Rescued Chin Maid Admitted to Mental Hospital in Rangoon
23 June 2012: Ms Aung Nang, who was flown from Singapore after working as a housemaid for about 10 months, has been admitted to Ywarthargyi Psychiatric Hospital in Rangoon, Burma since last Monday.
The 23-year-old Khumi Chin has suffered from mental problems due to exploitation and deception by her agents Daw Elly in Singapore and Daw Si Pan in Rangoon with her salary, according to her brother.
Ms Aung Nang earned only 20 Singaporean dollars a month for her work as a housemaid to a Chinese Singaporean family despite promises given to her by her agent that the salary would be 420.
Her agent named Daw Elly from Burma in Singapore took away 400 Singaporean dollars out of her total salary in advance from her employer every month, leaving only 20 for Ms Aung Nang.
“She was not only exploited by her agent but also bullied by her employer in Singapore. After 10 months, she suffered from mental disorder and depression,” explained her brother Aung Htat in Rangoon.
Her brother also said her sister arrived in Rangoon from Singapore on 28 May 2012 but had been kept inside the house by her Chin agent Daw Si Pan.
“As soon as I heard the news that my sister got back to Rangoon and was picked up from the airport by Daw Si Pan, I went to her house. However, the agent didn’t let me see my sister,” added Aung Htat.
With assistance from the police, Aung Htat finally managed to get her sister out from the house detention on 12 June 2012 after he failed to secure her release on three separate occasions.
The Khumi Media Group quoted Aung Htat as saying that Aung Nang got unconscious in the airport when she drank what was thought to be a bottle of water offered by her agent Daw Si Pan.
Daw Si Pan, who is now sued over human trafficking, is said to have received treatment at a hospital in Rangoon after collapsing during an interrogation conducted at a local police station by the police on 12 June 2012.
Originally from Yetakhun village in Paletwa Township of Chin State, Ms Aung Nang went to Singapore on 6 July 2011 through the help of Burmese agents.
Reporting by Thawng Zel Thang
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