Nine arrested under ISA

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 13, 2010): Seven immigration officers and two Indonesian men were arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for allegedly being involved with human trafficking syndicates and activities.

In a press conference at Bukit Aman today, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said the nine men, seven of whom are officers from the Immigration Department, were detained on Monday and Tuesday.

He said the men, who are suspected of aiding the trafficking of foreigners into Malaysia, were held for further investigations into their alleged involvement in the syndicates and for investigators to gather information to penetrate the international network of the human traffickers.

“We view this issue very seriously as it has raised questions to the security of the country. Such illegal activities can also be a regional threat if these syndicates use such means of seeking entry for criminal, terrorist activities, drugs and firearms smuggling.” he said.

He said the latest operation by police was in line of the government’s goal to prove that Malaysia is committed in fighting human trafficking and to thwart any attempt by such syndicates in using the country as a transit point for their activities.

Get the full story from Sun2Surf, here.

An Example For Malaysia: The Day Off Campaign in Singapore

Imagine working day after day, month after month, without a single day’s rest or time to yourself, and having no choice in the matter. Now imagine living, working, eating and sleeping in your employer’s home every single day, with no one to turn to when you feel tired, lonely, sad or frustrated.

Everyone needs a day off, but most domestic workers are not given one by  their employers. The Working Committee 2 (now re-named into Transient Workers Count Too) recognised this as a vital issue for the wellbeing of foreign domestic workers in Singapore and decided to launch a ‘SUNDAYS OFF’ campaign. Its aim was to encourage more employers to give their domestic workers a day off each week. Sunday is the usual choice for those who already have a day off. This is when there are the best chances to socialise and go to training courses, classes and entertainments intended for domestic workers and that was why we decided to focus on ‘SUNDAYS OFF’.

The Bangladesh Example

TEKNAF, Bangladesh, July 20 (UNHCR) – For Bangladeshi women with pregnancy complications in this poverty-stricken area an emergency transfer to hospital is often beyond their budgets and can be life-threatening.

They either have to pay for fuel for the three-hour trip by government ambulance to a hospital in the nearest big town, Cox’s Bazar, or risk a long ride over rutted roads in a motorized rickshaw –sometimes too dangerous to contemplate.

But two Bangladeshi women facing labour complications in the last month got to ride to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital in comfort and safety thanks to brand-new ambulances provided by UNHCR for the use of the Teknaf and Ukhiya health centres. Provision of the ambulances is just one element of the UN refugee agency’s support for the local communities that have welcomed Rohingya refugees from Myanmar for decades.

“The government of Bangladesh and the people of Bangladesh have hosted refugees from Myanmar for over 19 years, and have shown great hospitality,” said Craig Sanders, UNHCR’s representative in Bangladesh. “We want to make sure to show that we are here to help not just refugees, but the host community as well,” he added.

Sanders said everyone who needs an ambulance should have access to the two vehicles, which are also used to transport seriously ill refugees who cannot be treated in the two refugee camps that house 28,500 refugees.

Read the entire article by Arjun Jain and Kitty McKinsey in Teknaf, Bangladesh

Zach Hunter: The Teenage Abolitionist

Zach Hunter is the sixteen-year-old abolitionist who was the official teen spokesperson for theSocial Justice Campaign in conjunction with the Amazing Grace movie.  It all began when he was twelve-years-old. In school, he was studying slavery in America. He was learning about Harriet Tubman, a former slave who helped other slaves on the Underground Railway before our Civil War.

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