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)