Internship Mode To Japan And Forcedly Hired, West Sumatra Komnas HAM Traces TIP Victim Students

Illustration. (Pexels)

Based on a press conference conducted by investigators from the Directorate of General Crimes (Dittipidum) of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police on Tuesday, June 27, students from one of the polytechnics in West Sumatra are suspected of being victims of a criminal act of trafficking in persons (TPPO) with an internship mode to Japan.

Now the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) Representative of West Sumatra (West Sumatra) is investigating the case of alleged students from the province who were victims of TIP.

"We have been asked by the Central Human Rights Commission to investigate the case, including finding out the origin of the higher education for questioning," said Head of Komnas HAM Representative for West Sumatra Sultanul in Padang, Wednesday.

Until now, the human rights institution has not received any complaints directly from the victims.

He said that during the search, Komnas HAM would ask various questions to the university, especially regarding the mechanism or regulation of the student internship program sent to Japan.

"We will investigate where the polytechnic is and its identity," he said, quoted from ANTARA, Wednesday, June 28.

After obtaining these data, Komnas HAM Center and Komnas HAM West Sumatra Representatives will coordinate including sending letters to the Directorate General of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) including the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Police.

To prevent the practice of TIP using internship mode abroad, Komnas HAM West Sumatra Representative will carry out stricter supervision and monitoring. Including coordinating with universities that will send students.

Separately, the Director of General Crimes (Dirtipidum) of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police Brigadier General Djuhandhani Rahardjo Puro said the TIP case with the mode of sending interns to Japan began with reports of victims with the initials ZS and FY to the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) Tokyo.

Based on the statements of the two reporters, they and nine other students were sent by one of the polytechnics in West Sumatra to take part in the internship program.

"However, the victim was employed as a laborer," he said.

During one year following the internship program to Japan, the victims were employed like workers with the condition that they worked for 14 hours, from 08.00 to 22.00. The work is done every day for seven days without holidays, and is only given 10 to 15 minutes to eat.