The shackles of abuse
The plight of Cambodian migrant maids who suffer abuse by employers in Malaysia is well documented. Less so is the mental damage caused by the overseas trauma, which has led to some returned migrants being chained up by their desperate families
Young women who survive abuse at the hands of their employers in Malaysia are all but forgotten when they return home, often pushed to the margins of village communities that are unable to cope with or fully understand their enduring trauma. …
He crouched down and unlocked a heavy chain attached to her ankle, which had bound her to a wooden post. She muttered excitedly to herself as she made her way towards their house.
Sokleang was just 15 years old when she flew to Malaysia. A happy and compassionate teenager, she was already working as a maid in her hometown when the promise of higher wages that could support her parents and six siblings drew her abroad.
Reports of abuses against domestic workers in Malaysia had not yet filtered down to her rural community, where many families were encouraging loved ones to make the same journey. …
May Titthara and Alice Cuddy
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-weekend/shackles-abuse
