Nov. 24, p. 2
Upon hearing the news of the murder of an Indonesian housemaid and of another who was severely tortured, both in Saudi Arabia, the nation went through somewhat predictable motions. The government lodged protests with the Saudi ambassador and the public went into a frenzied outrage — fueled by a barrage of media reports about the ordeal that many poor Indonesian women working overseas go through.
Typically, all of the responses demanded the same thing: better deals and better protection for these women working abroad. No one — not the government, not the politicians and not even the activists in advocacy groups that help these women — are suggesting that the practice of sending housemaids be stopped completely. (By Endy M. Bayuni, Jakarta)
Your comments:
It is actually fair how some poor people are willing to be employed to do some household activities
for their masters, but this is what happens when masters abuse their helpers.
They are still to be treated as people, not property. The system is supposed to be beneficial to both parties. It is sad how this is.
Sokindo
Jakarta
I fully agree with the above article. It is very well expressed.
I was born on the African continent. You will not find any African country sending women to work — mainly to Arab countries. My heart goes out to all these ladies because it is just slave trade.
A. Monica
South Africa
I have written many articles and letters to your paper stating simply that we are in the 21st Century, (not 19th Century) and with abundant natural resources (oil, mining, CPO, etc) in an era of unprecedented world commodity demand, there is simply no excuse for this.
According to your Constitution, Article 33, it states that the resources of Indonesia are to used for its people. That is not happening. These resources are being used to enrich a few elites and a plethora of foreign investors.
Instead of lamenting the woe is me, and enabling this slave trade, a few simple twists in bringing the educational system in line with market drivers, and creating a more transparent BKPM + BPMIGAS, would create significant value added jobs with attendant spatial economic development for many people.
Stop the talking, and start the doing, leaders. You should stand up for your own!
Will Hickey
Jakarta
One of the reason why Filipinos relatively do not suffer as much is because of the infamous submissive nrimo characteristic of the Javanese culture trait, which is a majority.
Psychologically when the masters see this behavior, people tend to extend it with ease, unfortunately to some extent where physical and sexual abuse takes place, while the Filipino would not entertain the idea in the first place.
Kobo
China
The solution is to empower women in poor provinces/regions of Indonesia. Most Indonesian maids are from poor places.
Sumbawa has so much potential, but sadly it is still under developed. The people of Sumbawa can take a lesson from the neighboring island, Lombok. In the past, Lombok also sent many housemaids to the Middle East.
However, these days the number of women from Lombok working as housemaids in the Middle East and Malaysia has decreased. The reason is because villages in Lombok have been quite successful in empowering their women.
Check villages in Lombok where they train their women to make world-class pottery, hand-woven items and pearl jewelry.
Helena van der Winden
Jakarta
I have a totally different view: Your title is a total spin of the fact that less than 1 percent of 4 million Indonesian maids are facing problems. Exporting slaves? C’mon, we are actually victims. You mixed up problems faced by domestic workers inside and outside the country, which apparently leads to misleading conclusions.
Your use of the word (slave, slavery) is indeed contrary to the fact that millions are enjoying a better life be it financial or social as compared to those who were unfortunate or ill-treated.
Sam
Australia
Just to use the same tone the writer does: Why does no one, not the NGOs, the government agencies, people representatives, elite and everyone else, communicate that almost no Filipino workers, be they maids or professionals, suffer the kind of treatment Indonesian workers do abroad?
Face the reality and start enforcing the answers. All the laws are there to protect with some areas to improve but enforcement is hopeless due to corruption. Rather than just blaming others, start looking at your own house.
Salau
Yogyakarta
It is an excellent article. I agree with every word. It seems like some rich Indonesians replace the Dutch, called it independence, but continue the practice of internal colonialism. I just wonder why “The writer employs a servant at home”?
Ronen Skaletzky
Medan
