dan perdagangan manusia maka semua harus, sebaiknya jalur formal, tapi tak menjamin keselamatan dan tantangan banyak, mahal, waktu lama, ikut prosedur dst. dan rawan suap menyuap dan capek, mahal akhirnya. Tanpa dokumen, bedanya murah, untuk majikan tak perlu bayar permit kerja”. Dengan demikian, baik yang berdokumen maupun yang tidak sama-sama rentan mengalami kekerasan di negara tempat bekerja. Bedanya yang berdokumen artinya negara dan PJTKI bertanggung jawab secara hitam di atas putih. Namun, biaya yang dikeluarkan sangat besar, dibandingkan dengan jalur tanpa dokumen. Maka dalam hal ini baik itu buruh migran berdokumen atau tidak sangatlah penting peran negara untuk melindungi warga negaranya.

Terakhir, Romo Benny menekankan pentingnya perlindungan di tingkat bilateral dan ASEAN. ASEAN memang sudah menandatangani perlindungan, namun masih sebatas untuk buruh migran yang berdokumen, jika tanpa dokumen mereka tidak diurus maka sebenarnya, tidak terlalu berpengaruh untuk kebanyakan buruh migran.

Mencermati bahwa persoalan migrasi dan buruh migran ini tak pernah ada habisnya maka hadirnya lembaga-lembaga sosial seperti JCAP, Sahabat Insan, dan lainnya yang menaruh perhatian kepada mereka yang dibuang atau dimarginalkan sangatlah dibutuhkan.

A Temporary Respite

As usual it began with a phone call.  In the first week of February, a call came through from the staff at the halfway house run by the Ministry of Social Welfare in East Jakarta. A group of people needed some spiritual counsel. The people were Indonesian migrant workers who had been deported from Malaysia. The next day, a group of volunteers who call themselves Care for Migrants Network of the Jakarta Archdiocese visited the shelter and organised a common counseling session and a mass because most of the deportees were Catholic.

The situation of these migrant workers is not uncommon. According to official statistics, Indonesia sends about 450,000 migrant workers abroad every year, but this does not cover those who leave the country to work using channels unrecognised by the state. Some estimates put the total number at up to 700,000 people. The most popular destination is neighbouring Malaysia which houses 1.3 to 1.6 million Indonesian migrant workers at any given time. About half of them are without documents and some of them end up in halfway houses like the one in Jakarta after being deported by Malaysian authorities.

On that day 44 deportees, including four women and a month-old baby, were housed in the shelter. They were waiting for the ship that would bring them, in a four-day voyage, to their homes in several regions in Nusa Tenggara Timur province. They had arrived two days earlier from Tanjung Pinang in the Sumatran province which borders with the Malay Peninsula. Some of them had spent up to three months in the Pasir Gudang detention centre in Malaysia before being deported. While in detention, a handful of them had been punished by caning. The baby was born in the detention centre after the mother was arrested by the authorities. Its father remained in Malaysia because he had proper documents.

What the volunteers did was simple. They tried to create a welcoming environment by providing a space for the deportees to talk, sing, pray and sometimes make confessions. Many of them had undergone traumatic experiences and had had no opportunity to deal with them. A simple gesture of friendship was all that was needed to unlock the fear and worry that had crippled them and to restore their humanity.

These volunteers have been doing this for the past four years in collaboration with the staff at the shelter. In the beginning the staff invited them only when there were Christian deportees. After a while, they allowed the group to help organise cooking or hairdressing classes for everyone in the shelter, regardless of religion.

Sahabat Insan, a Jesuit initiative that helps returning migrants, joined this network of volunteers three years ago. Most of the volunteers are nuns who run similar services for migrants and victims of trafficking in Jakarta. The group has witnessed a lot of tragic stories of violence, desperation and hopelessness and often feel completely helpless themselves. In one particular case in April 2014, the group had to deal with 21 young girls from Nusa Tenggara Timur who had been trafficked and enslaved in a bird’s nest factory in Medan, North Sumatra, for two years. Two of their friends died in captivity, which triggered the alarm that led to their release. The girls had to spend two months in the halfway house because police were investigating the case and needing them as witnesses. The friendship and warmth offered by the volunteers helped bring smiles back to their faces at the end of the stay in Jakarta. Afterwards, two nuns accompanied them on their way to Kupang, the capital of their home province and met with their families.

This simple service is supported by the Jakarta Archdiocese and the Counter Women Trafficking Commission of the Indonesian Association of Female Religious Congregations. The network has developed other activities such as organising seminars and training sessions on anti-trafficking as well as lobbying policy makers to advocate for better protection for migrant workers. The group is best defined, however, by their hospitality in offering a temporary respite for the laboured and broken.

Please visit http://sjapc.net/content/temporary-respite

The Asia Pacific face of the promotion of justice

http://sjapc.net/content/asia-pacific-face-promotion-justice

The Asia Pacific face of the promotion of justice

Submitted on August 27, 2015 - 2:23 pm

A black and white photograph caught the eye on entering the meeting room for this year’s Social Apostolate meeting in Kuala Lumpur. It showed six men, all Jesuits and all Caucasian, deep in thought. The photograph was taken sometime in 1971 when the Committee for the Development of Socio-Economic Life in Asia (SELA), the predecessor of the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific social apostolate office, had a meeting.  One of those men, Fr Ando Isamu SJ, was also in the KL meeting held from August 3 to 7, 2015, connecting the participants to the foundations of the Jesuit social apostolate in Asia Pacific.

This year is the 40^th anniversary of the seminal Decree 4 of the 32^nd General Congregation, which prompted an outpouring of social action among Jesuits and lay collaborators against the oppression and poverty that engulfed much of Asia Pacific at that time. Asia Pacific is a very different place now, although structures of injustice remain in various forms. The call to live a faith that does justice, therefore, still rings true. How have we responded to the call? What kind of injustices are people now suffering? And how do we want to work for justice in Asia Pacific today?

Armed with these questions, the 38 participants went through three stages of reflection and learning. The first stage took everyone through the spiritual and historical background of the promotion of justice as an absolute requirement in the mission of the Society of Jesus. Fr Patxi Alvarez SJ, Secretary of the Social Justice and Ecology office in Rome, took them through St Ignatius’ understanding of charity and the evolution of the idea of the social apostolate in the documents of the Society. Fr Ando brought everyone back to the days of SELA to learn the lessons of overcoming difficulties in collaboration. This first stage ended with Fr Lawrence Andrew SJ explaining the struggle for justice as experienced by the church in Malaysia in the last three decades.

