Why they need to ban housemaids in the ME

No MM, I disagree with the ban on housemaids.  What the government needs to do is hold these  people accountable for the torture and mistreatment of the domestic workers.  Slavery ended long ago!  It breaks my heart to hear stories like this and then to read that the government is going to 'interview the sponsor to get the details!"  Hello?

K Ruhunuge of the SLBFE yesterday told the Daily News that they have forwarded a detailed report on Ariyawathi and her condition to the Saudi authorities.
He said the Bureau is ready to take her to Saudi Arabia to provide evidence, if a case is brought against her employer.
SLBFE Chief Kingsley Ranawaka has decided to seek the possibility of taking legal action against the Saudi employer who hammered the nails into Ariyawathi's body.
Ranawaka along with senior Bureau officials yesterday handed over a dossier containing documents related to the issue to Additional Solicitor General Palitha Fernando and sought the department's advice to deal with the offenders.

This is a travesty of justice.  They need to arrest the members of this family, put them on display, in CC Square, give the family assets to this poor woman, and then jail these people for life!  The people of KSA need to start being held accountable for their actions.  It just amazes me when I hear these things - its 2010 for gods sake!

CAF, The problem is not just here at the destination end where the poor young girls come to live and work. It begins back at home in their villages, where mafia style middle men go scouting from house to house encouraging the parents and elders to send their daughters overseas to earn the big fsa petro dollars.

And then begins a vicious cycle, of sexual abuse, financial and torment for the innocent village girl all the way from her little village to the big bustling business capital of Colombo accompanied by the middle man, who gets hisf cut n cash and flesh, (since the girl has NO recourse to cry once she has been handed over to the big fat "Don" or his agent.

The aftermath of the family lives of these poor girls is also another epic in the story. The husbands end up as alcoholics with the cash the girl sends home and there have been a high incidence of incest within the househld reported and recorded in recent times.

Hence nits not just an opej and shut case of policing and applying the rule of law. Te powers behind this lucrative trade are big tycoons who sit in Air conditioned offices in Colombo and Saudi. They rake in the shekels and also the perks that come along the way.

In a nushell this is the mother of all human traficking.

I will send you a White Paper I have prepared and submitted to the SL Ambassadors here and also to the Foreign Ministry in Colombo. They seem to think the FOREX is worth the SACRIFICE.

Bull

MM - Yes, I see your point and I agree, the human trafficking is getting out of hand, even in the states there has been an increase.  The sad reality is as you say, many family members and high level officials are looking the other way or involved in some fashion.  Its sickening!

But in this case it was an older woman, who I would assume came to make some money...  and then was abused!  It happens way too much and no one is held accountable on this end. 

I would love to read the white paper!

Have sent you the white paper by email, which I prepared a few years ago. It was sent to three Sri Lankan Ambassadors with whom I had very close discussions on the content. I also sent it to the Foreign Minister in Colombo through a common friend. They just dont care. They have no self respect. The housemaids are expendable. How do you expect the Arabs to respect the maids when their own Government treats them like pooh?

Very well written paper.  It is sad and Im sure the Sir Lankan Nation is not the only one in the mix.  Now I see why you want to end the whole program.  Im sorry, and Im speechless!   

This is a world-wide problem, and as you mention in the paper, the UN needs to get involved more, but the education and self respect needs to begin at home, with the family,  the community. 

We have to ask ourselves what has happened to the social fabric of society in the past 40 years?  Whats changed so drastically that now women and girls (and even young boys) are being exploited?  Even within the family itself?  Or is this a pervasive problem that has existed for centuries and its now just coming to the forefront, due to the media exposure? 

its crazy, but coming to the ME has opened my eyes to many issues that I was never exposed to and I find it rather chilling to believe that such things happen on a daily basis.  And I thought that, as a news junkie, I was informed about global issues.  How naive I've been to have believed that!

Exactly Carol. Its so sad to see humanity disintegrating into such a low. But its a fact of life we have to live with and grapple.

I haven't given up my fight to ban this "mother of all evil exports" trade. I am still trying to use all available connections in Sri Lanka and within the international community to try and get this ban imposed ASAP.

CAF is right on his opinion but it shouldn't only to do with one single family. There are a lot of violations made by Saudi People to expatriates. The labor ministry should revise their policy for expats who came for work.

Violations by few bad Saudi people creating bad image for Saudis overall in eyes of the world.

Mirza, Its not just a few. We have records of many similar atrocities, abuse and oppression that have taken place over the past few decades. Only a few families treat their doestics with honor, dignity, and humanity, sadly.

Mirza - you are correct.  Its not just with a single family, there are many, as MM mentioned and not all of them Saudi.   But the one that hit home for me most recently was the HM who was just treated for having her Saudi Employer hammer nails into her! 

It amazes me to think that someone would actually believe they had the right to do this?  And then not to be punished immediately by the authorities for this abuse is a travesty and brings discredit and dishonor to the Saudi people BC its happening in their country.

Yes, the Minister of Labor should make changes.  Its up to the Saudi people to end this injustice.  By looking the other way and not taking action as a community is in many ways condoning the actions. 

Its very sad!

These families are not humans no one treats humans worse than animals.

1. These families need to learn how to to respect humans and expats. No wonder if someone does the same to their family members, complete Saudi will go against those people and give them the worst penalty ever.

2. People who repeat the same thing should be given severe punishments as per the Saudi penalties like throwing stones on them till they die or something like Hammering nail into one of their family member to teach these people a lesson.

Musicman you are really doing a great JOB by taking actions against these activities.

The worst thing a human can do in a situation is to look the other way. I try to do my bit and hope many others will do the same. We all gotta do what we all gotta do.

musicman wrote:

Mirza, Its not just a few. We have records of many similar atrocities, abuse and oppression that have taken place over the past few decades. Only a few families treat their doestics with honor, dignity, and humanity, sadly.

It varies from person to person experience. However no big argument. I have idea about living in Saudi Arabia.

I can vouch for what I say, first hand, cos my wife and I worl closely with the SL Embassy in Riyadh in trying to alleviate the sufferings of these poor women.

CAF wrote:

Yes, the Minister of Labor should make changes.  Its up to the Saudi people to end this injustice.  By looking the other way and not taking action as a community is in many ways condoning the actions. 

Its very sad!

Yes people are the key in representing a society . They have to represent Saudi society as nice society.