MFA MIGRANTS RIGHTS MONITOR

COUNTRY UPDATES

BANGLADESH

• Bangladeshi workers in Kuwait on strike for better pay
• Dhaka in talks with Kuwait to end labour row
• Frame Regional Policy to Protect Migrant Workers' Rights, Experts say at Consultation (02-Jul-08)
• Press Conference and Submission of Memorandum to the Honorable Adviser, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (03-Jun-08)
• Sufferings of Bangladeshi Workers - Rights body blames HC in KL for abuse (18-Sept-07)
• Protest conference on the issue of repression on Bangladeshis working in Malaysia (17-Sept-07)
• Dhaka urges KL to act against recruiter (17-Sept-07)
• Bangladesh to send probe team to Malaysia (16-Sept-07)
• GFMD to conduct study in Bangladesh (21-Jul-07)
• Globalisation results in greater labour migration (21-Sept-06)
• Diplomacy Training Program, Dhaka, Bangladesh (Aug-05)

BURMA

• 122 Human Rights Groups in Asia-Pacific Call for a Special Session on Burma (28-Sept-07)
• FTUB Statement (27-Sept-07)

HONG KONG

• One Small Victory for Indonesian Migrant Workers in Hong Kong (17-Fe-08)
• Around USD48 million stolen from Indonesian workers by Hong Kong employers each year (17-Aug-07)
• Advance women migrants' rights! Stop discrimination against women! Recognize women's work and domestic work as work! (8-Mar-07)
• CMR Statement to the CEDAW Hearing (Aug-06)
• Trial of the Anti-WTO Activists in Hong Kong (01-Mar-06)

INDIA

• Call for Immediate Intervention on the Massive Arrests of Undocumented Indian Migrant Workers in Oman (12-Jul-06)

INDONESIA

• Domestic Workers Face Harsh Abuses; Key Reforms Stalled, Few Remedies for Slavery-Like Conditions (08-Jul-08)
• Domestic Work is Work!! Respect the rights , status and dignity of domestic workers!!! (04-May-2008)
• Minister urges Saudi Arabia to mete out heavy punishment to guilty employers (30-Sept-07)
• Cases of abuse rise for Saudi foreign help (6-Sept-07)
• Indonesians protest outside Saudi Arabia embassy in Jakarta (24-Aug-07)
• Stop discrimination and close down Terminal III of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (01-Aug-07)
• President to help migrant workers(24-Jul-07)
• 40,000 Indonesians risk migration crackdown (23-May-07)
• Migrant Care protests against Dato's Tan Chai Hoe statement (17-Aug-06)
• MOU between Republic of Indonesia and Malaysia legalizes commoditization practices and makes Indonesian female migrant workers - domestic workers in Malaysia more vulnerable (09-June-06)
• The Commitment to Earthquake Victims should not Overlook Indonesian Migrant Workers Abroad from Yogyakarta-Central Java (28-Apr-06)
• From Migrant Worker to Union Organiser
• Letter to Governments of Malaysia and Indonesia Re: Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) concerning Migrant Domestic Workers (16-Apr-06)
• Indonesia Aiming To Send One Million Workers Overseas Each Year (30-Jan-06)
• Indonesian Delegation Submits Migrant Worker Resolution at U.N. (07-Nov-2005)
• Indonesia: Female domestic Workers Vulnerable to Extreme Exploitation and Abuse (5-Jul-05)
• Indonesian Consulate Should Fulfill its Responsibility as Protector of Indonesian Citizens (15-May-05)