Stage two laid out the challenges that Asia Pacific is facing today. In Southeast Asia, the ASEAN Economic Community presents a promise of greater prosperity but also threatens to marginalise the poor who will struggle to join the new regional market economy. In Northeast Asia, peace is being threathened by increasing militarisation. Fr Park Mun-su SJ described how the perceived threat from the emerging China combined with experiences of past wars and conflicts fuel the pursuit of national security, which ironically makes everyone less secure. Jesuits in Japan and Korea have joined hands to counter this phenomenon. These challenges were framed in an exercise to do social analysis that puts the question of poverty and inequality at the centre.

The third day was spent visiting civil society groups that are at the frontline of the struggle for justice in Malaysia: Suaram (Suara Rakyat Malaysia or the Voice of the People of Malaysia), Bersih or the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, Sisters in Islam, Islamic Renaissance Front, Pusat Komas which works for the rights of indigenous people, Tenaganita which advocates for the rights of migrants and asylum seekers, IDEAS (Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs) and CETDEM (Centre for Environment, Technology and Development Malaysia). The activists impressed the participants with their commitment and resourcefulness amidst the increasingly difficult political situation in Malaysia.

The field trip brought a fresh sense of urgency to the participants about their own work. The  last stage of the meeting took it up the next day when the participants were invited to reimagine their apostolate.

The face of the social apostolate in JCAP is now Asian, but many of the institutions are small and need serious commitments in resources if they are to respond to the challenges of today. With the promotion of justice now considered to be a dimension of all apostolic sectors, the social apostolate plays an important role as a driver of change in society. It serves as a focal point for Jesuits and lay collaborators involved in the work for justice.

As the meeting drew to a close, it was clear that the promotion of justice means working with the poor, from the bottom up and often in powerless situations. It means aiming to effect changes in society to bring the justice of the Gospel to the marginalised. This was true 40 years ago and it remains true today. 

• General Information
 
• Social Justice & Ecology

Building a Better Migration Network

http://sjapc.net/content/building-better-migration-network

Submitted on May 27, 2015 - 1:56 pm

Visitors to Taiwan are greeted at the Taipei airport by signs welcoming migrant workers to the island country. The authorities provide a lot of information to migrant workers, on their rights as well as precaution measures in place, upon their arrival to the country, even before they meet their agencies or employers. In a country with 23 million people, the presence of more than half a million migrant workers is no small figure.

It was in this setting and context that this year’s Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific Migration Network meeting was held from April 21 to 23.

The inaugural meeting in Jakarta last year had resulted in an action plan, and the group had gathered to see if it had actually worked and what lessons could be learnt from the first year of collaboration. There was clearly a stronger sense of purpose and eagerness.

The network’s five participating institutions were represented by their directors, old and new. At Yiutsari in Korea, Fr Kim Tae-jin SJ had taken over from Fr Kim Chong-dae SJ who had left the post to do tertianship in Australia. Fr Archie Carampatan SJ had succeeded Fr Nilo Tanalega SJ as the executive director of UGAT Foundation in the Phillippines. Fr Ando Isamu SJ of Tokyo Migrants' Desk was accompanied by his secretary Ms Jessie Tayama, while Fr Ismartono SJ of Sahabat Insan in Indonesia came with Ms Astuti Sitanggang, a legal officer of the organisation. Sr Wei Wei and Ms Jennie Lee represented the Rerum Novarum Center in Taiwan.

Also in the meeting were Fr Joseph Dao Nguyen Vu SJ, a Jesuit from the California Province who has just been appointed executive secretary of the Vietnamese Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People; Fr Bambang Sipayung SJ, regional director of Jesuit Refugee Service Asia Pacific; and three young Jesuits residing in Taiwan who came as observers: Joseph Bui Ngoc Thang SJ, Jean Amegble Yao Kékéli SJ, and Joseph Nguyen Bao An SJ.

The group agreed that communication had been the most challenging action in the plan. Collaborating across the boundaries of Asia Pacific may look doable on paper during this Internet age, but virtual communication has its limitations. People have different attitudes toward the Internet and much was lost in the process of trying to get connected, at least in the early stages. Face-to-face interaction remains the most productive means of communication.

Another point raised was the capacity of the institutions to implement programmes. Most of them are small in terms of personnel and budget, and they can only do so much with the resources they have to hand. Being part of the network means more work that can be easily overlooked given their tight schedule.

A major challenge arises with leadership changes, which shows a lack of institutional capacity that stands in contrast to the designation of migration as a common apostolic priority of this Jesuit Conference. Serious investments in all departments are needed to make this priority more meaningful.

And an activity that made the meeting more meaningful was the visit to Rerum Novarum shelter in Taipei. Shielded from prying eyes, the small two storey building nestled unnoticed between the surrounding tall office blocks. There eight women migrant workers from Indonesia and the Philippines had taken refuge after experiencing abuse, mistreatment, non-payment of wages, and contract termination. Rerum Novarum runs the shelter like a home for these unfortunate women, making them feel safe and welcome despite the hardship.

The group also visited St Christopher’s Church in the city centre which doubles as the Diocese Migrant Workers’ Concern Desk. Fr Leonilo Mantilla, a Scalabrinian from the Philippines, welcomed everyone with stories of how the church has become a symbol of hospitality for migrants in the city. 

