Article by Martinus Laga Onge Kledon, PMKRI NTT

What is Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is an incredible organized crime. The Human Rights Protocol of the United Nations, article 3, cites Human trafficking including any act of recruitment, transportation, transfer, acceptance, sale or purchase of humanity through coercion, fraud, lies or practice with the aim of placing the victim in forced labor, a practice that resembles slavery or slavery. The condition of crime occurs when the worker (victim) is obtained by physical or non-physical force, extortion, lies, threats or use of physical violence and psychological pressure.

This is happening in Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), Indonesia and its has been rooted. One of the causes is the poor NTT community (Pos-Kangang.com, Wednesday, January 4, 2017; ” BPS: NTT Province of the poorest third rank in Indonesia”).  Poverty in NTT is one of the causes that encourage people to migrate (migration) in order to get out of the boundaries of all the limitations of life. Thus, Human Trafficking Practices in NTT were born as a consequence of poverty. The impact of poverty is very influential in social life. Today’s reality is of great concern, that the consequence of poverty puts NTT Communities as trapped in bullying and exploitative of Human Trafficking practices. The NTT community became an easy target as a victim to be brought abroad.

In addition to the poverty factor, lack of access to education contributes to the raising of this crime victims. NTT residents are illegally recruited as migrant workers because they have no understanding of the negative impacts or risks. Completed SDs or not been to school which makes the locals easily deceived and easily fall prey to human trafficking. The migrants easily mislead by the false promises of getting a good job and high salaries. In fact it is a highly organized fraud.

The impact of Human Trafficking on this day causes deep sorrow. The real impact of the victims is mental disorders caused by acts of violence that lead to loss of life. (Vox NTT.Com, October 5, 2017; ” 2017 Recorded 137 Human Trafficking Case In NTT ”). One of them is the Case of ” Adelina Sau ” (TEMPO.CO, Thursday, March 8, 2018; ” Families: ” Dead TKI in Malaysia, Adelina Sau, Lost since 2015 ”). In this case, Adelina Sau was treated with inhuman treatment by the employer, even until death. Again, and again, life is the price to pay for the abomination of the Employer.

Adelina Sau’s mother is in tears receiving her daughter in coffin

This situation needs serious attention from the NTT Provincial Government, as NTT currently receives the Poor Provincial Label. Human Trafficking is more common in relatively poor communities.