KOREA

• In commemoration of the Yeosu Detention Center fire deaths: International Day of Action for Migrant Workers' Rights (11-Feb-08)
• Arrest and Deportation of the Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants Trade Union leadership in Korea (27-Nov-07)
• Korean Constitutional Court ruled the Industrial Trainee System is unconstitutional (31-Aug-07)
• The concentrated crackdown against migrant workers must stop immediately! (19-Aug-07)
• Guide for migrant workers on how to respond to a crackdown
• MFA calls for a thorough investigation of the fire incident in a detention center in Korea (14-Feb-07)
• Establishment of Migrant Trade Union is Right! (01-Feb-07)
• Civil society groups and labour organizations denounce irresponsibility of the Korean Government (07-Nov-06)
• MFA Statement on Crackdown Against Undocumented Migrant Workers in Korea(28-April-06)
• Stop the Killer Clampdown and Forced Deportation of Migrant Workers in Korea (20-Mar-06)
• Release Anwar Hossain, President of Migrant Trade Union, KCTU! (15-May-05)

MALAYSIA

• Say "No" to Foreign Worker Monopoly Regimes (05-Feb-08)
• Rela to Manage Detention Depots (23-Nov-07)
• 779 Bangladeshis come in 27 buses to press for relief (10-Oct-07)
• Rape against Indonesian worker: Malaysia to be reported to UN (02-Oct-07)
• Press Statement by the Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) (19-Sept-07)
• Sufferings of Bangladeshi Workers - Rights body blames HC in KL for abuse (18-Sept-07)
• Dhaka urges KL to act against recruiter (17-Sept-07)
• Bangladesh to send probe team to Malaysia (16-Sept-07)
• Discrimination has no place in the criminal justice - expedite Nirmala Bonat's abuse trial (04-Sept-07)
• RELA Q and A (23-Aug-07)
• Stop Murder and Gender Based Violence: Freeze Recruitment of Domestic Workers (23-Aug-07)
• KL refuses to sign to sign declaration on migrant workers - sources (02-Aug-07)
• Malaysian detention centers dangerously overcrowded (02-Aug-07)
• More Chin refugees rounded up in Malaysia immigration raids (31-Jul-07)
• 228 Burmese asylum seekers and refugees arrested by RELA (25-Jun-07)
• Malaysia: Disband Abusive Volunteer Corps (09-May-07)
• Employer holds passport, putting worker at risk (27-Apr-07)
• Bill to protect trafficked victims tabled (25-Apr-07)
• Lawyers unanimous in call for the demise of RELA and the usage of only professional law enforcement personnel in Malaysia (17-Mar-07)
• Malaysia targets half a million undocumented migrant workers (12-Mar-07)
• Dissolve RELA, government urged (08-Mar-07)
• Malaysia Government proposes modern day slavery (01-Mar-07)
• Release all refugees and Asylum seekers and immediate halt to the operations of RELA (14-Feb-07)
• RELA's "catch a migrant and get paid for it" policy must end (22-Jan-07)
• Asylum seekers and migrants at risk of violent arrests, overcrowded detention centers and inhumane deportation (2-Nov-06)
• MFA decries Malaysia's anti-migrant workers policies and calls for consistency in upholding human rights for all ( 18-Jul-06)
• New crackdown on irregular migrant workers (14-Jul-06)
• The peace process for Nepal is crucial for protection of rights of migrant workers and to arrest trafficking in persons (27-Jun-06)
• Recruitment and employment through outsourcing of labour legalizes trafficking in persons to Malaysia (13-Jun-06)
• SUARAM Memorandum to SUHAKAM (24-May-06)
• Diplomacy Training Program 2006 Held in Malaysia (Apr-06)
• Migrants and Rights in Malaysia (07-Apr-06)
• Stop the Racist and Chauvinist Attack on Migrant Workers! Address Issue of Transparency and Accountability of the Home Ministry (13-Mar-06)
• Stop RELA Immediately from Raids on Migrant Workers! (01-Mar-06)
• Malaysia's Mystery Migrants Death (16-Feb-06)
• New Foreign Workers' Levy (31-Jul-05)
• Plight of Indian Migrant Workers in Malaysia (04-Jul-05)
• 68 Burmese Protesters yet to be Charged (22-Jun-05)
• Malaysian Bar Press Release on World Refugee Day (20-Jun-05)
• UNHCR Urges Employ Refugees to Curb Labour Shortage (13-Jun-05)
• Korean Workers Protest Against Malaysian Crackdown (22-Mar-05)
• An Appeal to the Malaysian Gov't to Stop the Crackdown on Undocumented Workers (18-Mar-05)
• 39 Indian Foreign Workers to File Action at Seremban Labour Office Against Employer for a Claim of RM 0.8M (22-Sept-99)
• 9 Months without Wages and Workers do not even have Money for Food (13-Sept-99)

