Lifting of Balabagan's death sentence hailed

Lifting of Balabagan's death sentence hailed

JAKARTA (JP): Local activists, praising the lifting by the
United Arab Emirates of the death sentence passed on Filipina
maid Sarah Balabagan, called yesterday for better protection for
Indonesian migrant workers.

Led by Tati Krisnawaty of the group Solidaritas Perempuan
(Women's Solidarity), some 15 women activists visited the UEA
embassy here yesterday to deliver a statement on the issue.

The women said that the UEA's sparing of Balabagan, convicted
by a lower court of premeditated murder of her employer, was only
the "first step" in the fight for migrant workers' rights.

The activists said Indonesia must learn from Balabagan's case
and provide better protection for approximately 700,000
Indonesian citizens, mostly female domestic helpers, who are
currently working overseas.

Krisnawaty criticized the Indonesian government which, she
said, has failed to respond to reports of its citizens dying for
unknown reasons in Saudi Arabia. She said that the Philippines
government, by contrast, responded to such reports.

Earlier this year, the Philippines tried unsuccessfully to
save another migrant worker, Flor Contemplacion, from the gallows
in Singapore.

"The House of Representative reported in January that 100
Indonesian migrants died in Saudi Arabia's jails in 1994,"
Krisnawaty said. "There was no serious response from either the
Ministry of Manpower or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

Sarah Balabagan, who says 85-year-old Mohammad Abdullah al-
Baloushi raped her, still faces a prison sentence if she is found
guilty.

The victim's family has agreed to accept "blood money" of
150,000 dirhams (US$40,000). The activists said yesterday that
amount of money was "strangling" for a migrant worker who might
have acted in self-defense.

"We are grateful that Sarah Balabagan .... is safe from the
firing squad ..." said Tati. "The case ... has opened our eyes
and hearts to the fact that government efforts can really help
protect citizens working overseas ..."

The statement, entitled "Justice to Sarah Balabagan, justice
to all women migrant workers", was signed by 130 people. It urged
bilateral agreements to ensure that the rights of migrant workers
are respected, as well as the immediate deployment of labor
attaches.

The government recently stated an intention to improve
existing bilateral agreements with Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, two
countries which receive large numbers of Indonesian workers.

Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief announced last week plans to
appoint labor attaches to South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong
and a number of European countries due to rising demands for
Indonesian labor. (anr)