National pride and country

By: Yoedi Karyono (columnist on www.jayakartanews.com)

Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Indonesia Abdurrachman Al Hayyat react, by way of memorandum of protest to protest the government of Indonesia relating to cases of abuse Indonesian Workers (TKI) Sumiati who tortured and even humiliated by her employer, a citizen of Saudi Arabia. ''The Government and the Indonesian press too enlarged exaggerated the problem, and it is not necessary in order to maintain good relations the two countries that has existed for so long and very historic,''said Al Hayyat.

Actually, Sumiati case workers who work in Saudi Arabia is only one case of dozens of cases affecting migrant workers, and it is revealed even thousands of cases have occurred with varying degrees of persecution, until the workers went home in a coffin dkirim. Killed by various former torture and could not clear a long time when mankind has become the bodies that will be shipped to Indonesia, even the Government of Saudi Arabia, with various efforts often tried to cover up the cases that occur on employer workers who were tortured in Saudi Arabia. Even the Saudi Arabian police often make the problem becomes clear.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian government in general, are helpless when faced with such problems. The Indonesian labor force even at a time in our own country are not treated well, legal protection in the country, let alone abroad never received the maximum. Case workers were tortured, and humiliated not only in Saudi Arabia alone, it is also common in Malaysia and some countries that accept people of Indonesia as labor.

Why, from their home country is already in a very weak position. With a minimal level of expertise does not even exist, with a minimal level of individual education is not even a primary school and also with no solid rule in applying the law and protection of labor, then they just become easy prey to experience unfair treatment even extremely insulting the dignity of the state and nation.

The workers often experience a tragic thing, they cheated in the country will become the workforce in a company abroad, and it turns out when they are abroad are forced into prostitution, and more tragic prostitute price from Indonesia's most expensive, because the number of they are indeed the most. Meanwhile, officials in the country which should protect its workers by creating rules that protect them until now is not the maximum. The proof until now there are no rules that can protect workers abroad effectively even when they are at home to dairy cows, and when they come home from abroad become more dairy cows.
Labor management system in Indonesia is also very severe, even touts legalizing workers get the government, they are the organizers of employment, the labor system makes outsourching no future and no hope, they are after working three months will be released just like that without severance pay . And the number of workers outsorching currently 70 percent in each company. The workers were required to deposit a monthly basis to labor brokers.

Also, government corruption and also corruption that has become flesh and blood that should make the country prosperous and able to provide a decent life to its citizens, never happened, the poverty factor is more often a background of why a woman should work outside the country and even just simply become domestic servants or in Bahasa Indonesian with coarse dialect is to be a maid. They still remain poor even if forced to pay from their own pockets by way of debt, with the hope after working overseas will be able to pay debts, and even have some money to venture capital in their home villages are located.

Not the prosperity which they acquired abroad, but torture, humiliation, disability and even death. Tragic story of these workers are too often the case, and the Indonesian government is always in a powerless position to defend its citizens. In every agreement the two countries relating to workers with any country, Indonesia has always been in a position to lose and losers.

In principle a countries citizen will not want to be a maid, either in their own country and even abroad, this work is by some regarded as an abject working. Moreover, in Saudi Arabia, a maid a maid is often regarded as a slave who should be treated just about anything, even be killed if necessary.

Indonesian officials instead often position as a party worker who is wrong, they were accused of not understanding the customs of the country where they reside and work. Why the Indonesian government could not impose in the negotiations that cultural understanding should be equal, countries where workers are also must understand the customs. Most employers in the country is not Saudi Arabia or other countries should treat human beings as human beings Indonesia in general, and crimes committed against another human law must be fair and universal.

In the face of the Government of Saudi Arabia several times for various cases of torture, and murder is also the Indonesian government workers and also workers in question are always in a position to lose and losers. The attitude of contempt and a low rate of Indonesia has happened dozens of years since the Secretary of Labor held by Sudomo in the new order era. Each case is tried to cover it and closed it happened until now. Religious background between the two countries often lead to something drastic.

There's even an express, fortunately Islam and Prophet Muhammad SAW revealed in Saudi Arabia states that since this nation formerly known as morally corrupt. Religion and the prophet was commissioned to make them better, and that too barbaric attitude and insulting the dignity of other human beings still continue to occur, because that's the rule and protection of labor and delivery must be firm and clear. The Philippines once had a similar case in a Middle Eastern country nationals nearly put to death, after her employer failed raped and murdered by her employer's workforce. President of the Philippines fell directly with firm resolve the case, and succeeded in freeing its citizens.

While that happened in Indonesia, the workers who are often given the title of hero in his own country made foreign dairy cows, whereas abroad they are humiliated, tortured and even killed. If the agreement between the two countries Indonesia in a position equal, then such cases could be prevented, rather than after the event as though the government will defend the maximum, but everything is happening. And do not feel weird and angry if such cases Sumiati will happen again, as long as the Government of Indonesia is still like this. (www.rainbowdiplomacy.com)