NEPAL

• U.N. Mission to Nepal: Money Arrives; Time to Act (30-May-05)
• Restore Democracy! Bring Back the Civil & Political Rights of the People of Nepal! (18-Mar-05)

PHILIPPINES

• Yes! To protection of migrant Filipina domestic workers, No! To GMA's Super Maids and Labor Export Program (Feb-07)
• Migration and development should be rights-based and people-centered (15-Sept-2006)
• CMA statement to the Senate Committee Hearing on the repatriation of OFWs in Lebanon (31-Jul-2006)
• Protection for OFWs in Lebanon and Israel (21-Jul-2006)
• International Conference on Migration and Development (28-May-06)
• Senate Ratifies Treaties for Migrant Workers (30-Jan-06)

SINGAPORE

• MFA and SNTUC coorganizes 10th Regional Conference on Migration in Singapore (Nov-06)
• Singapore Rejects Calls for Maids' Mandatory Day-off (Mar-06)
• You Don't Pay, We Don't Clean!! (Nov-05)
• The Hard Labour of Talks Finally Pays Off: Salary Dispute Resolved with MOM's Intervention (Oct-05)
• Migrant Workers Demand Abolishment of Death Penalty in Singapore (Jul-05)

SRI LANKA

• MoU to provide over 55,000 jobs in Qatar (6-Jan-08)
• Government re-considers ban on young mothers working overseas (13-May-07)
• Uphold Women's Rights to Development and Fundamental Freedom! (03-Apr-07)
• The Ban on Mothers of young children migrating overseas for employment (25-Mar-07)
• Relief measures to offset ban on women migrant workers (18-Mar-07)
• Hasty decision on migrant workers (11-Mar-07)

TAIWAN

• National Migrants Rally 2007: I WANT MY DAY OFF!! (09-Dec-07)
• Help migrant workers develop their talents
• Council of Labor Affairs to tighten rules on hiring foreign workers (25-Oct-07)
• Seven Indonesia seamen accused of killing Taiwan captain (18-Mar-07)
• Thai Workers to Countersue Huapan (Mar-06)
• Government Officials Resign for not Protecting the Rights of Migrant Workers (Aug-05)

THAILAND

• Order to Deport Pregnant Workers and Declaration of Orders in Five Provinces in Breach of Constitution (24-Nov-07)
• AMC Statement on the Global Day Against the Implementation of Provincial Orders Concerning Migrant Workers (30-Jul-2007)
• Activists urge government to create migrant workers centre (10-Jul-07)
• UNHCR presses Thailand to allow employment for Burmese refugees (04-May-07)
• Raising standards for foreign labour (28-May-07)
• UNHCR presses Thailand to allow employment for Burmese refugees (04-May-07)
• Alien [Migrant] workers to face more restrictions (17-Mar-07)
• New Cabinet Resolution on Migrant Labor Threatens to Deteriorate Migrants' Rights (Feb-06)
• Amnesty Int'l Report: Thailand: The Plight of Burmese Migrant Workers (08-Jun-05)

