Public step up pressure to save Nasiroh

JAKARTA (JP): The government is being urged to step up efforts to save the fate of maid Nasiroh Karmudin and begin laying out better legal protection for Indonesian workers in Saudi Arabia.

The Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) submitted a letter to President Soeharto yesterday urging the government to intensify its efforts to save Nasiroh's life.

Nasiroh is currently in jail in Gassim, Saudi Arabia, where she is awaiting her fate after allegedly shooting her employer in 1994. She claimed her employer sexually assaulted her.

If found guilty Nasiroh could face the death penalty.

The case comes less than a month after another Indonesian maid, Soleha Anam Kadiran, was beheaded after being convicted of murder.

The government here has been criticized for reacting slowly in both cases.

In its letter, YLBHI noted that the Philippines government after exerting strong diplomatic pressure was able to free Filipino maid Sarah Balabagan who was facing a death sentence in the United Arab Emirates in 1996 after being convicted of murder.

"Therefore, we believe that there is still a chance for the government to save Nasiroh," YLBHI said.

The letter, signed by the institute's chairman Bambang Widjojanto and operations secretary Munir, also criticized the government's policy of sending workers abroad without thorough legal protection.

"The government must hold bilateral talks with the Saudis to discuss migrant workers' protection," Bambang told journalists yesterday.

YLBHI also insisted yesterday the government ratify the United Nations Convention on migrant workers and family members' rights in 1990.

In Bandung, international law expert Wayan Parthiana stressed the need for a treaty on migrant workers between the Indonesian and Saudi Arabian government.

"The protection of migrant workers has been very weak because we don't have a bilateral treaty on migrant workers," said Wayan from the University of Parahyangan's faculty of law in Bandung, West Java.

The chairman of the 28-million strong Muhammadiyah Moslem Organization Amien Rais also lamented the lack of protection for Indonesian migrant workers.

"The government must immediately settle the labor problem and put all its efforts into freeing Nasiroh from the execution charges," he said.

Amien said that if Nasiroh did commit the murder, she must have had a strong reason. "Either her employer tortured her, exploited her or tried to rape her," he said.

Amien said that in the long-term, the country must cease sending workers abroad. "Indonesia will not go bankrupt if we do not send our workers abroad anymore".

The government is currently undertaking a huge repatriation to bring home 10,000 "problematic" workers in the oil-rich Kingdom.

Another large batch is expected to return this morning. (10/imn)