Hospitality and Solidarity needed in addressing Rohingya

from http://www.jrsap.org/news_detail?TN=NEWS-20150519024001

Rohingya refugees wait with uncertainty after arriving by boat to Langsa, East Aceh, Indonesia on 15 April 2015 (Nasruddin FPRM)

(Bangkok) 19 May 2015 — Hospitality and solidarity are two principle human values expressed in human interaction and deeds, especially towards those in dire needs and those marginalised. The people in the Asia Pacific region have a long tradition manifested in social and religious values. Globally these values are cemented in international norms and standards on how to treat people in distress like the Rohingya people experiencing now in their odyssey to safety. It is time for the ASEAN and global community to recall these values and norms when deciding how to respond to the suffering of the Rohingya people approaching the shores of ASEAN nations. The protection of lives as a core human right should be prioritized over any other interests or scenario. I would like to repeat what Pope Francis once said “I beg the Lord to grant us more politicians who are genuinely disturbed by the state of society, the people, and the lives of the poor." - Bambang A. Sipayung SJ 


Jesuit Refugee Service Asia Pacific is deeply concerned on the rapidly deteriorating situation the Rohingya are facing in the region over the last years.The failure of governments in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Myanmar to adequately respond to their current plight is a human tragedy – and a sign that governments are detached from the values deeply embedded in the cultures, society and religions of ASEAN countries.
Hospitality matters immensely, especially for vulnerable women, children and those who are on their journey to find safety. Countries failing to allow people to disembark from ill-equipped vessels and ensuring access to their right to seek asylum have jeopardized the value of hospitality for those in dire need.
In this very moment we are creating a precedent on how we deal with people in distress, asking for our help in maybe their darkest hours. It is in this moment that ordinary people have shown hospitality and solidarity in preventing death at sea like the fishermen bringing to shore the stalled boats, even when their military are pushing them back out to sea. It is these fishermen and communities extending their support and welcome to Rohingya people after months at sea that is a strong symbol that these values are alive and give reason for hope.
 ASEAN governments and leaders should follow this important example by addressing the Rohingya’s immediate needs for protection and start to develop a long-term vision on how to end their plight after decades of deteriorating suffering. Now is the time to call into action the protection-sensitive regional approach, which was envisaged in the Jakarta Declaration of 2013, and redefine ASEAN as a community. Using resources to save lives is needed, not extending consistent rejection experienced by one of the most persecuted people of our times.
 JRS AP welcomes an initiative to hold a joint meeting at the end of this month to address this crisis and to find a coordinated solution. We urge everyone participating in this meeting to observe the values of hospitality, solidarity, and justice as pillars of a protection-sensitive regional approach. As only by acknowledging and addressing the plight of the Rohingya people will we be able to find a way to address the root causes of their suffering.

Press Contact Information

Nick Jones
adv.com@jrsap.org
+66 2 640 9590

Back with a vengeance, Former migrant workers are finding new empowerment in the bureaucratic jungle of legal aid

Indonesian migrant workers hone their activist sensibilities at a protest in Hong kong - istolethetv.com

Like many rural teenagers, Bariyah, the daughter of peasant parents, did not have many options when she finished secondary school in Kebumen District, Central Java. Her vocational training in accounting was out of place in an area in need of agricultural skills. When her teacher offered to help her (and the rest of her year group) find work in Malaysia, it felt like a godsend. It turned out that this teacher was a broker, who was able to place her in an electronics factory in Kuala Lumpur. Bariyah was made to sign a contract, but did so without adequate knowledge of its terms. Unknowingly, she had placed herself US$800 in debt to the recruitment agency. Sixteen months later, the electronics business went under. She was sent home without compensation and still in debt. She was also owed six months’ wages. The agency that guaranteed her contract refused to take any responsibility for her situation. Disappointed but refusing to cave in, Bariyah contacted Migrant Care, a non-government organization (NGO) for migrant workers, to ask for help. Two years later, she is a legal officer in the Migrant Care office in Jakarta and studying law at Bung Karno University.

This is an increasingly familiar story. A one-time victim who subsequently becomes an activist in the sphere of migrant worker protection. There are many similar examples: the head of ATKI (Association of Indonesian Migrant Workers) in Jakarta was a domestic worker in Hong Kong for 11 years; PBM (Care for Migrant Workers) is led by a woman who was trafficked to Taiwan; a month in Saudi prison was enough to turn Eko Yulianto, a native of Purwokerto who worked as a driver, into a committed defender of migrant workers’ rights with the organisation BMIAS (Indonesian Migrant Workers in Saudi Arabia). The list could go on. Faced with predicaments that could easily have caused them to fall to pieces, these migrants have instead been motivated  to fight for justice – not just for themselves but also for other migrant workers. ‘I was just angry that people like me were treated badly simply because we were not educated and came from the countryside,’ explains Bariyah. ‘I am now studying law as a kind of personal revenge and to help people in similar situations.’

Becoming an activist

Many rural Indonesians struggle to find jobs in the increasingly uncompetitive agricultural economy. Such circumstances make the promise of a relatively high paying overseas job look attractive. Workers who had never ventured beyond the physical and social boundaries of their extended families thus find themselves in the hustle and bustle of an Asian or Middle Eastern metropolis, albeit often locked within the confines of their employer’s house.

Those who are lucky enough to land a job in a relatively forgiving environment, such as Hong Kong, are exposed to a vibrant civil society well-versed in the language of international law and human rights. Very quickly they find their way into the various organisations and movements set up by churches and other civil society groups to support a migrant worker population of over 300,000. On their days off they join street marches and protests to defend the rights of migrant workers. Their voices are amplified by the support of local and international NGOs that are present in the city.  A number of migrant workers’ unions were in fact founded in Hong Kong and only later established branch offices in the workers’ home countries. Upon their return, many such workers are keen to continue the struggle.

There can also be more personal reasons for getting involved in activism upon return from working abroad. Migrant workers pick up the lifestyles of ordinary Hong Kong, Taiwanese or Singaporean citizens they live with. This is typically on show on Sundays in public squares, when they congregate to spend their days off together. More importantly, they appropriate the skills, values and worldviews of their host societies. These are not always in harmony with the more traditional values of their home towns and villages. Indeed, many of them struggle with acceptance and self-expression on return. As it turns out, back home their empowered self does not always get the recognition it once received overseas. Only a few opportunities, such as being an activist, give them the scope to build on and develop their new identities.

