This document discusses hate crimes against foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong. It defines hate crimes as offenses motivated by bias against a person's identity, such as ethnicity or race. Conflict theory is examined, which focuses on power differentials between individuals and groups. A case study of an Indonesian domestic helper named Erwiana Sulistyaningsih is provided, who was abused by her employer but did not report it initially for fear of losing her job. The document analyzes how laws and agencies in Hong Kong discriminate against foreign domestic workers and enable abuse due to social status differences between employers and employees.

1. Hate crime among the foreign domestic helpers
in Hong Kong

2. Definition of Hate Crime
- Offences that drive by hate or bias which aim to the
victims identity in terms of his or her ethnic or race
(Chakraborti & Garland 2015).
- Focus the conflicts happened in Hong Kong families with
foreign domestic helpers

3. Conflict Theory
- According to Lilly (2001):
“Focus on struggles between individuals and groups in
terms of power differentials fall into the general category of
conflict theory”

4. Conflict Theory cont.
- Major:
Power structure administers justice
(e.g. Laws, punishment….)
- Minor:
Social class and gender

5. Conflict Theory cont.
- Arguments of Conflict Theory, Bohm (2001):
1. Not testable
2. Can not represent the individual differences

6. Case Study
- Background history:
Foreign domestic helpers start imported from Philippines, Indonesia
and Thailand since 1970s
- Case Study:
Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, a female indoesian. Who get abused by her
employer, and finally reported her case while she is back to her home
country.

7. Case Study cont.
- Brief Information of the Case:
Erwiana abused by her employer
Didnt reported to anyone, afraid to lose job
Did try to find agent for help, but got no response
Reported the case to the Hong Kong police by her family

8. Case Study cont.
- Laws:
Unfair between different identities, due to the law have given classfication on
domestic helper, which labeled as low social satus, lead to social level differences:
Need to live with employers → Having a greater risk of abuse
Two weeks restriction → If got no employment, they get forced back

9. Case Study cont.
- Agents:
Discrimination of different race, did not give any helps to the domestic helper
Every domestic helper require to find employment via agents
Agencies keep their passport to prevent they ran away
To ensure agencies repayment, they insist their workers to withstand difficult
circumstances

10. Case Study cont.
- Employer:
Feel themselves have higher level and power to control Erwiana’s freedom
and rights because they think the “Maid” is a lower level occupation
The employer assume she have the “Control” of Erwiana
Difference in social status, Employer > Erwiana

11. Reference