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| Arabia | |
| Kuwait outraged at Indonesia domestic help ban | |
| 2009-10-30 | |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] Indonesia's decision to stop sending domestic helpers to Kuwait citing concerns over abuse and exploitation stirred indignation among Kuwaitis, while an official at the Indonesian embassy said he was not aware of the reasons behind the decision. The ban is seen as an insult to Kuwait as it tarnishes the country's image concerning the treatment of domestic laborers, said Fadel Ashkanani, head of the Kuwaiti Union of Domestic Labor Offices (KUDLO).
The popularity of Kuwait, Ashkanani argued, is a result of the positive feedback maids give to their families back home and which increases demand to work there despite the fact that salaries are not big in comparison to other countries. "The problem is that some Asian labor offices send unqualified maids. This reflects negatively on both the sending and receiving countries." Ashkanani expressed his indignation at the way the problem was dealt with on the part of the Indonesian Ministry of Labor. "If a few Indonesian maids were having problems, the necessary measures could have been taken without tarnishing the reputation of Kuwait. If some labor offices are engaged in violations, this should not be generalized to reflect the entire country." He stressed that KUDLO is always ensures all parties involved are treated fairly. This includes the maid, the guardian, and the labor office. Ashkanani stated that despite the fact that the Embassy of Indonesia in Kuwait stopped dealing with KUDLO, other embassies are still working with the union without any problems. "We work with the embassies of India and Ethiopia and the labor used from those countries is more than that from Indonesia." The Embassy of Indonesia received instructions from the Indonesian Labor Ministry instructing that no more maids be sent to Kuwait, but the reasons were not mentioned, said Ares Teriano, First Secretary at the Embassy of Indonesia in Kuwait. | |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 The ban is seen as an insult to Kuwait as it tarnishes the country's image Appearances are everything---reality is nothing. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-10-30 04:18 |