Filling a gap in the system

Armed with experience and knowledge, former migrant workers provide a critical service in the bureaucratic jungle that surrounds any attempt to improve protection for migrant workers. A returned migrant worker seeking redress for her misfortune faces the daunting prospect of having to negotiate with both the agency that placed her in overseas employment and a variety of government bodies. Under Law No. 39/2009 on the protection and placement of migrant workers, the first step in a dispute is for workers to negotiate directly with their recruitment agencies. Paperwork, unfamiliar legal jargon and unfriendly officials all add to the sense of intimidation that the worker experiences when walking into a recruitment agency office, which will typically be located in a secure private complex. Moreover, since most agencies are located in and around Jakarta, negotiation requires returnees to undertake a long and expensive journey from their homes, which are often in rural areas of Java or the outer islands. In short, inherent power imbalances permeate almost every aspect of the negotiation process. The presence of an experienced ‘case-handler’ is thus a tremendous help. The case-handler assists with gathering documents and evidence as well as representing the worker in making claims against recruitment agencies, insurance companies or government bodies.

Bariyah with the Migrant Care crew in 2012 - Indah Josephine

And there is a lot of work to do. In 2012, the BNP2TKI (National Agency for Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers) received 9764 complaints from migrant workers and their families, mostly to do with non-payment of wages. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Migrant Care has identified 398,270 cases in which Indonesian migrant workers suffered violations of their rights during 2013 alone. Despite this high number, however, migrant workers have no access to state-funded legal aid, which is only available to criminal defendants.

Limited legal aid services are available to migrant workers through the private sector, and through university law schools, some of which offer legal advice as a public outreach service. The majority of cases, however, are handled by non-legal civil society organisations, usually staffed by former migrant workers. Over time, these case-handlers have built up a network of personal relations with relevant government officials and staffers at insurance companies and recruitment agencies. This way, they work more efficiently in obtaining some kind of compensation for their clients. Lily Kusnadi, a former migrant worker in Taiwan and the chairwoman of PBM, has forged personal relations with officials in the Department of Labour and Transmigration and the BNP2TKI. Thanks to these carefully cultivated relations, she is able to secure payments for her clients, sometimes even from the personal pockets of the officials. Ties with the political elite can also provide other corollary benefits. On one occasion, the wife of the Minister of Labour and Transmigration came to open PBM’s new shelter for abused migrant workers. The shelter had been supported by donations from, amongst others, the minister’s wife and the owner of a recruitment agency in Surabaya, East Java. Meeting Lily today, it can be hard to remember that she is someone whose marginal position in the Indonesian political economy once drove her to Taiwan.

A case of empowerment?

Despite their effectiveness, the important role played  by these case-handlers reveals a glaring gap in Indonesia’s justice system. Law No. 16/2011 may change this. It emphasizes the right to access justice and promises state funding for legal aid services. However, until the relevant bureaucratic hurdles are crossed and the new law can be fully implemented, case-handlers such as Bariyah will continue to provide vital services.

Lily Kusnadi celebrates the opening of PBM shelter for abused migrant workers - Benny Juliawan

One wonders also what the future will hold for these case-handlers. Their empowerment has intriguing parallels with developments seen in the world of industrial trade unions and the human rights movement, where members’ fights for justice has propelled them up the political ladder into prominent positions within political parties or patronage networks, a phenomenon so common in Indonesian democracy. One thing is clear: migrant workers such as Bariyah may once have been down but they are surely not out and seem destined to play an important role in Indonesia’s vibrant civil society for the foreseeable future.

Benny Hari Juliawan (orwellsj@gmail.com) is a researcher in Sahabat Insan, a NGO working on migrant worker issues based in Jakarta

Kejutan dari Mindanao

oleh Benny Juliawan SJ


Penumpang di samping saya dalam penerbangan Jakarta-Manila terkejut ketika tahu tujuan perjalanan saya: Mindanao. “Are you sure? That’s a dangerous place. Especially for a foreigner.” Agak kaget dan kebat-kebit juga hati ini mendengar orang Filipina menyebut tempat itu berbahaya. Saya kira sudah lama urusan dengan para gerilyawan itu selesai, tapi banyak orang masih khawatir. Ternyata kekagetan ini hanyalah permulaan saja.

Mindanao Utara adalah wilayah beredarnya gerilyawan komunis, sementara Mindanao Selatan sudah lama jadi tempat bermain gerilyawan Moro yang muslim. Utara-Selatan, kiri-kanan, semua lengkap. Tujuan saya kali ini adalah menuju desa Bendum, kawasan Upper Pulangi, di Propinsi Bukidnon, Mindanao Utara. Kira-kira satu jam perjalanan dari Manila, setelah pesawat mendarat di bandara Cagayan de Oro. Perjalanan diteruskan lewat jalan darat ke kota Malaybalay yang ditempuh selama tiga jam, kemudian ditambah dua jam melewati jalan berbatu ke desa Bendum.

Desa yang terletak di ujung Jalan Makadam ini adalah tempat bermukim orang-orang asli yang kerap disebut Pulangiyen. Desa ini berbatasan dengan pegunungan Pantaron dan hutan lebat. Di sana juga tinggal Pedro Walpole, seorang Jesuit asal Irlandia yang sudah lebih dari 20 tahun menetap. Sebelum menjadi Jesuit, lulusan kehutanan itu, bekerja sebagai seorang konsultan dan keluar masuk hutan di berbagai tempat di Asia Tenggara. Sekarang, dia memilih untuk berbagi hidup dengan orang asli sambil bersama warga merawat hutan di sekitarnya.

Tahun 1992 ketika pertama kali datang, Pedro menjumpai warga desa kehilangan hutan karena penebangan yang masif. Perusahaan-perusahaan logging meninggalkan kawasan tersebut dan hanya menyisakan bukit dan gunung yang nyaris gundul. Warga setempat yang mengandalkan penghidupan dari hutan telah kehilangan segalanya. Sementara itu, deru modernitas menggedor-gedor menawarkan cara cepat bergabung dengan ekonomi pasar dan kehidupan kota.

Perlahan-lahan, bersama warga, Pedro membangun kepercayaan diri dan menata kembali hidup mereka. Salah satu cara yang ditempuh adalah melalui pendidikan berbasis budaya. Oleh karena itu, didirikanlah sekolah yang dinamai  “Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Centre” (APC). Sekolah ini unik karena dua hal. Pertama, sekolah ini mempunyai kurikulum sendiri yang dibuat sesuai dengan situasi suku asli yang hidup dari hutan. Hutan dan segala kekayaannya mengisi bagian pokok materi pelajaran. Kedua, bahasa pengantar yang dipakai bukanlah bahasa Tagalog, juga bukan bahasa Visayan yang lazim di Mindanao Utara, melainkan bahasa Pulangiyen yang dipakai warga setempat. Buku-buku dan pengajaran disampaikan dalam bahasa tersebut. Menurut penuturan Pedro, bahasa lebih dari sekedar alat komunikasi. Bahasa adalah ekspresi budaya dan itu berarti bagian dari jati diri dan martabat pengucapnya. Anak-anak Pulangiyen merasa lebih percaya diri ketika memakai bahasa ibu mereka dalam belajar.

