Indonesian police break up Saudi embassy rally
Protesters use king's state visit to demand the protection of migrant workers in Arab kingdom.
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| About 200 women and activists gather outside the Saudi embassy in Jakarta on March 2 to demand the Saudi government protect Indonesian migrant workers (Photo by Konradus Epa) |
The protest, which police said was unauthorized, was staged to coincide with Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud's March 1-9 state visit to the country.
The rally organized by the local chapter of the International Women's Day committee aimed to pressure both governments to pay serious attention to the rights of thousands of Indonesian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, particularly those facing execution.
These include two women sentenced to death for alleged witchcraft.
More than 700,000 Indonesians are working in Saudi Arabia, according to government figures.
"It was a peaceful and silent action, but the police suddenly forced us to disperse," said Haryanto, rally coordinator and chairman of the Indonesian Migrant Worker Association, told ucanews.com.
Haryanto, who like many Indonesians only uses one name, and 17 other activists were detained and later released.
President Joko Widodo needs to place the protection female migrant workers in Saudi Arabia high on the agenda for discussion for this state visit, he said.
"Many Indonesian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia are suffering from abuses such as rape, beatings and overwork for little or no pay," said Lini Zurlya, one of the protesters who once worked as a maid in the Gulf kingdom.
Wahyu Susilo, executive director of Migrant Care said many of these abuse cases in Saudi Arabia against migrants are the result of its kafala or sponsorship system, in which thousands of overstaying workers are unable to renew legal documents, making them easy targets for human traffickers
Zurlya criticized both Indonesia and Saudi Arabia for not coming up with a formal agreement on migrant worker protection.
"Unfortunately, none [of the agreements signed] addressed the lives of migrant workers," she said.
Cici Marjenah, a former maid worked in Hong Kong, said she could not understand why the Indonesian government did not take advantage of King Salman's visit to Indonesia to press the rights issue instead of just concentrating on enhancing economic ties and increasing the hajj quota.
"We've heard stories about migrant workers being tortured in Saudi Arabia, and facing physical and sexual abuse. But we do nothing about it," she said.
She also called on Widodo to urge King Salman to give clemency to 25 Indonesian migrant workers on death row in Saudi Arabia.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi claimed the issue of migrant workers did figure highly in bilateral talks.
"King Salman has assured that Indonesian workers will be protected," the minister said, without giving further details.
Source: UCAN
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