Indonesian domestic worker is beheaded in Saudi Arabia

World Note

Jakarta stopped workers from traveling to Saudi Arabia after the beheading there of a 54-year-old Indonesian migrant worker June 17.

Domestic worker Ruyati Binti Sapubi is said to have killed her employer because of abuse. A government spokesperson stated that to be allowed to receive Indonesian migrant workers, countries would henceforth have to meet human rights standards.

Indonesia objected to not having been officially informed of the execution and recalled its ambassador in response. Currently, 22 Indonesians are on death row in Saudi Arabia, with 316 others jailed on a variety of charges.

In a related development, the International Labor Organization member countries meeting June 16 in Geneva adopted an unprecedented Domestic Workers Convention, which recognizes rights for domestic workers rights long enjoyed by other workers. Domestic workers in Saudi Arabia earn $160 – 400 per month.

For more information, see the Jakarta Globe and by the UK Guardian.