Selepas dari program APC, ada program pendidikan bagi remaja belasan tahun yang lamanya hanya tiga bulan. Di sini anak-anak tanggung tersebut khusus belajar manajemen sumber daya hutan dan ketrampilan-ketrampilan sederhana lainnya. Mereka mampu membuat peta hutan dan menyiapkan pembibitan tanaman-tanaman keras sesuai dengan curah hujan dan jenis tanahnya. Saya sulit membayangkan anak-anak kota dengan pendidikan yang mahal itu mampu menamai pohon-pohon di hutan, apalagi menatanya seperti dilakukan anak-anak ndeso ini.

Seperti halnya di banyak negara berkembang, kawasan hutan di Filipina habis dibabat demi pembangunan. Luasan hutan yang semula meliputi 70% daratan di awal abad 20 hanya tinggal 18% di ujung abad yang sama. Bahu-membahu, warga asli Pulangiyen menanami kembali kawasan hutan sekunder yang sebelumnya habis dibabat dan mengolahnya sebagai hutan rakyat. Pemerintah Filipina baru mengakui hak ulayat mereka mulai tahun 1997 dengan menyerahkan hak pengelolaan hasil hutan berupa rotan kepada warga asli, yang semula dikuasai sebuah perusahaan swasta.

Pedro tidak terlalu peduli, atau mungkin lebih tepat tidak terlalu khawatir, dengan arus modernitas. Dia tak peduli lulusan sekolah APC, maupun kursus manajemen hutan itu nantinya tidak mampu bersaing di pasar kerja global. Dia juga tak khawatir dengan persaingan yang dibawa oleh para pendatang yang masuk ke desa-desa berbekal pertanian modern yang haus lahan. Orang Pulangiyen hidup dari hutan dan sampai kapan pun akan demikian. Martabat dan harga diri orang Pulangiyen lebih penting, daripada kekhawatiran karena gagal modern.

Saya kaget dengan kerasnya sikap Pedro. Selama ini saya mengenal banyak sekolah yang didirikan bagi warga asli dengan tujuan untuk membuat mereka keluar dari kehidupan tradisionalnya yang dicap primitif dan bergabung dengan masyarakat modern. Anak-anak pedalaman dicekoki matematika yang tidak ada hubungannya dengan perhitungan mereka sehari-hari. Mereka harus menempuh ujian pendidikan kenegaraan mengenai otoritas yang hanya dialami sebagai penindasan. Identitas dan harga diri mereka? Justru itu yang mau diubah supaya mereka lebih beradab! Gara-gara ini, para antropolog menuding sekolah-sekolah misi dan kolonial sebagai agen “civilising mission”. Pernahkah kita berpikir, warga asli yang menolak menjadi modern dan kita menghargainya?

Pertanyaan ini masih saja menggelayuti pikiran saya saat  pulang dari Bendum. Bukan gerilyawan komunis atau Moro yang membuat saya khawatir, melainkan pikiran: jangan-jangan selama ini saya keliru memahami pendidikan.

Benny Juliawan (orwellsj@googlemail.com) is a researcher with Sahabat Insan, an NGO working with migrant workers in Jakarta. Benny is an enthusiastic runner

Srey Mom: A Call to Serve and Bring Charity of Christ to the World

oleh Rudy Chandra SJ

Her childhood dream was to become a medical doctor. However, like the dreams of many Cambodian children of her generation, it was cut short by the brutality of the civil war which devastated much of the country. She and her family fled to neighbouring Thailand where in the refugee camp, she met Jesuits and lay people working for JRS.

Her longing for peace and freedom brought her to catechism class because rumour in the camp said that a Christian refugee would have better chances to get asylum in European countries. How wrong that has turned out to be! Indeed she got to know the faith but also to hear the call for service which brought her back to Cambodia, instead of a quiet western life.

Back in Cambodia after the peace agreement in the early 1990s, she contacted her godmother, Sr Marie Jean Ath, who offered her to work with the newly established Jesuit Social Service in the country. With not much to do in terms of livelihoods Srey Mom took the offer. At first, the burden of putting food on the table occupied her but soon she found that her life is one of unselfish dedication to the poor and the disabled in her community in Siem Reap. In the marginalised and those maimed by exploding landmines, she saw Jesus who once said, “As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” (Mat 25:40) She wanted to give thanks for the gift of life through her work with JSS and promised to carry the cross with the Lord for the sake of Cambodians who were struggling to rebuild the country and mend brokenness caused by years of warfare.

As the director of JSS in Siem Reap her main concern is with youths in the country who often have very limited options but to marry at a very young age. As often the case, the marriage soon breaks down and leaves behind children without the presence of loving parents. Those who have the choice leave their hometowns and villages to work as migrant workers in Thailand or simply to have better education in the city. Much of the school system in the village is very basic and not fit for purpose.

Her analysis of the situation is simple. At the root of all social and justice issues in society is the lack of charity. The challenge is how to help people overcome this deficiency especially among youths. Srey Mom has a weak spot for young people because she believes that they are the key to transformative changes to happen in Cambodia. Her own generation has endured suffering and hardship, but the younger ones are here to build the future. This dream is often jeopardised, however, by the terrible state of educational infrastructure and system in the country. Given the situation she decides to commit herself to improving education in any way she can in her capacity as director of JSS.

JSS runs several projects in education through its education team: building schools, providing scholarship to prospective students, bicycles for transport to school, literacy class for adults, and training for teachers. The rule of thumb is that nobody should stay away from school because of poverty. Srey Mom sometimes goes beyond her duties. She would go to visit the villages and conduct the training and teaching herself. This is true especially when it comes to extracurricular subjects such as ethics and responsibility in the community, sex education and care for the community. In particular, she encourages the beneficiaries of scholarship to form study groups where they help each other and look after the weak among them. She believes this will help them to nurture the sense of care, sensitivity and responsibility toward their family and other people around them.

