SEE! HOW A TAMIL HOUSEMAID DIED IN JORDAN!!!

Lankan housemaids:Tale of broken limbs and shattered dreams

By Jamila Najmuddin

At roughly around 10.30 a.m. on Monday morning, an old man made his way towards the arrival entrance of the Katunayake International Airport. He was dressed in a sarong and an old shirt and looked frightened and confused.

Not knowing where to go or whom to talk to, he was stopped by the security officials standing guard at the entrance, querying as to where he was going. His eyes looked tired and he looked helpless as he was searching for someone or something to come out of the airport.

After being questioned again, his only reply to the security personnel starring at him suspiciously was that he was there to pick up his daughter.

“I think my daughter is coming home today. I do not know the exact time. Maybe the flight has been delayed,” he said.

Unlike others, whose faces are filled with joy at the sight of their children or relatives coming out of the airport, this man only had tears in his eyes, which is why a traffic officer who was standing a few inches away queried as to why he was sad that his daughter was returning home. His reply shocked all those standing nearby. “My daughter is returning home in a coffin,” he said.

This is 19 year-old Shanti Murugayya’s father. Unable to explain his grief, he had arrived at the airport roughly three hours prior to see that the coffin of his daughter had arrived home safely. “I am going to see my daughter after two months and I do not know if I can bear the sight of her lying in a coffin. She was my little baby. God help me,” he cried.

This 19 year-old girl from Puttalam had left for Jordan in search of employment two months ago, promising to send money for her family so that they too could live comfortably like some in her neighbourhood.

However, her dreams of a comfortable future were slashed when she mysteriously fell off the fourth floor of her employer’s house in Jordan, just two months after she left for the country, leaving a question mark on whether she committed suicide or was murdered.

The Amman police have launched a full-scale investigation into Shanti’s death but unfortunately, no arrests have been made so far.

As Shanti is no more to reveal the true details surrounding her mysterious death, the Sri Lankan Consulate in Jordan, is now awaiting Shanti’s autopsy report to reach to a conclusion. “I am waiting for Shanti’s autopsy report. It is only then that I can reach to a conclusion. The Amman police have launched a full scale investigation into the fall and till the autopsy report comes to my hand, I cannot tell anything further,” a top official from the Sri Lankan Consulate in Jordan said.

He confirmed that Shanti had arrived in Jordan two months ago, to work as a housemaid and he heard about the death only after the Prevention and Security Department in Amman informed him about the details.

Shanti’s body was dispatched to the Sri Lanka Consulate on November 2 by the Saudi government who in turn dispatched the body to Sri Lanka on November 3.

According to the official, although initial investigations said that Shanti’s death was an accident, other sources from the Consulate said that there was a question mark now circulating on whether Shanti had been raped; an allegation which the official said he is unable to verify till he receives the autopsy report.

While there are more and more allegations emerging each day, some even claiming that Shanti had been tricked into working in a brothel once she arrived in Jordon, the real reason behind Shanti’s mysterious death however may remain hidden forever. Her father who knew immediately that something was wrong with Shanti after she arrived in Jordan says that even though several reasons have been given, no explanation or investigation would bring back his daughter whom he loved dearly.

“She is gone and nothing can bring her back. I do not know why she had such dreams. If only I had kept her back,” is all Murugayya says now.

Explaining her dream of going abroad, Murugayya explained that little Shanti had left for overseas employment as she wanted her father to retire and live comfortably with his mother. “I am a sick man and Shanti wanted me to stop working. I never wanted to send her abroad but she told me that she was mature enough to look after herself and earn for the family,” Murugayya cried. More still, Shanti had been excited to travel to the Middle East due to the currency, which held a strong exchange rate. In addition, she was also excited to transform herself into an independent girl and become the breadwinner of the family, dreaming of televisions, air-conditions, a cement house and jewellery for her poor family who had been suffering from poverty ever since she could remember.

Her mother who is still in shock even since she heard the dreadful news, now lives in an imaginary world, thinking that her daughter is still alive. She refuses to prepare for the funeral or talk about the death, saying that her Shanti will soon walk through the front door. “How am I to explain to my wife that our Shanti is dead? She refuses to believe that. I am helpless,” Murugayya said. The day her passport and ticket arrived, to fly to Jordan, Shanti had convinced her father that everything would be better when he told her once again not to leave the country. He had cried that night, narrating terrible stories, of how he had heard women suffer at the hands of the employer in the Middle East.

Murugayya finally gave up as no matter what he said, he was unable to convince her daughter to stay back home. However, he let her go on a condition that she called home every week, briefing them on the details.

A relative who spoke over the telephone said that Shanti had always been a bright child although she could not pursue a higher education due to her family being struck by poverty. No one had been able to convince Shanti to stay back home as her mind had been made up to go to Jordan to earn some quick cash.

