Hong Kong: Government protects maids' rights, interests

The Hong Kong government attaches great importance to protecting foreign domestic workers' rights and interests, Secretary for Labor and Welfare Matthew Cheung said Friday. Cheung noted that the case against abused Indonesian domestic helper Erwiana Sulistyaningsih's former employer will be heard in court on April 29. The woman is charged with wage and holiday offences under the Employment Ordinance. While his bureau is following up on the case, he could not comment further as legal proceedings have begun, he said. In January, Erwiana accused her Hong Kong employer of subjecting her to six months of physical abuse. Photographs of Erwiana's injuries quickly spread through social media and led to a demonstration of thousands of people through Hong Kong's Central district. Police arrested her employer on Jan. 20, 2014 as she tried to board a flight to Thailand.