IRAQ -- INDONESIAN WORKER BASED IN ARBIL REQUESTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 002921 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, NEA/I, IM, G/TIP FOR MTAYLOR, DRL/AWH, DRL/IL FOR MMITTELHAUSER DOL FOR BSASSER E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/17/2017 TAGS: PREL SMIG ELAB IZ ID SUBJECT: IRAQ -- INDONESIAN WORKER BASED IN ARBIL REQUESTS ASSISTANCE REF: JAKARTA 2827 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4 (b)(d). ¶1. (U) This is an Action Request -- Please see Para 7. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY. Labatt received a long distance telephone call October 16 from an Indonesian maid allegedly trapped in debt bondage in Arbil, Iraqi Kurdistan. The worker said she and two other maids want to return to Indonesia. These workers are located in the same city as other maids who the Department of Foreign Affairs (Deplu) asked us to assist on October 2 (reftel). END SUMMARY. ¶3. (C) MIGRANT AIRS COMPLAINTS: Sujati, age 25, called Labatt on October 16 pleading for help to escape her employer in Arbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, where she cooks and cleans along with two other Indonesian maids, Korya and Nakmi. Sujati said her employer is a Turkish national, Mr. Sarda, and that she works in an office, "SRS," located in a yellow building on Karfuk Street in Arbil. The three workers are not being abused, but are--she said--forced to work from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. seven days a week for USD90 a month, which Sujati said is far less than what they were promised. The employment agency which sent Sujati to Arbil is called "Bruska Group," she said. This is the same agency involved in the employment of 13 maids which Deplu asked Labatt to assist in repatriating on October 2 (reftel). Sujati said she is in contact with Elly Anita and the other stranded maids which Deplu told us about earlier. ¶4. (C) Speaking with some panic in her voice, Sujati told Labatt she can no longer tolerate the working conditions and that the employment agency will not let her out of her three-year contract. She has worked for only seven months. The employment agency is holding her passport and she has only a photocopy of her Indonesian identity card, making her more vulnerable should she attempt to flee on her own. She said she has USD700 in cash at her disposal. Sujati hails from Indramayu, Central Java, an impoverished city which is a major source of women who are trafficked overseas. ¶5. (C) CONTACT INFORMATION: Labatt was able to easily call Sujati back on her cell phone: 964-750-748-0147. She also provided the following number: 964-750-748-0249. Her phone cannot send or receive text messages, she said. Labatt is not certain how Sujati got his cell phone number, but either Deplu or NGOs could have passed the number to Indonesian migrant workers in Arbil. ¶6. (C) Deplu offices could not be reached to ascertain if they also have heard from Sujati because offices are closed for Muslim holidays. However, during Labatt's October 2 discussion with Deplu's Office of Overseas Workers Protection, they asked for our help because Indonesia does not have a diplomatic presence in Iraq. Wahyu Susilo (2007 State Department TIP Hero) of Migrant Care, the leading Indonesian migrant worker NGO advocate, also sent Labatt a message on October 16 stating that Sujati had contacted him. Wahyu asked for USG assistance. ¶7. (C) ACTION REQUEST: Mission requests that Department look into these claims of abuse. We realize it might be difficult to locate and assist these Indonesians, but any assistance the USG can offer to facilitate their return would create goodwill within the GOI and Indonesian anti-trafficking NGOs. END ACTION REQUEST. HUME