THEMATIC UPDATES

ASEAN on Migrant Workers

• Migrant Workers: Turn Words into Action (09-Nov-07)
• ASEAN Charter leaked (07-Nov-07)
• 3rd ASEAN + Civil Society Conference (2-4 Nov-07)
• Singapore Declaration (2-4 Nov-07)
• KL refuses to sign to sign declaration on migrant workers - sources (02-Aug-07)
• Taskforce on ASEAN Migrant Workers: Bangkok Statement (31-Jul-07)
• Statement of the Establishment of the ASEAN Committee on the Implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers (30-Jul-07)
• Taskforce on ASEAN Migrant Workers: Jakarta Statement (12-May-07)
• Taskforce on ASEAN Migrant Workers: Kuala Lumpur Statement (28-Mar-07)
• Taskforce on ASEAN Migrant Workers: Statement on the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers (15-Feb-07)
• ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers (13-Jan-07)
• ASEAN leaders sign accord to protect millions of migrant workers (13-Jan-07)
• ASEAN member states urged to ratify UN Human Rights Treaties and ILO Core Conventions (12-Jan-07)
• Statement of the 2nd ASEAN Civil Society Conference (ACSC II) (12-Dec-06)
• Migrants group asks ASEAN to uphold migrant workers’ rights (20-Jul-06)
• Solidarity for Asian People’s Advocacy (SAPA) Working Group on the ASEAN Submission on the Economic Pillar for the Eminent Persons Group on the ASEAN Charter (28-Jun-06)
• Statement On Civil Society Engagement With ASEAN (Oct-05)

MIGRATION and DEVELOPMENT

• Ban Ki-moon urges immediate and effective action to aid plight of migrants
• MFA at the Global Community Forum on Migration, Development and Human Rights
• Global debate on migration, development and human rights should return to the UN
• Conclusions and Recommendations from the GFMD (12-JUl-07)
• Civil Society Day of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (09-Jul-07)
• GLOBAL FORUM ON MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT 2007
• Asian Consultation for the Global Forum on Migration and Development (16-Jun-07)
• Immigrants push Western Union to share the wealth (11-May-07)
• Chairperson’s Summary of the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development
• Former UN Human Rights head Mary Robinson to governments on migration and development: Do not forget human rights  (15-Sept-06)
• Global community dialogue on migration, development and human rights (13-Sept-06)
• Summary of the Informal Interactive Hearings on International Migration and Development (23-Aug-06)
• Asian consultation process in preparation for the UN High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development (17-Aug-06)
• UN General Assembly holds civil society hearings on international migration and development (12-Jul-06)
• NGO Comments on the UN Secretary General's Report to the General Assembly on International Migration and Development (12-Jul-06)
• Civil Society Hearings on International Migration - Orientation Meeting (11-Jul-06)
• UN General Assembly to hear from Civil Society Organizations, Non-Geovernmental Organizations and the Private Sector (10-Jul-06)
• Informal Interactive Hearings with NGOs, CSOs and the Private Sector (11-Jul-06)
• UN Secretary General's Report to the General Assembly on International Migration and Develoment (18-May-06)
• Summary of the Informal Interactive Hearings on International Migration and Development (23-August-06)

LABOUR and MIGRATION / TU-NGO COLLABORATION

• Global debate on migration, development and human rights should return to the UN (10-Jul-07)
• ICFTU-APRO regional workshop on migrant workers (Feb-07)
• Establishment of Migrant Trade Union is Right! (1-Feb-07)
• Trade unions endorse action plan to defend migrant rights (18-Dec-06)
• We reject the revival of the Doha round (13-Dec-06)
• CSO-TU Position paper on an instrument on the protection and promotion of the rights of migrant workers (10-Dec-06)
• MTUC/ILO Follow up Workshop on Migrant Workers in Malaysia (6-Dec-06)
• Trade Unions call on UN to deliver on rights for migrant workers (13-Sept-06)
• Regional Conference on Trade Union - Migrant NGO Collaboration (8-Sept-06)
• Breakthrough for Trade Union and Migrant Domestic Workers! (27-Jun-06)
• MTUC Conference on Migrant Workers (19-Jun-05)
• A Call for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers (01-May-05)
• Rights-based Multilateral Framework on Labour Migration (Jun-04)
• Core Elements for an Int'l Labour Conference Plan of Action on Migrant Workers (Jun-04)