Now, it has been 20 years since she took the offer to work with JSS. She finds joy and pride watching her students grow to become people with responsibility and charity. She is hoping that her little effort will contribute to the process of reconciliation that is still going on in Cambodia. Her prayer is that one day Cambodians will become people who not only care for themselves but also dedicate their lives for the betterment of the country and even beyond.

Merayakan Paskah Bersama Anak-anak NTT

Sahabat Insan berbagi sukacita kebangkitan Yesus bersama dengan Anak-anak NTT di Susteran RGS, Jatinegara. Paskah tahun ini tentu akan mereka kenang, sekalipun mereka tidak dapat merayakan bersama dengan keluarga di kampung halaman. Ucapan syukur kepada Tuhan yang telah membebaskan mereka dipanjatkan dalam Perayaan Ekaristi, Minggu, 20 April 2014 kemarin.

Foto bersama anak-anak NTT di RGS

Biasanya, hari-hari mereka lalui hanya berada di Rumah Perlindungan Trauma Center (RPTC). Sudah berbulan-bulan lamanya mereka tak pergi ke mana-mana hanya untuk sekadar melihat keramaian kota. Sampai Paskah tiba dan hari itu terasa istimewa karena mereka di-izinkan pergi menuju Susteran RGS di Jatinegara mengikuti Misa bersama. 

Anak-anak NTT tersebut harusnya pulang sebelum Paskah. Namun, karena suatu hal maka, kepulangan mereka ditunda sampai minggu ini. Mereka sebelumnya adalah buruh yang bekerja di Bogor, pada majikan Jenderal, dan di Medan, pada majikan Sarang Burung Walet. Selama bekerja mereka kerap kali diperlakukan tidak manusiawi. Mereka dieksploitasi, dipukul, tidak diberi makan layak, bahkan sampai mengalami pelecehan seksual. Dan yang paling memprihatinkan, beberapa dari mereka ternyata masih berusia anak. Berita ini juga sempat heboh beberapa waktu lalu di berbagai media. 

Bersama dengan beberapa suster, dan para awam yang tergerak untuk berbagi kasih Paskah dengan mereka, Misa perayaan Paskah pun diselenggarakan. Misa berjalan penuh sukacita dipimpin oleh Romo Benny Juliawan, SJ. Usai Misa, anak-anak NTT tersebut mengobrol bersama. Paskah hari itu diakhiri dengan makan bersama, sumbangan dari salah seorang awam yang ikut merayakan Paskah bersama.

Dan sesulit apa pun kehidupan mereka dahulu, kini wajah-wajah anak-anak NTT tersebut sudah bisa merekahkan senyum dan tawa kembali. Semoga mereka dapat segera kembali ke kampung halaman dan menjalankan kehidupan dengan lebih baik.

Menemani Para Difabel bersama Jesuit Service Cambodia

oleh Benny Juliawan SJ


Apakah Anda pernah mendengar istilah “Khmer Merah”? Kalau pernah, pasti Anda tahu Kamboja, negara seluas hampir satu setengah kali pulau Jawa dan diapit oleh Thailand, Vietnam dan Laos. Khmer Merah (Khmer Rouge) adalah sebutan bagi rezim pemerintahan yang berkuasa di Kamboja pada periode 1975-1979. Di bawah pimpinan Pol Pot, rezim ini terkenal karena kekejamannya membunuh lebih dari 2 juta orang dalam rangka menegakkan masyarakat tanpa kelas versi mereka. Setelah mereka tumbang, Kamboja masih dilanda perang saudara hingga awal 1990-an. Tak heran, ratusan ribu warga Kamboja lari ke Thailand untuk mengungsi.

Di kamp pengungsi inilah para Jesuit dan teman-teman yang bergabung dalam Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) sejak tahun 1980 berjumpa dan melayani orang-orang Kamboja. Setelah perang usai dan para pengungsi mulai kembali berbondong-bondong ke negerinya pada awal 1990-an, JRS memutuskan untuk menemani dan membantu mereka untuk memulai hidup yang baru di Kamboja. Salah satu kelompok yang paling rentan di antara mereka adalah para penyintas atau orang-orang yang lolos dari maut peperangan tetapi menderita disabilitas fisik.

Perang saudara di Kamboja meninggalkan warisan berupa empat hingga enam juta ranjau darat yang tersebar di seluruh pelosok negeri. Ketika perang berakhir, amunisi berbahaya itu terus menelan korban warga sipil. Para petani yang mencangkul di kebun, anak-anak yang bermain di bawah pohon, para ibu yang ke sungai hendak mencuci, dan orang yang mencari hasil hutan kerap menginjak ranjau yang lalu meledak dan membunuh atau membuat mereka cacat seumur hidup. Diperkirakan ada sekitar 400.000 warga Kamboja yang cacat akibat ranjau ini.

Menanggapi situasi ini, para Jesuit dan teman-teman yang berkarya di Kamboja sepakat mendirikan Jesuit Service Cambodia (JSC) pada tahun 1991 dan memusatkan perhatian pada pelayanan terhadap kaum difabel. Karya JSC hadir di tujuh tempat di Kamboja yaitu di Phnom Penh, Kompong Thom, Siem Reap, Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Kompong Speu dan Kompong Chnang. Para koordinator di ketujuh tempat ini adalah orang Kamboja asli, dibantu oleh staf dan relawan yang tak jarang berasal dari luar negeri. JSC menjalankan program pendidikan dan program sosial. Program pendidikan membantu pembangunan gedung sekolah, membuka sekolah informal, beasiswa bagi anak-anak keluarga difabel, perpustakaan keliling, dan sejenisnya. Intinya, orang miskin apalagi mereka yang berasal dari keluarga difabel tidak boleh tidak sekolah setidaknya di tingkat dasar.

Program sosial tersebut bertujuan membantu keluarga difabel agar mandiri secara ekonomi dan hidup secara bermartabat. JSC membantu menyediakan kursi roda, pembangunan rumah bagi keluarga difabel, bank beras, bank sapi, pinjaman lunak pertanian dan usaha mikro dan pelayanan kesehatan keliling. Dalam setiap program, JSC berusaha untuk melibatkan para penerima bantuan agar aktif membantu dirinya sendiri. Martabat dan kepercayaan diri seringkali bangkit dari keberanian untuk menunjukkan kemampuan sendiri.

