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Indonesian-born former victim joins fight against human trafficking in US
An Indonesian-born former victim of human trafficking in the US, Ima Matul Maisaroh, has turned around her painful experience and channeled her efforts into preventing the risk of others like her undergoing the same ordeal and will give a speech on the issue to the Democratic Party’s national convention on Tuesday.
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Indonesian-born survivor of human trafficking in the US Ima Matul Maisaroh (left) is seen during an event in Los Angeles, US, on Apr. 18. (Courtesy of the Indonesian Consulate General in Los Angeles /-)
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n Indonesian-born former victim of human trafficking in the US, Ima Matul Maisaroh, has turned around her painful experience and channeled her efforts into preventing the risk of others like her undergoing the same ordeal and reportedly will give a speech on the issue to the Democratic Party’s national convention on Tuesday.
The 33-year-old woman is an activist on human trafficking issues and has assisted the Indonesian Consulate General in Los Angeles (KJRI LA), the city to which she was originally trafficked.
"We invited Ima to provide better knowledge to the staff at the KJRI LA on human trafficking, especially in serving to protect Indonesian citizens in Los Angeles," the consulate’s protocol and consular affairs Consul, Pendekar Sondakh, told The Jakarta Post, referring to an event that was held in April this year.
Without being able to confirm the news about Ima's invitation to speak at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, Pendekar commended her for her advocacy efforts as a survivor of abuse and human trafficking in the US. Ima was appointed by US President Barack Obama to be a member of the US Advisory Council on Human Trafficking in December last year, Pendekar said, underlining the importance of the issue for the political party.
Ima is a member of the Indonesian diaspora who now holds US citizenship and resides in Los Angeles, first secretary at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington DC, A. Rizal Purnama, confirmed. Since 2012, Ima has worked as a survivor organizer at the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking or CAST.
(Read also: Indonesian human trafficking survivor to speak at US Democratic National Convention)
