Indonesian maid trade curbed

Press, 31 January 1986, Page 22

Indonesian maid trade curbed

NZPA-Reuter Jakarta Indonesia has announced moves aimed at cutting the number of maids working in Saudi Arabia after reports that some had been mistreated and sexually abused by their Arab employers. The Minister of Manpower, Admiral Sudomo, said that under new rules female domestic workers going to work in Saudi Arabia must be aged at least 22 and work with families carefully selected by the Indonesian Embassy. Indonesian newspapers have dubbed some women returning from Saudi Arabia with lurid tales of sexual harassmment and low wages as sex slaves. Indoqesia’s powerful MuhamjnMiyah Islamic group re-ix ceatly urged the Govern- ' ■Mt to stop sending maids

to Saudi Arabia, saying that it was inhuman. Admiral Sudomo said maids leaving for Saudi Arabia would now be required to sign a document saying that they were fully aware of the risks and that they would not blame the Government if they encountered problems. In a controversial decision last year, he forbade maids returning from Saudi Arabia from talking to the news media, saying it could damage bilateral relations. Admiral Sudomo said 80 per cent of 55,224 Indonesians who left to work abroad last year were women and most went to Saudi Arabia. The restrictions were likely to cut repatriated earnings, which ran to SUS 36 million (168.65 million) in 1985, he said.