Jim Rice wants Hong Kong's maids to know their rights. A lecturer at a Hong Kong university, Rice says many of the 300,000 domestic workers from the Philippines and Indonesia that live with families in Hong Kong are abused or underpaid, and he has written a low-cost legal guidebook to try to help them stand up for their rights.
He remembers one case in particular that first convinced him that the city's army of domestic helpers were in need of help themselves. “There was an Indonesian woman who was locked up in her employer's house alone for a month,” Rice recalled.
“She had to call friends for help just to get food,” he said. “They were bringing it to her and stuffing it through the gate. She was literally locked in the house. If there had been a fire, she wouldn't have been able to get out.”
PHOTO: AP
The maid was horrified when Rice suggested reporting her case. “She begged me, ‘Please don't make any trouble,’” he said, “Nothing ever came of it.”
“These things happen and the employee is so frightened of getting into trouble because she knows the cards are stacked against her.”
In Hong Kong, if maids are fired, their visas are taken away immediately, and they must leave Hong Kong within two weeks. There is little time to hear complaints of abuse or being fired unfairly. Additionally, most maids don't know that if they are reported for working illegally and questioned by immigration or police officers, they have the right to silence.
“I am trying to inform workers they have other options. ... It can help them enormously in ... dealing with immigration officers or the police.”
Rice's book, Take Your Rights Seriously, is to be sold to Hong Kong's foreign maids at a cover price of around US$5 (NT$165). (DPA)
吉姆?萊斯要香港女傭知道自己的權利。身為香港大學講師的萊斯指出，香港三十萬名和受雇家庭同住的菲傭和印傭中，有許多不是被虐待就是薪資過低，他已完成一本便宜的法律指導手冊，幫助她們挺身捍衛自己的權利。
萊斯特別想起一個案子，讓他第一次相信，香港大批家庭幫傭需要自力救濟，他回憶：「有一名印尼女子獨自被鎖在雇主家一個月。」
他說：「她得打電話請朋友幫忙才能取得食物。他們把食物帶來，從門縫中塞給她。她真的是被鎖在家裡，當時若有火警她會沒辦法逃生。」
萊斯提議要報導她的案例時，這名女傭極度恐慌，他說：「她懇求我『請不要製造任何麻煩，這麼做沒有任何好處』。」
「這些是真實發生的案例，而且受雇的女傭非常害怕會惹麻煩，因為她知道情況對她不利。」
香港的女傭若被解雇就會立即失去簽證，且須在兩週內離開香港，以致很少聽到有人抱怨被虐待或遭無理開除。此外，多數女傭不知道當她們被舉報非法工作，以及受移民局或警察盤問時，有保持沉默的權利。
「我試圖告知這些幫傭，他們有其他選擇...這對他們在跟移民局或警局交涉時有莫大的幫助。」
萊斯的著作「認真捍衛你的權利」將以約五美元﹝新台幣一百六十五元﹞的價格賣給香港外籍女傭。
（德通社╱翻譯︰鄭湘儀）
Every February, the US observes Black History Month, a time dedicated to recognizing the contributions, experiences, and achievements of African Americans. The tradition began in 1926, when historian Carter G. Woodson proposed a national week to promote the teaching of Black history in schools. He deliberately chose the second week of February to honor the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, two figures held in high esteem by the Black community for their roles in ending slavery. In 1976, the initiative expanded into a month-long observance, with then US president Gerald Ford urging Americans to acknowledge the accomplishments of
★ Bilingual Story is a fictionalized account. 雙語故事部分內容純屬虛構。 The fog came before the knock. It covered the street and pressed against the window. Chao Gung-dao lit a small oil lamp, but his makeshift hut stayed dim. Another knock. Chao opened the door. The inspector stepped inside and removed his hat. He did not smile. “You remember me?” the inspector said. Chao resented the question. The inspector looked around the small room. His eyes stopped on a wooden box resting on a low beam above Chao’s head. “What is that?” Chao stayed silent. The inspector pulled the box down and
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★ 本文由生成式 AI 協作，本刊編輯編修。 Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日） https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang Kaohsiung’s deep connection with the sea continues to thrive, with Kaohsiung Harbor remaining a crucial hub for global shipping. In addition to the port, the city has emerged as a major player in another world-class maritime industry—yacht manufacturing, responsible for producing 80 percent of all Taiwan-made yachts. The yacht industry in Taiwan originated in the post-World War II era, when the US military presence in Taiwan provided local boat builders with guidance on making wooden yachts. The resulting craftsmanship was so exquisite that orders soon poured in. In 1977, Taiwan replaced Canada as the main yacht
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