Shanti left for Jordan in the middle this year, with many hopes. Upon reaching the country, she was taken to her new employer’s house. From the initial phone call which the family received, Shanti said she was happy, although, according to the relative, she had sounded sad. Her father knew immediately that something was wrong.

Unable to verify the reason behind her sadness, Murugayya’s only regret now is in having sent her daughter to a strange land. If Shanti was alive today, all he would say is how much he loved her and needed her to be by his side. Unfortunately Murugayya now whispers these words in front of a tiny picture of Shanti’s which hangs by the entrance of his house. Although impossible, Murugayya and his family’s only wish now is to see their daughter walk in through the front door, which they know is a wish which will never come true.

Shanti’s case is one in many as a majority of housemaids travelling to the Middle East, come home shattered, with no money and having lost their self respect. When raising the subject of abuse of Sri Lankan housemaids in the Middle East, some stories of struggle are so dispiriting, so mismatched in power between attacker and victim, that we can barely get through them. According to statistics, more than a million Sri Lankans - roughly 1 in every 19 citizens - now work abroad, and nearly 600,000 are housemaids.

In Saudi Arabia (the most common destination for housemaids), they call Sri Lanka “the country of housemaids.”

Statistics prove that 15 per cent to 20 per cent of the 100,000 Sri Lankan women who leave each year for the Middle East return prematurely, face abuse or nonpayment of salary, or get drawn into illicit people trafficking schemes or prostitution. Hundreds of housemaids have become pregnant within the last few years, often after rapes, producing children who, until Sri Lankas Constitution was amended, were stateless because their fathers were foreigners. Many women also came home dead.

When writing about Shanti, this is not the first article of brutality and barbarous treatment meted out to a Sri Lankan housemaid. There have been hundreds or even thousands in the past few years. However, despite the suffering, what steps have the authorities taken to ensure that such incidents of violence do not recur? What steps do human rights and international agencies take to protect helpless workers? It is time that all governments who permit the export of female labour to the Middle East and other countries, join together to ensure that these women are protected and their rights are safeguarded.

Rizana’s case today

The popular Rizana Nafeek’s case will be taken up for hearing in a Saudi court today. Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hussain Bhaila said that the government was anxiously awaiting the outcome of today’s case to take any further steps.

The Minister said that all arrangements had been made by the Sri Lankan government and many Sri Lankan Embassy officials in Saudi Arabia would be attending today’s case.

“All arrangements have been made for Rizana’s case. We are awaiting the outcome of the hearing,” Minister Bhaila said. As soon as Rizana’s case came into the limelight, the Foreign Employment Bureau (FEB) has taken a progressive step in insisting on the registration of all migrant workers with FEB, that has resulted in a significant drop in the number of complaints. FEB said that following the government’s instructions, no employee was sent to the Middle East without at least two weeks of training.

Govt. takes action

At a press conference held at the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment Colombo last month, Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare, Keheliya Rambukwella said that the government would in the future concentrate on sending workers to better paid jobs in European countries rather than the conventionally bound jobs in the Middle-East.

The Minister added that thereby the government would promote jobs in Norway, Japan, Poland and Italy where a more systematic method of remuneration is adopted.

He added that workers should have their working hours laid down in the contract as in some houses in the Middle East, housemaids were forced to work 12 to 14 hours daily. He also said that woman migrant workers had to be given a day off every week. Minister Rambukwella further said that at present, the government was discussing with the ILO representatives and soon they intend to work out a proposal regarding the women migrant workers.He said once the proposals are drafted they would be made mandatory.

“In the future those women going abroad for work have to be provided with at least four weeks job training in Sri Lanka. This would be arranged with the cooperation of recruitment agencies and other social organizations,” the Minister said. He added housemaids should not be employed as nannies looking after babies as in any case if some mishaps happened while caring the babies and children, housemaids should never be held responsible. “ A nanny should be someone who has undergone basic trainings in childcare,” he said.
courtesy:dailymirror.lk
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NOTE FROM WTEF: I sent a complain to HM.King Abdulla of Jordan to do justice in this case! His feedback to my complain:
Dear Mr. shan nalliah

On behalf of His Majesty King Abdullah II, The Royal Hashemite Court would like to thank you for visiting the Official Website of His Majesty and for submitting your feedback.

We shall give your query / input our immediate attention and get back to you as soon as possible.
2008--------- Royal Hashemite Court
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Note from WTEF: I sent a complain to HM.Queen Raania of Jordan to do justice regarding this case!Feedback from her official website:

Dear Mr. shan nalliah,

On behalf of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, the Office of Her Majesty would like to thank you for visiting her official website and for taking the time to share your thoughts.

We hope you understand that Her Majesty receives a high volume of emails. Please be patient while we process your inquiry.

Royal Hashemite Court King Abdullah www.queenrania.jo
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