Legal protection for the slaves

Minister of Manpower Bomer Pasaribu's statement (The Jakarta Post, March 7, 2000) that "...the government faced difficulties protecting Indonesians employed in predominantly Muslim countries because they were treated not as workers but as members of their employers' families" left me speechless. This must surely sound like mockery to those workers who have experienced mistreatment by their Arabic employers, including sexual harassment, rape, assault and battery, and being unpaid for months.

It is probably more appropriate to replace the word "members" by the word "slaves", following the statement of President Abdurrahman Wahid (Indonesian Observer, March 3, 2000) that "...the Saudi people still believe in the old Islamic teaching -- a belief in slavery. So, a woman who works for them is considered a slave". This explains the weak position especially of female workers if they become involved in lawsuits. Being "slaves" they seem not to be entitled to adequate legal protection and assistance as can be seen by the fact that Indonesian embassies or consulates are either informed too late or not at all about trials of Indonesian workers.

I recall, for example, the tragedy of Soleha Anam Kadiran who was charged with murder. In that case, the Indonesian Embassy was only informed after the poor girl had been beheaded in October 1997. The verdict must still be questioned because one can assume that she did not have a fair trial.

In another case, 24 year old Nasiroh, sentenced to death for killing her employer after he tried to rape her, would have met the same fate as Soleha, had it not been for the public outcry and massive protests in Indonesia.

It can only be hoped that public pressure and diplomatic efforts will save Kartini bin Karim from being stoned to death for the "crime" of giving birth to a baby out of wedlock. The cruel verdict against her is less understandable, as the man who is responsible for her pregnancy was acquitted in absentia by the Emirate's court.

Beyond the tragic case of Kartini the question must be raised how mistreatment and injustice can be avoided in future. If not, more and more female Indonesian workers will become victims of "master" employers.

The Minister for Women's Empowerment Khofifa said: "Some Arabs still think the (Indonesian) workers are their slaves. They feel they can buy them and do anything they want to them." She lamented at the same time that some Arabian countries don't want to sign a memorandum of understanding which states that Indonesian women workers are employees and not slaves.

In view of these facts the Indonesian government must face the question whether it can with good conscience continue to send Indonesian women into slavery.

MRS. HILDE MAY

Jakarta