Monday, 25 June 2012
By Sen David
Phnom Penh Post
Chheang Nath,
47, cries yesterday as she stands next to the coffin of her 16-year-old
daughter, Toch Srey Neth. Photograph: Pha Lina/Phnom Penh Post
A 16-year-old died at Calmette hospital in Phnom Penh yesterday morning
after succumbing to an illness she contracted while working in virtual
slavery as a maid in Malaysia, her family said.
Toch Srey Neth signed up to go to Malaysia as a maid through the now-defunct T&P Co when she was only 15 years old.
While
there, she was reportedly beaten, under-fed and overworked without pay
before being brought home, where she died a few weeks later of
“multi-organ failure”, caused by “irreversible septic shock”, according
to her death certificate.
“I am mourning my only daughter,” the
victim’s mother, Chheang Nath, 47, tearfully told the Post over the
sounds of a funeral ceremony. “When we saw that my lovely daughter died
at the hospital, we panicked.”
Toch Srey Neth’s father, Toch Sarouen, 48, said that his daughter’s homecoming had been bittersweet.
“When
she came back home, I was absolutely happy, but from what I was told,
my daughter had fallen sick,” he said. “She did not dare to tell me of
her employer’s beatings. She was afraid I would worry about her, but she
told her aunt and neighbour that she had pains in her body from
mistreatment and beatings, and that she did not have enough food.
“My daughter was healthy before going to Malaysia.”
Toch
Sarouen said that the family had initially refused to let Toch Srey
Neth work abroad, but eventually gave in when she insisted.
The family plans to file official complaints with NGOs after today’s cremation.
The
government revoked the licence of T&P Co last year for sending
under-age girls like Toch Srey Neth to work in Malaysia, and issued an
arrest warrant for its former director.
Toch Srey Neth had listed her age as 23 on official documents to circumvent regulations preventing minors from working abroad.
Moeun
Tola, head of the labour program at Community Legal Education Center,
said that Toch Srey Neth’s death was a tragic consequence of an ongoing
problem.
“It is at least the second case this year of a maid
dying. We are worried about human rights abuses in Malaysia. It is a
serious kind of abuse,” he said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Sen David at david.sen@phnompenhpost.com
6 comments:
Why people still their daughter to go Malaysia working? Don't we have anything to do at home? People can do lot of thing at home...Can We? Selling veggies, fruits, fishes...etc..still making money??
Why still want your daughter to go?
I would like to beg the parents of Cambodian young ladies that are about to send their girl to work as maid in Malaysia or in any Muslim's counties in this planet. Please DO NOT send your girl to work for them [ Muslim].
#1,They won't respect your girl (woman) as a human being,they abuse your child,physically,emotionally,or even kill them.
#2,These Muslim people were different from your child,they may look similar ,but completely different 90° they don't understand your culture,your child didn't understand their culture,languages or even foods that these Muslims eats.
#3,Languages bearier is enough to be difficulty to deal with already,not to mention that superior of these Muslims attitude,characteristic behavior abusives toward women in generals regardless of RACE.
#4,These Muslims men treats their women like a second class citizens within their own race and religion,imagine your child that works for these Muslims people that call your child a slave or INFIDELS,they treats their women like grabs,what do you expect them to treat your child /girl? Think about it....
Did you as a parents of khmer's maids learn anything from Si Chan the maid that killed by the barbarian Muslim's couples ? Now touch Srey neth.How many more khmers girls have to die until the parents says it is enough???
This srey neth case is hard to prosecute these barbarian Muslim whom abused her, because Srey neth dies on Cambodian soil,not under the Evil-boss homeland.Its hard to prove this case because the death girl can not testifies against her former Evil boss that she has been abused so servered that cause her death.
Please, Do not send your girl to dies in the hands of these barbarian's Muslims-Evil animals.
...young K.professional.
Dear young K.professional...
Only if your 4 Noble Facts can
be translated into Khmer then every
political campaigners regardless of their factions,make
an effort to deliver them to the people mostly the one who live
in rural part of the country,then many Khmer girl lives
can and will be save.
GBY my dear,talk to U again soon!.
People forgotten too quickly? Pol Pot did not give us food to eat, money to spent, but we all manage to stay alive till today...didn't we? Why can't we do something at our home? I still believe we can do something at home...I think parent today got think twice about sending your daughter abroad to work as a slavery maids...Money is not everything parent?
Parent must think twice before sending your daughter to work as maids, don't let money screw up your brain...I know we need money, but Money can screw you up...If it does...why bother???????
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