Antara 9 July 2005
Dozens of migrant workers grouped in the Working Forum on Justice for Migrant Domestic Helpers staged a protest outside the Singaporean Embassy in Jakarta Friday demanding the abolishment of the death penalty for domestic helpers and other migrant workers in the city state.
"We have also launched worldwide actions to take our protest to the International Labor Organizations (ILO)," an activist of Migrant Care who coordinate the action, Anis Hidayah said.
The protesters also demanded that Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia ratify the international law to protect migrant workers as more workers were facing distressing situations and many others were facing the death penalty.
"After Sundarti Supriyanto, Purwanti Parji, and Sumiyati, now Juminem and Siti Aminah are waiting for the death sentence in Singapore which is scheduled to be announced on July 11," Anis said.
According to Migrant Care sata, some other Indonesian migrant workers were serving their jail sentences and some were facing the death sentence.
Among these workers are Hasanudin, Sintring, Lili Ardi Sinaga, Nur Laela, and Suhaidi bin Asnawi.
The demonstrators also demanded the eradication of any form of violation, physically, mentally or sexually against domestic helpers and migrant workers.
"The crimes committed by migrant workers were a reaction to the accumulation of resentment against unjust treatment by their employers. This fact must be used as a point of consideration," Yanti Muchtar of non governmental organization Kapal Perempuan said.
Earlier, last week, the NGO organized a similar action in front of the embassy but they were only received by the embassy`s first secretary.
"Because the ambassador is on leave, we hope that we can meet with the political attache," Anis said.
During last week`s meeting, the embassy official said they could not do anything to stop the death penalty as it was the authority of Singapore`s courts.
"But we will continue to pursue efforts to have the death penalty scrapped," Yanti said.
The demonstrators wearing black plastic sacks on their heads as a symbol of people waiting for execution.
They also spread black banners saying "free our foreign exchange earning heroes", "stop women and children trafficking", "SBY do not only send SMS".
Anis said, they would move their protest to the Malaysian embassy for the same demand.
Responding to the demand, the Singaporean Embassy said it would convey the workers` demand to its government.(*)
Human Rights
Goodness gracious me, I can't believe the mass victim mentality displayed by these people. I wonder if they'd react the same way if Singaporean employers murdered their Indo maids?
ReplyDeleteJust like the dramatic over-the-top reaction gloriously displayed by the filipinos when that maid was sentenced to hang here for murder in 1994. Or somesuch.
No wonder these countries are still in the doldrums.
In the doldrums? At least they have the right to protest an injustice in their country... And btw, the opposite scenario is not a 'singaporean employer murdering an indonesian maid', but a singaporean maid driven by ill treatment that led to murder of an indonesian employer. Go ponder how you would feel if a fellow citizen was persecuted in indonesia, if you can even allow yourself to visualise a singaporean maid.
ReplyDeleteTypical ignorance displayed by an outsider, have you lived in Singapore before Clyde? do you exactly know our, uhm, collective thinking? Singaporeans generally don't give a damn whatever happens to Singaporeans who face the death penalty in other countries 'cos our adage is, "You do the crime, you do the time."
ReplyDeleteAgain, ignorant bleeding heart outsider.
Sorry to add this:
ReplyDeleteBut of course to us, it simply means, "Crime Pays". So think before you take the knife and plunge it into that twat. Enough said.
btw, we have enough of outsiders telling us what we should do. According to Western "sensabilities". Perhaps you should ponder why we have one of the lowest crime rates in the world.
sorry Steve and all, I meant to say "Crime doesn't pay".
ReplyDeleteGah, it's gotta be the guinness.
annonymous appears to be talking for the entire population of Singapore. WE ARE ONE!
ReplyDeleteOne of us - Not One of us. Us and them. I am unique you are a member of a collective I am not.
The above type of thinking is rather bi-polar, black or white. Can annoymous confirm that everyone in Singapore thinks this way?
How does Singapore report crime? how do they operationalise it? What are the indicators? Is the officially reported crime rate a 'fact' or a social construction? This is O'level Statistics/Sociology/General Paper.
I can tell you from personal experience that:
ReplyDelete1. MHA and its crony organisations view it's guilty until proven innocent (I personally object to him becoming DPM) whatever else they may claim
2. the judiciary operates on the same premise like a butcher shop whatever else they may claim
3. remand classify those deemed soon to be "called to the Lord" with red cards before they are even judged
4. if you are in their custody and you have no visitors, you have no recourse to councel whatever else they may claim
5. IMH sees an inordinate number of it's shrinks going on overseas study leave
6. if you have the connections and you left no bloody trail, it can be covered up
To the last Anonymous: I'm very interested in hearing more, what do you think of an anonymous email exchange - you can reach me at theforeverkid@gmail.com.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely no anonymous email exchange, not even face-to-face. But you could click on the link and make what you will of what you see?
ReplyDeleteTo the Anonymous-who-thinks-im-an-outsider: I have spent almost a decade living in Singapore FYI. So don't patronise me on your "collective thinking". I was merely stressing that Singapore in my opinion is too trigger happy on the death penalty, NOT that the indonesian maid was innocent. Given the circumstances of well-known maid abuse cases in Singapore, perhaps a lesser sentence should have been given. And with all due respect, 'doing time' for a crime is entirely different from getting the slipknot. But then again, maybe your collective thinking is "potato pot-ah-to".
ReplyDelete