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265 migrant workers face death penalty
As many as 265 Indonesian migrant workers in several countries, including China, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, may face death penalty, an NGO activist has said
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s many as 265 Indonesian migrant workers in several countries, including China, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, may face death penalty, an NGO activist has said.
'In addition to low wages and harsh labor conditions, the death penalty has also threatened our migrant workers,' Migrant Care executive director Anis Hidayah in Surabaya, East Java, on Friday, as quoted by Antara news agency.
She said in Malaysia, 213 Indonesian migrant workers were facing legal problems.
'Seventy out of the total have been sentenced to death. In Saudi Arabia, nine migrant workers are already on death row awaiting execution while 33 cases are being processed,' said Anis.
She further explained that in China, nine Indonesian migrant workers had been given the death sentence that was final while 18 cases were still in progress.
'This is very alarming,' said Anis.
Up to now, many Indonesian migrant workers have been put to death in several countries, including Basri Masse who was executed in Malaysia. Another worker, Karno Marzuki, was executed in Malaysia on Sept.14, 1991 while Yanti Iriyanti was put to death in Saudi Arabia on Feb.12, 2008. Darman Agustiri was executed in Egypt in 2010, followed by Ruyati in Saudi Arabia on June 18, 2011.
Anis said what had happened to the workers could not be separated from various failures, such as illegal documents.
'There have been 101,067 undocumented migrant workers who have registered for legalization. Only 17,306 of them have been able to obtain work documents and 6,700 others have been able to get exit permits,' said Anis.
Slow or hasty responses to the issue of migrant workers has aggravated the situation. This could be seen, for instance, in the government's clumsiness in handling Ruyati's death sentence, which they only responded to after she was executed. The case of Indonesian overstayers in Saudi Arabia was responded only after activists launched 'Rp 1,000 Coins Movement' to tease authorities' awkwardness in assisting the undocumented migrant workers return home.
'To minimize or prevent it from happening in the future, local administrations who send their people working abroad should take more active roles,' said Anis. (ebf)
