By Min Ni Kyaw - Jan 16, 2024
Family members said that they have lost contact with 6 Burmese women who were trafficked in Iraq and are in a critical situation for these women. It is reported that the 6 women arrived in Iraq a month after arriving in Dubai last August.
"They have been physically beaten since they arrived Iraq. They were threatened by a gun and got fed only a meal per day. Now 6 are not together anymore. They all are separated. The last person I contacted said she was in a place with many mountains. She said that on 1st day of this month,” said a family member.
The women are said to be around 20 years old and live in Pyin Manar Township, Bago Division. It is reported that a woman named Zaza Aung from Tamwe Township was sent them to Dubai, UAE to work as domestic workers. In August, they left Myanmar with a visit visa, and 4 days before leaving Yangon Airport, they had to sign a contract with terms of compensation to work as domestic workers for 2 years and agreeing not to come back before the period ends. The families said that a man called Htoo Htoo Kyaw came to pick up at Dubai airport and handed to the agency at Dubai. They were sent to Iraq as they didn’t get a job in Dubai for a month.
"Critical situations have been going on for a long time. Their bones would be rotted if they would have died. Among the six, some of them are already considered died. They are facing sexual exploitation by both the people involved with the broker and the men at the work. They also faced labor exploitation that they only got 10,000 kyats of their 50,000 kyats salary a day where broker takes the remaining 40,000. They had to go to work at the agencies’ owners’ parents’ house without getting paid on those days they don’t have jobs. They got fed only a meal per day despite they have to work for free. They have to share the meal for 6 people with their wages. They are also forced to work at adult entertainment shops. They are being talked in exclusive language which is hard for a woman to take it. We have all the recordings. It have been a long time. We are worried that they will do something to their selves,” said a member of the support team.
Family members said that the 6 Burmese women were taken by a local broker to Yangon-based broker Zar Zar Aung and then sent to Dubai. It is known that the local broker who issued them passports will take a deduction for 2 months' salary, and the cost of travel to Dubai was borne by the Yangon broker.
A member of the support organization said that it has been almost 3 months since they reported and notified to Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and embassies including international level organizations such as ICRC and ILO regarding women been trafficked.
"We haven't heard anything until now. The police station asked to write a petition. But noting improved. The victims’ side have provided detailed information about the location of the brokers and the women. No progress on that too. I see it as the responsibility of the state to look after the citizens. I'm afraid it would be more difficult if it took longer. Even now, the fact that they are in a place where they don't know where they are, means that the girls are unprotected." said a support member.
The supporting organizations said that there are many people those arrived to countries such as Iraq, Omen and Syria after they were told they have to work in Dubai as domestic workers and there are many people who are not get paid for many months and those who are trafficked.
In the past few days, the Solidarity of Trade Unions Myanmar (STUM) has announced that one of the women who were sold in Iraq have completely lost contact with them.
Photo - How 6 Burmese women have to eat in Iraq