WOMEN MIGRANT WORKERS

• Joint Position of Asian Migrant Centre, Coalition for Migrans' Rights and Asian Domestic Workers Alliance (03-Aug-07)
• MFA Appeal to the CEDAW Committee to approve a comprehensive General Recommendation 27 on women migrant workers (25-Jul-07)
• Asian Domestic Workers Assembly (17-18-Jun-07)
• ADWA Statement of Unity (17-18-Jun-07)
• Government re-considers ban on young mothers working overseas (13-May-07)
• Uphold Women's Rights to Development and Fundamental Freedom! (03-Apr-07)
• Uphold the rights and well-being of women migrant workers (08-Mar-07)
• Domestic Workers Abused Worldwide: Human Rights Watch (HRW) Report Spotlights Violence and Slavelike Conditions in 12 Countries (27-Jul-06)
• Breakthrough for Trade Union and Migrant Domestic Workers! (27-Jun-06)
• Asia Women's Forum on Migration (Sep-05)
• Indonesia: Female domestic Workers Vulnerable to Extreme Exploitation and Abuse (5-Jul-05)
• Some Embassy Workers Enslave Domestic Help, Enjoy Immunity (04-Jul-05)
• Bill to Protect New York State Domestics Reaches Lawmakers (01-Jun-05)
• 9th Regional Conference on Migration (Sept-04)
• Dignity & Respect for the Human Rights of Women Migrant Domestic Workers (03-Jun-04)

HEALTH and MIGRATION

• AIDS Conference 2006: MFA & CARAM-Asia Statement (14-Aug-06)
• 8th Regional Conference on Migration: Declaration and Recommendations (Oct-02)

TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT

• Regional Trade Strategy Meeting: The Battle of Hong Kong Continues (Mar-06)
• Call for International Action Against GATS-WTO (30-Oct-05)
• Civil Society Organizations' Letter to the WTO Rejecting Benchmarking and So-Called Complementary Approaches to Services Negotiations (21-Sept-05)
• MFA concludes July 2005 Conference on WTO, Development & Migration in Hong Kong (17-Jul-05)

WEST ASIA

• Bangladeshi workers in Kuwait on strike for better pay
• Dhaka in talks with Kuwait to end labour row
• Bahrain Lifts Visa Ban On Bangladesh, Dhaka To Implement Strict Rules On Workers
• GCC Forum Recommendations (21-22 Jan-08)
• Abu Dhabi Declaration of Asian Countries of Origin and Destination (21-22 Jan-08)
• The Gulf Forum on Temporary Contractual Labour: Ushering in a New Era of Cooperation on Labour Movement (21-22 Jan-08)
• MFA holds Regional Workshop on Migration, Detention and Deportation in Kathmandu, Nepal (10-2-Dec-07)
• First inter-regional conference on Asian migrant workers in the Arab world (13-Jun-07)
• 40,000 Indonesians risk migration crackdown (23-May-07)
• Jordan to release jailed Lankans (22-May-07)
• UAE: Draft labour law violates international standards (25-Mar-07)
• UAE to sign labor deal (10-Jan-07)
• MFA holds consultation meeting on migration in the West Asia region (02-Dec-06)
• Migrant workers in Lebanon are victims twice over (04-Aug-06)
• MFA calls for ceasefire in Lebanon chides Asian governments for not acting fast on repatriating their citizens (20-Jul-06)

OTHER STORIES

• 8th International Conference of National Human Rights Institutions - Sta. Cruz Declaration
• Solidarity Statement For Campaign Against New Swiss Foreigners Law and Modification to Asylum Law (16-June-06)
• Migrant CARE Statement On Elections to the UN Human Rights Council (10-May-06)
• UNITAR Workshop on International Labour Migration (Mar-06)