Human rights are given priority in ASEAN human trafficking proceedings by Komnas HAM.

 

                                                                        Source Antara

Human rights are given priority in ASEAN human trafficking proceedings by Komnas HAM.

ANTARA, Badung, Bali - As human trafficking cases in ASEAN are linked to the violation of fundamental human rights, the National Commision on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) said on Tuesday that it is giving human rights-based handling priority.

"As a follow-up to the cases, all parties involved in handling human trafficking must integrate (human) rights into their analysis," stated Atnike Nova Sigiro, chairperson of Komnas HAM, during the ASEAN Regional Conference on Human Trafficking in Kuta, Bali.

She clarified that the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Manpower, the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, and the police are all active in the fight against human trafficking.

She said that forced labour, forced marriage, sexual exploitation, and slavery are all examples of human trafficking, which violates human rights and affects women, children, immigrants, refugees, and persons with disabilities.

Sigiro further mentioned that the ASEAN region has a significant migrant worker flow, with 10 million workers coming in each year, half of them are women.

"Prospective workers must be equipped with adequate knowledge and protection before departure, and in the destination countries, there must be a procedure to ensure their protection," she continued.

She stated that figures from the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection showed that there were 297 victims of human trafficking in 2018 and the figure rose to 752 in 2022.

According to a June 2023 National Police report, 1,006 individuals were trafficked and brought overseas to work as domestic helpers or illegal immigrants.

According to Komnas HAM, a number of Indonesian nationals have fallen prey to human trafficking in Vietnam, Cambodia, and other ASEAN nations through scams or internet fraud.

In 2015, the commision also dealt with the human trafficking of citizens of Thailand and Cambodia who worked as ship crew members in Benjina, Aru Islands, Maluku.

"Observing this cross (border) human trafficking problem, a human rights approach needs protection and prioritises human rights under jurisdiction, including for those who are not Indonesian citizens," she said.

      Source Antara