The two faces of Kartini<\/p>\n
The name Kartini has almost always been associated with the
\nwomen's emancipation movement in Indonesia. Each year on April
\n21, the nation commemorates Kartini Day, so named after the late
\n19th century Javanese aristocrat whose letters to friends
\nexhibited her inner struggle against unjust gender
\ndiscrimination, especially in the field of education, during her
\ntime. Raden Ajeng Kartini, the daughter of the Jepara Regent, may
\nhave endorsed polygamy through her own marriage -- a fact that
\nfueled controversy over her claim as the first Indonesian woman
\nto fight for emancipation -- but her legend lives on to this day
\nnevertheless.<\/p>\n
The Kartini who has been in the news these past few days,
\nhowever, is a far cry from what Indonesian women should be as
\nenvisioned by the legendary Kartini some 100 years ago. This one
\nis a commoner and only known by her name and her father's. There
\nare no aristocratic titles attached to her name. But those who
\nclaim that women's emancipation has come a long way in the past
\ncentury should look at Kartini bin Karim. She is in fact
\narchetypical of millions of Indonesian women: Poor, uneducated
\nand as she is also ignorant of her rights as an Indonesian
\ncitizen, she is almost totally unprotected by the law.<\/p>\n
Today, Kartini bin Karim, 35, is lingering on death row in the
\nUnited Arab Emirates. Working there as a housemaid, she was
\nrecently sentenced to death by stoning by a local court for
\ncommitting adultery. She apparently gave birth to a son from her
\nrelationship with an Indian cook who worked for the same Arab
\nemployer. No other details are available about the circumstances
\nsurrounding this affair, but the Indian cook is at large, while
\nKartini bin Karim is now awaiting execution.<\/p>\n
The government's response to this affair is classic: almost
\ntoo little and too late. This is not the first time that our
\ncitizens have been tried and sentenced to death in foreign courts
\nwithout the benefit of the Indonesian government's assistance,
\nwhich is the job of Indonesian embassies and consulates. There
\nhave been other instances when help came only after the due
\nprocess of law had been completed. Just as in Kartini's case.<\/p>\n
As such, Kartini bin Karim did not receive assistance from the
\nIndonesian government when she was being investigated, tried and
\nlater sentenced to death. She was all alone. Unable to speak the
\nlanguage, Indonesian officials believed she might have
\ninadvertently confessed to incriminating statements and testimony
\nduring the trial.<\/p>\n
How could we have let this happen?<\/p>\n
The Indonesian embassy or consulate in the United Arab
\nEmirates must assume some responsibility for acting too late in
\nthis case. It is its duty to monitor the presence of all
\nIndonesians working in the country it serves, not simply by means
\nof registration but also by means of ensuring that their welfare,
\nand particularly their rights as aliens in the host country, are
\nwell protected.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Manpower should also shoulder some
\nresponsibility, for it has been its obsession all along to
\ngenerate as much foreign exchange as possible for the country by
\narbitrarily sending Indonesians to work abroad. The government
\nhas repeatedly assured us it would only send skilled and educated
\nworkers, and that all would be given basic training in language
\nand their civic rights. But the case of Kartini bin Karim shows
\nthat hundreds of thousands of uneducated and naive Indonesians
\nare still being shipped abroad each year.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, the nation must take the lion's share of the blame
\nfor Kartini bin Karim's tragic fate. Although an independent
\nnation for 55 years, we have continued to keep the poor,
\nparticularly the women, in perpetual poverty and ignorance by
\ndepriving them of their right to a decent living and their right
\nto basic education. We as a nation have essentially betrayed
\nRaden Ajeng Kartini's wishes for emancipation, not just of women,
\nbut also of the poor. Since many of our people are not even aware
\nof their rights in their own country, what chance do they have of
\nknowing their rights when they are in foreign lands.<\/p>\n
The government and the various non-governmental organizations
\nstill have a last legal chance to save Kartini bin Karim from
\nexecution by appealing for clemency. Let's hope they do it right
\nthis time and save her life. Anything less and Raden Ajeng
\nKartini will surely turn in her grave, and we may as well forget
\nabout commemorating Kartini Day this year, or forever.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-two-faces-of-kartini-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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