Lo Pui-Kwan – Indonesian domestic helpers yesterday formed their own union – the first in Asia – to fight abuse they say they suffer during their work.

Organisers of the union said Indonesians were the second-largest group of foreign domestic helpers in the territory, after Filipinos.

From only 670 helpers 10 years ago, their number had grown to 41,400 by the end of last year – an increase of 6,000 percent.

Last year alone, 9,700 Indonesian maids arrived to take up jobs as helpers. That was up 30 percent on 1998, compared with a less than 2 percent growth in the number of arrivals from the Philippines.

"With the dramatic increase in our number has come the corresponding increase in abuse and exploitation we experience from our government, recruitment agencies and employers," organisers of the union said.

"The kind of exploitation we face each day comes in various forms – threats, physical and sexual abuse, excessive agency fees, underpayment and long working hours."

Most of the Indonesian maids were subjected to "blatant abuse and violations", it was claimed, and the Indonesian government had turned a "blind eye and a deaf ear" to their plight. "Most of us live in fear and never dare to speak out," the organisers said.

Meanwhile, employers and agencies preyed on them, "squeezing the most that they can get from our vulnerable situation". So they decided to form the union "to break our long silence and collectively resist further violations of our human rights".