JANET Kwok's assertion (letters, South China Morning Post, January 11) that '' . . . occasional complaints about sexual molestation by male employees, physical torture and inadequate food supplies are excessively reported . . . '', leaves her open to severe criticism. Such abuses by one human being against another - racism doesn't enter into it at all - are intolerable. They should be given the widest coverage possible, and in cases of sexual molestation - also known as indecent assault or attempted rape - as well as physical abuse of any kind, they should be the subject of rigorous criminal investigations. The problem is that domestic helpers are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to any kind of dispute, and most of them can be pushed pretty hard, by unscrupulous employers, before they'll risk losing a monthly wage that probably supports an entire family back home. The disadvantage can be summed up by the term: two-week rule. The infamous two-week rule, which the Philippine Consul-General (Post, January 11) seems to look upon as a good thing, was introduced in order to prevent domestic helpers from securing another job when they were dismissed, or they resigned - no matter what their reasons for so doing. It certainly wasn't designed to help them find another job. Although the Immigration Department has, of late, been more flexible, a helper will rarely know, in advance, if any such flexibility will apply to her, and finding any new employer - never mind a more suitable one - within two weeks can be extremely difficult. And remember: if a dismissed domestic helper's visa is extended to allow her to fight for the rights that the standard contract does give her, she will not be allowed to earn a living until the case has been resolved. That is the law. Like all one-sided rules - employers are not restricted to finding a new helper within a two-week period and are allowed to earn a living pending the outcome of a dispute - this one is extremely unfair, and can lead to great anxiety when a helper is being abused, or underpaid, or not being given enough to eat. Anyone who has ever tried to comfort or advise a distraught mother, desperate to hold on to her job - or find another in order to support the children that she hasn't even seen for two years - will realise that the infamous Tregunter Tower lift issue, whilst being unpleasant, isn't what the real problem is all about. Many domestic helpers have to put up with far worse instances of discrimination and abuse, behind closed doors, and they are prevented from finding kinder and more honourable employers because of policies deliberately laid down by the Hong Kong Government. TONY LAWSON Tai Hang
