Indonesian migrant worker Eni Lestari called on the international community to include migrant workers in the discussion to shape policies and improve conditions for migrant workers during her address at the UN General Assembly on Monday.

"We have a clear message: listen to us. Don't talk about us without us," Eni said with booming confidence in her voice during her remarks in the first ever summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants attended by leaders from the 193 member states.

Eni further went on to criticize the existing exploitative system that does not value the rights and dignity of migrant workers, in a speech which can be viewed on the UN Web TV website, webtv.un.org.

She expressed gratitude for being given a chance to speak on behalf of 244 million migrants from all over the world and called for equality, protection and humane treatment for all migrant members.

Cheap labor

In addressing the heads of states, she stressed that migrant workers are not just cheap labor or commodities. "We are the people who have been denied the future, the rights and the dreams we used to imagine," said Eni, who is also the chairperson of the International Migrant Alliance in Indonesia.

Speaking of her experience, Eni said she dreamed of obtaining higher education. However, these dreams were pushed aside as she was left no choice but to pursue work abroad as a migrant domestic worker due to economic hardship resulting from the financial crisis which engulfed Indonesia in 1997-1998.

Eni noted that many migrant workers risk falling into worse conditions as they are trafficked, tricked into slavery, have their basic rights denied and become vulnerable to abuses.

She called on for the document to be produced at the summit and to be implemented into action, instead of being left as a set of agreements remaining only on paper. Originally from Kediri, East Java, Eni has been a migrant worker in Hong Kong since 1999. (ags)