Kartini's freedom

Kartini's freedom

From Gamma

The demands and hopes from many circles that Kartini Binti Karim, an Indonesian migrant worker spared from being stoned to death for suspected adultery, have been fulfilled. The Council of Judges of Fujairah Court, United Arab Emirates, declared Kartini free.

In this context, Legal Aid Institute-Association of Women for Justice (LBH-APIK) highly appreciates the Indonesian government for its noble work. LBH-APIK needs to emphasize that the Kartini case should be made a significant lesson.

The institute is aware of how weak the government's protection is for Indonesian migrant workers, including those who work in Saudi Arabia. Improvements must be made on the procedures of recruitment, accommodation, shipment of workers and their return to Indonesia.

Concretely the government should do the following things:

* Provide in major airports all over the country special posts, in cooperation with NGOs, to supervise the departure and the arrival of the migrant workers. The service of the post should include imparting information and giving guidance on how to take care of themselves right from departure to the recipient country until their return to Indonesia.

* To place an agency (together with NGOs) at every recipient country in an effort to help migrant workers settle any problems, should they arise. The workers should be informed of the existence of such agencies.

* To establish a bilateral cooperation with the recipient countries to protect the workers.

* To ratify the international convention on protection for migrant workers.

SRI WIYANTI EDDYONO

Jakarta