Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05SINGAPORE3468
2005-12-09 11:02:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Singapore
Cable title:  

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH REPORT ON SINGAPORE'S DOMESTIC

Tags:  KCRM PHUM ELAB KWMN SN 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SINGAPORE 003468 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

INL/CTR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PHUM ELAB KWMN SN
SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH REPORT ON SINGAPORE'S DOMESTIC
WORKERS CAUSES A STIR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SINGAPORE 003468

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

INL/CTR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PHUM ELAB KWMN SN
SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH REPORT ON SINGAPORE'S DOMESTIC
WORKERS CAUSES A STIR


1. (U) Summary. The government of Singapore reacted
immediately and briskly to Human Rights Watch's (HRW)
exhaustive December 6 report on abuse of foreign domestic
workers (FDWs) in Singapore. The government-linked media has
covered the report and reactions from the government and
local community extensively, echoing the growing national
debate on treatment of FDWs and the labor laws governing
them. The report makes an important contribution to
Singaporean reformers' efforts to effect change. End summary.


2. (SBU) On December 6, HRW released its 126-page report,
which detailed the actual and potential abuse of FDWs (i.e.,
maids) in Singapore, identified the gaps in Singapore's
regulatory system for FDWs, and recommended specific actions
for the GOS, source country governments, employment agencies,
and international organizations and donors. (The full text
of the report can be found at www.hrw.org.) The Ministry of
Manpower published a two-page press statement on the morning
following the report's release, reiterating its stand that
the GOS does not tolerate abuse or exploitation of foreign
domestic workers and citing its efforts over the past few
years to address the concerns highlighted in the report. The
MOM noted, for example, that in the first three quarters of
2005, the GOS had prosecuted four employers for failure to
pay their maids and jailed three of them. Minister for
Manpower Ng Eng Hen gave an interview with BBC Radio to
refute the allegation that maids are not adequately
protected, saying, "Obviously, I think there is room for
improvement for every country... We have never claimed there
are no abuses. What we said is that our laws are transparent
and we follow through with enforcement with great vigor."
Local NGOs expressed surprise at how vehemently the
government responded; Braema Mathi of the local advocacy
group Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) granted the
government's point that most maids are not abused, but
praised HRW's report and welcomed its contribution to the
local effort to lobby for greater maids rights and
protections.


3. (SBU) Local advocacy and aid groups working with foreign
workers welcomed the report, noting that it was
well-researched and called public attention to many of the
issues that they have been working on -- such as the need for
more specific guidelines on the "adequate" rest periods,
living quarters, and freedom of movement that the work permit
regulations require, but do not define. While local groups
do not agree with all of HRW's recommendations -- TWC2 does
not believe domestic workers should be dealt with under the
Employment Act, for example, or that the government needs to
set up an entirely new accreditation system -- several of our
NGO contacts said they expect that the HRW report will
positively affect public discussions of the issue. Maid
abuse and the rights of foreign workers have become a
frequent topic of public debate in forums such as blogs,
online chat rooms, and the write-in pages of the local
newspapers, and the HRW report will provide new fodder for
debate.


4. (SBU) Comment: The GOS's initial response to criticism
on any subject usually is brisk and defensive. In this case,
GOS officials may feel the criticism more acutely than usual,
since they have been making a significant and sincere effort
to address recognized problems with foreign maids, as
documented in our 2005 TIP Report. The concerns about labor
standards for foreign domestic workers raised by the HRW
report are real, however. In a very small number of cases,
employers' treatment of FDWs is probably severe enough to
meet the definition of trafficking in persons. More
generally, the laws governing their working conditions and
other labor matters are under increasing public scrutiny.
The government and local NGOs track these issues closely, and
reform efforts are ongoing.


5. (SBU) Comment, continued: Despite the current furor, the
HRW report does not say anything that Singaporeans themselves
are not already saying -- advocacy groups and private
citizens here have been publicly calling for more
well-defined legal rights and greater protection for foreign
workers for some time. The Ministry of Manpower has been
introducing new or improved regulations every few weeks and
appears to be cautiously moving toward more stringent labor
standards and more active enforcement. HRW's identification
of the problems and proposed solutions will add impetus to
this effort. Despite the GOS's initial rebuttals, we have no
doubt it will review the criticisms thoroughly and eventually
move to address the problems identified. In Singapore
fashion, however, it will let some time pass before doing so
to avoid the perception that it is merely reacting to the HRW
report. End comment.

HERBOLD