Three raped migrant workers seek justice

JAKARTA (JP): Three domestic workers recently employed in Saudi Arabia have complained to Ministry of Manpower officials that they had been raped by their employers, a ministry official has said.

The women showed up at the ministry on Thursday, each with a child that they alleged had been fathered by their former employer. The children were aged four to 30 months.

They were accompanied by activists of Solidaritas Perempuan (Women's Solidarity), led by Tati Krisnawaty.

The three women said that they and their families were "really ashamed" but said they had to come forward to seek protection and to prevent such cases from happening to the many Indonesian women still working in Saudi Arabia.

Of the more than 2 million Indonesian workers employed overseas, 600,000 are working in Saudi Arabia, mostly as domestic servants.

Din Syamsuddin, director general for labor placement, said Indonesia would request that the Saudi Arabian government handle the three cases seriously.

Meanwhile, Tati demanded that the government temporarily stop sending women to Saudi Arabia as domestic servants "because the program has damaged the image of Indonesian women and the nation".

Expressing deep concern, Din said he would set up a joint team made up of ministry officials, representatives of the Association of Indonesian Labor Export Companies (Apjati) and members of the victims' families to investigate the cases.

Should the accusations be true, he said: "We will review the labor export policy and take strict action against the companies that sent the three workers for their ignorance in handling the cases properly."

The companies could be found guilty of ignoring government rules on labor export, he added.

Din said the team would also collect the three women's wages when in Saudi Arabia.

The government and Apjati will support the victims' children for two years, he said, adding that the babies' naturalization documents would also be taken care of.

One of the women, Ida Laela binti Ajuk, who was holding her 14-month-old son, expressed disappointment with her labor export company, PT Delta Rona Adiguna. She said the company had suggested she get an abortion, though it did not give her any support or assistance.

"I tried to do it, but I couldn't. Eventually, I returned home when my pregnancy was in the seventh month because I didn't know what else to do," she said.

She alleged that she was raped by her employer, Ibrahim Muhammad Al Hababi, after working for him for one and a half years.

"I was forced into (intercourse)," she said.

Ida was employed by Al Hababi from June 1996 to December 1997.

Another woman, Rohaeti binti Muhdi, from Suka Mekar Village in Cianjur, West Java, demanded the government investigate her case thoroughly. She, however, declined to comment on her two-and-a- half-year-old son who was handicapped.

Ida said that Rohaeti was still suffering from depression over her son's condition. A Solidaritas Perempuan representative said Rohaeti had unsuccessfully tried to abort her pregnancy.

"Her (Rohaeti's) son can only laugh and cry. He cannot sit and walk," Ida said.

Rohaeti, sponsored by PT Duta Ananda Setia, was employed by Oman Burhan from 1992 through 1995.

The other woman, Yuyun, also kept silent. She was holding a four-month-old baby.

According to Solidaritas Perempuan, Yuyun was sent to Saudi Arabia by PT Amri Margatama in April 1996 and was employed as a domestic helper by Saad Mousa Al-Shaqrawi until April this year. (rms)