We are a group of students studying Business Law at University of Hong Kong. In undertaking the task to write a project about Foreign Domestic Helpers in Hong Kong we have learned that many of those 340,000 individuals from mainly the Philipines and Indonesia are subject to monetary exploitation.

We have learned that licensed employment agencies are repeatedly forcing these vulnerable individuals into debt bondage, by means of collecting excessive and illegal training fees. This directly results in underpayment of wages - or zero payment for up to seven months. This is modern day slavery.

We cannot and will not accept this!

Head of Labour and Welfare Department under The Government of Hong Kong, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-Chung visited our university on the 9 Nov 2015. In his speech he asserted that ten people in his special "task force" are sufficient to help combat illegal activities of employment agencies.

We cannot disagree more!

Keep in mind that his department is responsible to oversee around 1,300 employment agencies, each of which hold several sub departments around the city. As a matter of a fact, illegal activities of employment agencies are not properly prosecuted. Take for example the recent case about FDH, Erwiana.

We urge you!

To help the Mr Cheung and the Labour Department understand that the people of Hong Kong, a highly developed country, will not accept this ignorant stance, please sign this online petition to raise awareness of the issue; debt slavery. Your signature is important, because only informed citizens can contribute to change. If we get at least 200 signatures, we will personally hand them to Mr Cheung. Thank you for caring and sharing.