Selain dua program utama ini, masih ada program khusus berupa sekolah kejuruan berasrama bagi siswa-siswi difabel, bengkel produksi kursi roda bernama Mekong Wheelchair, dan bengkel kerajinan kayu dan kain, serta toko yang menjual produk dari bengkel produksi. Selama 20 tahun, lebih dari 15.000 kursi roda telah dihasilkan oleh Mekong Wheelchair. Menariknya, banyak pekerja di bengkel-bengkel ini adalah para difabel lulusan sekolah kejuruan sendiri. Semua ini ada di pinggiran kota Phnom Penh, tepatnya di distrik Ang Snuol, di kompleks bekas barak militer yang diganti nama menjadi Banteay Prieb atau Rumah Merpati Perdamaian. Tahun 2011 yang lalu, JSC membuka Café Perdamaian di tengah kota Phnom Penh untuk menyebarluaskan semangat perdamaian di negara yang tercabik-cabik perang saudara ini sekaligus memasarkan produk hasil karya para difabel.

Setelah lebih dari 20 tahun, JSC sekarang menghadapi tantangan yang baru. Beberapa tahun terakhir ini jumlah korban ranjau darat menurun drastis sebagai hasil dari kerja keras kampanye anti ranjau darat dan program pembersihan ranjau di seantero Kamboja. Tentu ini berita menggembirakan. Semakin sedikit pula siswa difabel yang masuk ke sekolah kejuruan di Banteay Prieb. Romo Greg Priyadi, Jesuit asal Indonesia yang menjadi direktur JSC, bersama Romo Indon Oh, pemimpin Misi Kamboja asal Korea, berencana untuk mengadakan re-orientasi karya dalam tahun-tahun mendatang. Semangat dasarnya sama yaitu menemani mereka yang paling menderita tanpa membeda-bedakan agama dan asal-usul demi mewujudkan empat keutamaan paling pokok dalam masyarakat Kamboja yaitu metta (kebaikan penuh cinta), karuna (bela rasa), mudita (kegembiraan) dan upekkha (keteguhan).

Kursi roda produksi Mekong Wheelchair

Murid sekolah kejuruan Teknik Elektro

Mendengar cerita anak-anak penerima beasiswa

Benny Juliawan (orwellsj@googlemail.com) is a researcher with Sahabat Insan, an NGO working with migrant workers in Jakarta. Benny is an enthusiastic runner

Mengunjungi TKW Korban Penyekapan dan Kekerasan Majikan Bogor dan Medan di RPTC

Setelah bertahun-tahun diperlakukan dengan tidak manusiawi oleh majikan, kini mereka bukan hanya dapat menghirup udara bebas atau makan minum kenyang. Mereka mendapatkan kembali tawa yang telah lama tak menghiasi wajah mereka dan merasakan hangatnya sinar mentari.

Setelah misa bersama Rm. Benny Juliawan, SJ 6 April 2014

Dengan penuh sukacita mereka mengikuti Misa Minggu, 6 April 2014 yang dipimpin oleh Romo Benny Juliawan di Rumah Perlindungan Trauma Center (RPTC). Misa tersebut sekaligus menjadi perayaan syukur bagi mereka, karena rencananya pada tanggal 11 April, mereka akan pulang ke rumah mereka masing-masing di NTT.

Pada Jumat, 28 Maret dan 4 April yang lalu, Sahabat Insan berkesempatan mengunjungi mereka. Pada Jumat, 4 April Sahabat Insan berkesempatan mendampingi mereka berlatih membuat makanan berbahan dasar buah pisang. Mereka diajarkan cara membuat keripik pisang dan pisang goreng. 

Ketika Sahabat Insan datang minggu sebelumnya, Jumat, 28 Maret, mereka yang berjumlah sekitar 20 orang tersebut telah dibagi menjadi 2 kelompok. Kelompok pertama diajarkan keterampilan untuk membuat mangkok dari kertas koran, sedangkan kelompok kedua berlatih cara untuk meng-creambath. Seorang anak perempuan yang kami hampiri tampak sangat muda. Dia terlihat senang ketika kepalanya dipijat-pijat oleh temannya. Pengalaman meng-creambath atau sebaliknya, di-creambath, tentu sangat menghibur dan berguna bagi mereka.

Ketika kami sempat mengobrol singkat dengan salah seorang petugas di RPTC mengenai anak perempuan itu, sebut saja Nur, kami terkejut karena ternyata Nur masih berusia 12 tahun. Dia terbujuk seorang calo yang menawarinya pekerjaan. Nur dengan polosnya kabur dari rumah untuk bekerja karena terdorong keinginan untuk memiliki handphone. Beruntung Nur dapat selamat dari jerat perdagangan manusia itu. Ketika dia mengetahui Suster Euginia sekampung dengannya yaitu di Pemalang, Nur gembira bukan main. Mereka sempat mengobrol dan foto bersama. Tawa serta manja khas anak-anak pun tampak dari bicara dan gaya Nur.

Ketika pelatihan creambath tersebut sudah selesai, kami ikut berkumpul bersama dengan kelompok yang sedang memelintir kertas koran untuk dijadikan mangkok. Di sebelah kanan dan kiri kami, duduk seorang anak perempuan yang usianya tak jauh berbeda dari Nur. Kami berbaur bersama mereka dan ikut serta memelintir kertas seperti yang dilakukan Elis, yang duduk di sebelah kanan kami. Sembari bekerja, kami mengajak Elis mengobrol. Tak lama setelah kami bertanya hal-hal sederhana, Ria, yang duduk di sebelah kiri kami ikut serta bercerita panjang lebar penderitaan mereka selama bekerja di Medan.

Benar ternyata apa yang kami kira, Elis dan Ria sama seperti Nur, masih berusia anak. Mereka baru seminggu berada di RPTC. Keduanya berasal dari NTT. Elis baru bekerja 3 tahun, sementara Ria sudah bekerja 4 tahun. Mereka dan beberapa teman lain yang juga berada di RPTC, sebelumnya bekerja di Medan. Majikan mereka memiliki pabrik sarang burung walet. Mereka bekerja bukan hanya di pabrik, melainkan juga sebagai pembantu rumah tangga di rumah majikan.

