Indonesian sex workers arrested in Saudi Arabia

Indonesian sex workers arrested in Saudi Arabia

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea said Saudi
Arabian authorities had arrested some 100 Indonesian migrant
workers employed as prostitutes in several cities in the kingdom.

"We are lobbying Saudi Arabian authorities to release them
and, subsequently, shall bring them back home," Jacob said after
receiving Indonesian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Basuni at his
office over the weekend.

The minister explained that some of the sex workers had
entered Saudi Arabia on green worker passports, while others had
traveled there disguised as pilgrims.

"Some of them left their workplaces and sought Indonesian
pimps, who hired them out. Other stayed on, after performing a
pilgrimage, to work as prostitutes," said the minister, adding
that they were netted in brothel raids in several cities in the
kingdom.

Many Indonesians working as taxi drivers and traders in Saudi
Arabia also work as pimps, and hire sex workers to foreigners and
locals in that country.

Jacob conceded that the shameful story was one of negative
excess in sending workers overseas "and this a good lesson for us
to improve the program in the future."

A number of Indonesian workers have also been jailed in Saudi
Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar for crimes and other
wrongdoing.

Twelve Indonesian workers are on death row in Malaysia for
crimes including murder, robbery and narcotics offenses. The
government has hired several Malaysian lawyers to defend them in
court.

State Minister of Women's Empowerment Sri Redjeki Soemaryoto
said recently that the government was trying to bring home around
100 Indonesian women employed as sex workers in East Malaysia.

Jacob said the government was planning to implement strict
measures when supplying workers overseas, to help minimize abuses
against workers and prevent them from getting into trouble with
their employers.

"All Indonesians wanting to work overseas will be required to
speak at least the language of the host country where they will
be employed and to pass an aptitude test devised by
the University of Indonesia," he said.

He added that the deployment of workers overseas ought to be
based on job orders from users and be registered with Indonesian
embassies or consulates general to ensure the provision of
adequate protection.