A Situation With Forced Labor And Slavery In Indonesia

Slavery, also known as human trafficking, can be elucidated as the practice of the removal of individual rights and freedoms as well as the implication of inhumane conditions such as descent slavery.

It has been estimated that there are 27 million slaves present in the twenty-first century which illustrates that it has increased considerably with the various establishments of new forms and methods of slavery and due to this unfortunate cause, many unethical companies have over-exploited their labor conditions that has led to debt montages, child slavery, and many more.

Indonesia, a country that’s known for its industrious thoroughgoing people, ranked 16 in modern slavery, with around 210,970 Indonesian people enslaved. With an estimated labor force of 127 million, and an employment rate, that is failing to keep pace of the population growth gives them absolutely no choice, but be bow to fate giving up their basic labor rights in order to find a job abroad and work as servants, laborers and as many more to support their families and to make a living.

There are countless domestic workers employed in Indonesia who are regarded and considered victims of modern slavery. Mostly young women, live in the house of their employer and are susceptible to abuse (ranging from physical or sexual abuse to long working hours). Forced labor in the agriculture (for example in the palm oil sector) and construction sectors are also among the most prevalent forms of modern slavery in Indonesia.

To overcome these severe cases, Indonesia has ensured that “any person who with deliberate aim or any person who keeps someone deprived of his/her liberty, shall be punished by a maximum imprisonment of eight years”. Furthermore, Indonesia made an average advancement in efforts to eliminate and reduce the forms of child labor (such as prostitution, working in dangerous environments etc.). The government authorized the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Convention Against Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children, which enhances human trafficking protections for children. In addition, the Ministry of Manpower removed 18,401 children from street work in 46 regencies.

To add on, Indonesia has also made an progress including a law on the protection of Indonesian workers abroad which was recently passed by the Parliament regarding the issue of forced labor.

To conclude, Indonesia believes and proposes to tackle this issue by making an agency which concern to report regularly that if there is a violation, especially if there is a practice of forced labor or all-kinds of slavery. Also, providing education to each individual about what really is slavery and what are the practices of slavery as they'll at-least know whether being treated as one or not.