Jakarta – An NGO says the government must implement comprehensive protection for migrant workers and their families by revising Law No. 39/2004 on the placement and protection of Indonesian migrant workers, which would guarantee their rights as mandated by the UN's 1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), as well as the International Labor Organization Convention No.189.

"The government must immediately ratify the ILO's Convention No.189 on decent work for domestic workers and pass a draft bill on domestic worker protection, which acknowledges a domestic worker as an employee who has the right to enjoy safe and adequate working conditions," Wahidah Rustam, chair of the Women Solidarity's (SP) national executive board, said on Thursday, as quoted by Antara.

Citing the well-publicized case of Satinah, Wahidah said she had killed her employer after the latter repeatedly accused Satinah of stealing money. Satinah also claimed to have been repeatedly tortured by her employer.

Wahidah added that throughout the legal process against Satinah in Saudi Arabia, she received no assistance or legal aid from the Indonesian government, which highlighted the government's failure to protect the rights of its migrant workers, many of whom are women.

"The government needs to understand that protecting female migrant workers from the threat of a death sentence not only concerns the issue of diyat (compensation to the victim's family). It's an issue of injustice affecting female migrant workers, especially regarding their rights as a migrant workers," Wahidah said.

She added that paying diyat should no longer be the primary solution to help Indonesian migrant workers facing legal problems abroad. Political diplomacy and a comprehensive protection mechanism should be established to protect Indonesian migrant workers from violence and rights violations, including the threat of the death penalty.

"Satinah is not the first migrant worker to face a death sentence. Data shows that this year, the number of Indonesian migrant workers on death row has reached 265," she said.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has sent former religious affairs minister Maftuh Basyuni to meet both the family of Satinah's employer and the Saudi Arabian authorities to seek a delay in Satinah's execution, which is scheduled to take place on April 3. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/04/03/govt-urged-protect-migrant-workers.html