JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Despite potentially being affected by the tug of war between major powers, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must strive to forge its own path and provide room for its citizens to grow. During the ceremony to commemorate ASEAN’s 52nd anniversary and inaugurate its secretariat’s new building in Jakarta on Thursday (8/8/2019), President Joko Widodo was focused on these two issues.
“ASEAN must maintain its reputation. [It must remain] relevant for the development of the new world and for the fulfillment of ASEAN citizens’ interests. ASEAN must work faster to respond to global changes. ASEAN must work fast and solidly,” the President said.
ASEAN cooperation director general Jose Antonio Morato Tavares told Kompas in a written statement that the association had several regulations orientated toward these issues, such as the ASEAN Convention Against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration and the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers. The consensus was established in November 2017 and was aimed at ensuring ASEAN citizens’ ability to enjoy prosperity and economic growth.
However, Migrant Care executive director Wahyu Susilo said that there were important notes regarding the issue of migrant workers in ASEAN. “Since it was established, the consensus has remained only on paper as it was not adopted as law by ASEAN countries. Protection of migrant workers in the region has yet to show any significant changes.
According to Wahyu, protection of migrant workers still depends on each country’s political regime.
Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BNP2TKI) secretary Tatang Budie Utama Razak said that Indonesia as the origin country of many migrant workers in ASEAN had a huge interest in the consensus’ optimal implementation.“Indonesia has many migrant workers at high risk, including maids, plantation workers and construction workers. The consensus also protects [those who are] non-procedural migrant workers not by their own doing,” he said.
Bank Indonesia records show that remittances from Indonesian migrant workers in three ASEAN countries, namely Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, has continued to increase in the past three years, from US$2.8 billion in 2016 to $3.3 billion in 2017 and $3.6 billion in 2018.
ASEAN’s efforts
Judha Nugraha of the Foreign Ministry’s Indonesian citizen and legal entity protection directorate said that the consensus would not immediately lead to a decrease in the number of migrant workers.
Currently, Judha said, ASEAN had come up with several action plans to implement the consensus, including a public campaign for safe migration to be launched in December this year.
Indonesia’s representative at the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), Yuyun Wahyuningsih, said that three types of protection for migrant workers should be prioritized in ASEAN, namely responsive protection, improvement and environmental development. (LSA/JOS)