Elis menggambarkan tempat tinggal mereka dengan rinci. Terdapat beberapa rumah di sana, dan rumah-rumah tersebut didiami oleh majikan beserta saudara-saudaranya. Di antaranya ada rumah yang khusus dijadikan pabrik sebagai tempat memproduksi sarang burung walet. Majikannya yang perempuan adalah orang Malaysia. Kata Elis, hasil berupa obat-obatan yang diproduksi akan diambil dan dipasarkan ke luar negeri.

Ketika Elis menceritakan tempat tinggal mereka, bayangan saya pertama kali adalah penjara. Elis bilang kalau majikan menutup semua jendela dengan koran sehingga mereka tidak bisa sama sekali melihat cahaya matahari. Mereka tak boleh keluar rumah, kecuali kalau majikan meminta mereka ikut pergi untuk berbelanja. Orang yang terpilih itu pun dipertimbangkan sungguh rupanya, tidak boleh yang terlihat kurus, lesu, tak elok. Dan siapa pun yang terpilih bukan berarti dapat menikmati jalan-jalan seperti berlibur, dia akan diperintahkan majikan untuk membawa semua barang belanjaan. Kalau majikan makan, mereka tidak diajak serta. Mereka dibiarkan menunggu di luar restoran, hanya melihat saja. Dan Elis bilang, itu juga majikan lakukan di pabrik. Ketika mereka sedang bekerja, majikan malah makan di depan mata mereka sembari menggoda mereka.

Majikan memperlakukan mereka bak binatang. Mereka dipaksa majikan meminum pil yang menghentikan mereka haid, sehingga mereka dapat terus bekerja tanpa henti. Tapi, Ria dengan berani selalu menolak meminum pil itu dan dia seringkali dimaki karenanya. Kata Elis, ”Kami tak dianggap seperti manusia. Mereka (majikan) memanggil kami dengan nama-nama binatang, seperti anjing. Kami juga dimarahi kalau ketahuan sedang berdoa.” Majikan mengatakan bahwa percuma saja mereka berdoa karena tidak didengar Tuhan. Elis mengaku dia tetap berdoa sekalipun majikannya melarang. Itu artinya, selama 3 bulan, mereka sama sekali tidak boleh keluar rumah untuk pergi beribadah.

Majikan mereka juga seringkali menghina mereka dengan mengatakan mereka berasal dari kampung terpencil, yang tak ada shampo, sabun, atau makanan-makanan enak. Maka, mereka tak boleh membeli sabun atau shampo dengan harga yang mahal. Setiap hari mereka hanya diberi makan nasi dengan ikan asin yang kadang sudah busuk dan ada ulatnya. Makanan tersebut bahkan ditaruh di dalam plastik. Sekalipun di Medan banyak makanan-makanan yang enak, makan bakso pun mereka tak pernah selama bekerja.

Perlakuan kasar dari majikan juga mereka dapatkan. Ada kawan mereka yang dilempar kepalanya sampai luka dengan mangkok. Dan yang sangat menyedihkan, dua kawan mereka telah meninggal, akibat perlakuan majikan yang demikian dan tidak segera mendapat pertolongan medis. Mereka juga diawasi sangat ketat. Saat masuk atau keluar dari pabrik, sekujur tubuh mereka akan diperiksa inci demi inci, guna mencegah ada barang yang mereka curi. Bahkan ke toilet pun mereka ditemani oleh penjaga.

Elis bercerita dengan suara kecil, sedikit demi sedikit cerita-ceritanya keluar begitu saja tanpa kami tanya atau paksa. Kami hanya berusaha mendengarkan dan sesekali berkomentar tak percaya perlakuan majikan seperti itu terhadap mereka. Mereka dijanjikan gaji 750 ribu per bulan. Namun, sampai sekarang mereka belum menerima gaji itu sepeser pun.

Mereka beruntung akhirnya polisi menemukan mereka dan menangkap majikan mereka. Sayangnya, majikan yang perempuan berhasil melarikan diri. Keluar dari rumah majikan mereka sempat dirawat di rumah sakit dan berada di Yayasan Perlindungan Anak (YPA). Baru kemudian, mereka dibawa ke RPTC. Di RPTC, mereka berusaha membangun memori baru yang lebih menyenangkan dan penuh tawa, sembari mengikis luka-luka di masa lalu.

Selain mereka yang bekerja di Medan, kami juga berjumpa dengan para pekerja rumah tangga yang disekap, disiksa, diperlakukan tidak manusiawi oleh istri majikan seorang Jenderal di Bogor. Berita ini sempat heboh beberapa waktu lalu. Kisah mereka yang diperlakukan semena-mena oleh istri Jenderal itu, juga memilukan hati. Selain mereka, juga ada beberapa mantan TKI yang dideportasi dari Malaysia.

Hari itu, Suster Lia membawakan mereka baju-baju baru. Mereka gembira sekali, meskipun baju-baju itu kebesaran. Sementara kami membawakan kue-kue untuk mereka. Satu per satu kue kami bagikan untuk mereka, sisanya kami minta mereka simpan untuk dibagi kepada kawan mereka yang lain. Senyum tersungging di wajah Elis. Dia mengucap terima kasih, sama seperti kawan-kawannya yang lain, tapi juga terselip kata-kata, ”Baru di sini kami bisa makan enak.”

Di RPTC, hari demi hari mereka merajut harapan. Harapan ditegakkannya keadilan, hukuman setimpal untuk majikan mereka. Harapan kembali ke kampung halaman, berjumpa dengan keluarga dan orang-orang yang mereka cintai. Harapan untuk mendapatkan gaji yang bertahun-tahun tak dibayar. Harapan akan masa depan yang lebih baik.

Mari kita mendoakan mereka, semoga harapan-harapan mereka berbuah manis di kemudian hari.

Terkait dengan berita penyekapan TKW di Bogor dan di Medan ini dapat dibaca di tautan berikut ini:

http://www.beritasatu.com/nasional/169036-penyekap-tkw-di-medan-langgar-ham-berat.html
http://jakarta.okezone.com/read/2014/02/26/501/946910/cerita-kekejaman-istri-jenderal-penyekap-prt