Bahrain Tribune – 23 December 2003
Fourteen-year-old Indonesian maid, Fitri, who was rescued from abusive employers by the Migrant Workers Group (MWG) a sub-committee of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR). did not leave for her homeland yesterday as planned.
Fitri’s case raised a public outcry last week in Jakarta when MWG Vice-Chairman Salma Bala spoke about it on Indonesian television. She was there as part of a two-member Bahrain delegation for a UN workshop on women migrant workers. Members of the public are said to have jammed the television station phone lines with calls to the government to rescue her.
Bahrain Tribune – 23 December 2003
Fourteen-year-old Indonesian maid, Fitri, who was rescued from abusive employers by the Migrant Workers Group (MWG) a sub-committee of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR). did not leave for her homeland yesterday as planned.
Fitri’s case raised a public outcry last week in Jakarta when MWG Vice-Chairman Salma Bala spoke about it on Indonesian television. She was there as part of a two-member Bahrain delegation for a UN workshop on women migrant workers. Members of the public are said to have jammed the television station phone lines with calls to the government to rescue her.
The Indonesian Ambassador to Kuwait and Bahrain, who is based in Kuwait, has flown in to Bahrain especially to discuss the case, because of the media attention it stirred in Jakarta and Bahrain and the MWG will meet him tomorrow to discuss this and the cases of the other Indonesian maids whom they have rescued till date.
“We do wish to send Fitri back as soon as possible and the immigration authorities in Bahrain and Indonesia have done all they can to clear her travel plans, especially speedily considering that she has lost her travel documents,” Salma told Tribune.“However, since there are so many loose ends to be tied, we want to move with caution to ensure that she gets complete justice.”
Salma said that the MWG’s immediate concern was that Fitri was still to receive wages for some of the time that she had worked with her Bahrain employers. She added that the MWG also wanted to ensure that the child had a proper escort in Indonesia so that she reached her remote village home safely.“This is the first time she has travelled outside her village and we want to ensure her parents know she is returning and that the Indonesian Director-General of Manpower and Transmigration will come back to us with the necessary assurances for her welfare,” she said.
According to the BCHR, the recent widely-reported case of the abuse of Indian housemaid Anita Verma has led to a spate of reports and complaints by neighbours and housemaids themselves on maltreatment.
“Indonesian and Ethiopian maids are increasing in number in Bahrain and many come from villages that don’t even have electricity. Their employers in Bahrain expect them to operate 21st century gadgets and run the household for them despite the language and culture barrier. When this does not happen, there is frustration and the maids bear the brunt of the anger. We need more volunteers to help follow up the complaints and counsel the maids,” Salma said.
“Right now, we want help with Indonesian and Ethiopian maids. If someone knows the languages these maids speak and can volunteer time, they can call the BCHR President Nabeel Rajab on 9633399.