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The head of FIFPro Asia has appealed to the AFC to adopt collective representation for players across the continent.

Brendan Schwab is the executive chairman of the Asian division of FIFPro, the worldwide representative organisation for all professional players.

FIFPro was divided into four regions in 2004 and, while FIFPro Europe have a blossoming relationship with UEFA, European football's governing body, FIFPro Asia's relations with the AFC are at a fledgling stage.

Schwab, who is also the chief executive of the Australian PFA, has begun negotiations with AFC president Mohammed Bin Hammam but as yet no timescale for an agreement is in place.

Schwab believes it is an essential requirement if Asian football is to be regarded as professional.

The only AFC members to currently have player representative bodies are Australia, Japan, India, Malaysia and Indonesia, while discussions between FIFPro and authorities in China and South Korea and the Asean Football Federation, who represent the South East Asian nations, are ongoing.

"One of our big goals for 2009 would be to be able to conclude it with an agreement with the Asian Football Confederation," Schwab told PA Sport.

"With such an agreement, the president of the AFC (Bin Hammam) would be saying to every Asian football country which has professional football that the agreements between FIFA and FIFPro and professional standards must be upheld within our confederation."

The need for a strong collective players' union in Asia has been highlighted by two cases in Indonesia where two players were placed in indefinite immigration detention.

Cameroonian duo Noah Ndjee Bakena and Serge Ngakou Elongo were held after having their contracts terminated by their clubs - Bakena was playing for Persikabo Bogor, while Elongo was with Persebaya Surabaya - without notice and without being offered compensation.

Their fight for a payout led them to overstay their visas and they were subsequently detained before the players' union negotiated their release.

Bakena was held in Tangerang near Jakarta for two months until his release last month and Elongo was detained in Bali for three months until his release on December 8.

FIFPro Asia provided financial assistance to the Indonesian Players' Association to secure the players' freedom and will continue to provide support.

Bakena was awarded US$30,000 by FIFA's dispute resolution chamber, but despite continual reminders, Persikabo Bogor have so far refused to pay.

Schwab promised contract breaches of this kind will not go unpunished, with FIFA able to exert pressure on clubs who do not cooperate.

"We will be submitting to FIFA and also in Indonesia that appropriate sporting sanctions should be imposed on the clubs," added Schwab.

"FIFA does have the power, under the regulations for the dispute resolution chamber, to relegate, fine, deduct points and impose other sanctions on a club under its rulings."

The cases have highlighted the necessity for the AFC to adopt football's regulations to protect the players, particularly in a region where the rights of workers have never truly been embraced before.

"Most of the players' associations gathered strength by relying on the laws of employment and applying those to football," Schwab added.

"In terms of Asia, we're not relying on the local laws or the customs of the countries. We're relying on football's regulatory regime as pronounced by FIFA.

"These are the bottom line requirements of any professional regime. We hope these bottom line requirements can be implemented quickly and then we can start talking about the more important things... football is a short and precarious career, we need to prepare players for life after football.

"Hopefully when the AFC listens that FIFPro's not just about the rights of players but also their responsibilities and promoting their standards as players and people, that the AFC will embrace the discussions as UEFA and indeed, as FIFA has."