1000 Candle Lights for Peaceful Protest of Human Trafficking victim in Malaysia, Adelina Sau

1000 Candle Lights for Peaceful Protest of Human Trafficking victim in Malaysia, Adelina Sau

“I can’t be quite. I must speak up” Mariance Kabu (40) said. She was the one of survivors of human trafficking in 2015 in Malaysia who involved to the protest. She conveyed her conscience as the survivor while she was working in Malaysia for about eight months. She was tortured by her employer. Mariance Kabu bravely spoke in front of people in the protest in Kupang City. The protest was carried out for victims of crimes against humanity. Furthermore, this peaceful protest intended to oppose Adelina Sau’s employer acquittal as well as to commemorate World Anti-Torture. The protest held on Saturday, July 02, 2022 in front of the East Nusa Tenggara Governor’s Office at 5 pm.

“I won’t forget what I experienced until I die” I was muted and tortured”. Those words were spoken by Mariance Kabu in trembling voice in the protest. Her experience was painful and she has to deliver it for humanity sake and for her family, for Indonesia especially Eat Nusa Tenggara to be freed from violence the criminal act of human trafficking.

Adelina Sau or Adelina Lisao is an Indonesia migrant worker from Abi village, Oenino, South Central Tomor regency who worked as maid in Malaysia. She was treated like an animal and tortured by her employer, Ambika MA Shan until she died tragically in Malaysia on February 11 2018. The trial process against Adelina’s employer was back-and-forth in Malaysia on June 23, 2022. The Malaysian High Court released her employer.

“How difficult it is to get justice. Sometimes, our voices are carried by the wind and nobody really heard us”. Pdt. Emmy Sahartian said, the humanity solidarity network coordinator. She said that East Nusa Tenggara has to protect both women and children otherwise we are the part of that oppression. We must not be silent because it is the struggle for the independence of Indonesia.

There were 24 alliance organizations joined in the protest consisting religious communities, community organizations, humanity cases observers, community of human rights advocacy and student organizations. They were reciting poetries, singing fight-songs, oration of several organizations, demands declaration and praying while the candles were lit. They were reciting the poetries beautifully. Those poetries were about in justices experienced by the Indonesian migrant workers overseas. They firmly asked the government to uphold justice for humanitarian cases which experienced by people in East Nusa Tenggara. Even though the wind was blowing very fast and it was difficult to lit the candles, the participants of the protest made the candles like bonfire so their light were bigger. The participants formed in big circle then they turned to small circle to protect the candles light.

Meanwhile, Fr. Selestinus Panggarra CMF Claret Solidarity stated that human trafficking isn’t justified by all religions. Therefore, the collaboration between all region communities must be held and one of real action to against the cases was this peaceful protest. Tini, one of muslim student of university agreed to the statement. She came as representative of Indonesian Millennial House stated about the criminal act of human trafficking in schools that seems haven’t end.

The poems and orations of the protest’s participants proved that people of Eat Nusa Tenggara are concern about the humanitarian cases in their region. In that occasion, Pdt. Emmy revealed the murder case to the mother and child, Astri Manafe (30) and Lea (1) in Penkase in last December. She stated that the cases of torture to women and children in Eat Nusa Tenggara are very high. The peaceful protest was for praying for the victims of murders as well as to commemorate humanity.

Furthermore, the coordinator of the protest declared demands of the protest to the regional and central government. There were 9 demands and the 8th and 9th demands were read by all the participants of the protest loudly. Here are the 9th demands of the protest:

1. Demand the Indonesian government to stop sending Indonesian migrant workers to Malaysia.
2. Condemn the Malaysian High Court which released Adelina Sau’s Employer of the case and asked the Indonesian government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to conduct political lobby review Adelina’s case.
3. Asking for clarification of Mariance Kabu’s legal status
4. Demanding for full protection to the Indonesia migrant workers in their workplace/the country they work
5. Demanding the local government of East Nusa Tenggara province to review the Decree of 14 November 2018 concerning Termination of departure of prospective Indonesian migrant workers from East Nusa Tenggara abroad.
6. Demanding the professionalism of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in handling legal cases of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia.
7. Urging the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to handle migrant workers who are detained in temporary detention in Sabah, Malaysia.
8. Demanding the governor of East Nusa Tenggara, Viktor Bungtilu Laiskodat to step down from his position if he is unable to handle the cases of criminal act of human trafficking in East Nusa Tenggara
9. Demanding legal certainty over human trafficking cases which are still pending at the East Nusa Tenggara Regional Police of Indonesia.

“This protes was held because of Adelina’s employer was released of the case and it is like a slap in the face for us.” Pdt. Emmy said in her interview. She also mentioned many cases of deported people who are being accommodated in detention homes in Malaysia. They are treated inhumanly and with poor facilities so that they have problems with their health. There are also many people died of that condition. She hopes this peaceful protest wouldn’t end but this would be the first action for further action for justice.

“We must liberate this nation from modern slavery.” she ended. (Jeni) (Jeni)