HK image at risk of a bashing

A major breakthrough was made in the case of alleged torture victim Erwiana Sulistyaningsih.迷你倉 Hong Kong police should be commended for their swift action in arresting the 23-year-old Indonesian domestic helper's former SAR employer. Officers said the woman, surnamed Law, 44, was trying to board a flight to Thailand when she was stopped by immigration officers. This came as a special team of police and Labour Department investigators arrived in Indonesia for what security secretary Lai Tung-kwok called an unprecedented mission. The multipronged action reflects the seriousness with which the government is tackling the matter. It isn't the first time Hong Kong police have gone overseas to investigate. Following the Manila hostage crisis, a task force flew to the Philippine capital to collect evidence. But this is surely the first time the authorities have gone abroad to probe accusations without a formal complaint. There is a suggestion the SAR government could be sued over Sulistyaningsih's suffering. However, this appears to be a bit too far-fetched. There might be a case if the government had been aware of the maid's ordeal at the hands of her employer, but decided not to take action. What's being investigated is a potential crime. The courts will determine whether the suspect is guilty and mete out punishment accordingly. The case should never be politicized. Undoubtedly, the issue has aroused immense interest in the international community. Among the numerous comments left on the internet were calls for Jakarta to stop semini storageding its people to Hong Kong to work as domestic helpers. The sentiments shouldn't be ignored. Although the SAR is a safe place to work, its image as a place with decent employers has been tarnished by the torture accusations. If the sentiments are allowed to fester, it would cause great inconvenience to several hundred thousand families here. As said recently, more than half of the maids now come from Indonesia, as they've overtaken helpers from the Philippines in the past 10 years. The Indonesians are popular because they're diligent and hard- working, although less proficient in English. Given their peaceful nature, it may surprise many when some 2,000 of them turned out for Sunday's protest. It's proof they have intense feelings about the ill treatment their fellow national has been subjected to. Hong Kong is a popular choice because wages and benefits are protected by law. Calls for a boycott will cause harm to both employers and helpers. But labor officials must review whether the system here is foolproof. It is claimed that Indonesian helpers are charged agency fees equal to six times their monthly wages. If they change jobs, they will have to pay their agencies additional fees of three times their wages. However, the law here limits the agency fee to 10 percent of one month's wages. Any loopholes found must be plugged if the SAR is to shake its growing international image as a modern city of slavery. Meanwhile, agencies should be made to understand they will face serious consequences if found breaching the law. self storage