Indonesians on death row seek pardon in S. Arabia

Achmad Faisal ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Surabaya   |  Sat, 04/25/2009

Both the Indonesian government and diplomats are assisting 14 migrant workers seek a much-needed pardon from Saudi Arabian families that will save them from decapitation.

Hafidh bin Kholil Sulam, Siti Zainab binti Duhri, Rupa Mohammad Zaini and Ahmad Fauzi bin Abu Hasan from Madura, Etty Toyib Anwar, Saiful Mubarok and Jamilah binti Abidin Rofii from West Java, Aminah binti Budi, Darmawati binti Tarjani, Samani Muhammad Niyan, Abdul Aziz Supiyani, Muhammad Mursyidi and Ahmad Zizi Hartati from South Kalimantan and Suleimah Misnadi from West Kalimantan are currently in prison after being sentenced to death for murder. Some were found guilty 10 years ago.

Gatot Abdullah Mansyur, the Indonesian consul general in Jedda, said the government had at least managed to persuade the Saudi Arabian government to delay the execution for these migrant workers, citing appeals for clemency from some of the families of the victims.

"The process will take a long time. We are intensifying our personal approach to family members of the victims," Gatot said.

In the case of Siti Zainab, the embassy has repeatedly asked for forgiveness on behalf of the family of the victim.

"Even the President has twice sent a letter to the King of Saudi Arabia to pardon her," Gatot said.

Siti was sentenced to death for killing her employer.

Gatot said the prospect of the Indonesian nationals being pardoned was still a possibility. In 2008 the Indonesian embassy in Saudi Arabia helped six migrant workers - Nurmakin Sabri, Muhammad Daham Arifin, Idim Dimyati, Didin bin Ruyani, Udeng Maulana bin Wahyudin and Sumiyati - escape execution.

Gatot said some of the migrant workers committed murder in self-defense or while fighting abuse from their employers. Some were handed death sentences for killing fellow Indonesians.

"Strangely, it is more difficult to seek forgiveness from the families of Indonesian victims than from those of Saudi Arabia," Gatot said.

He added the murders were largely committed by migrant workers who were legally employed but lacked skills.

"Many employers have complained that the quality of migrant workers is below expectation. This situation has led to acts of violence committed by the workers," he said.

Unlike in Malaysia and other desirable work destinations, Saudi Arabia has adopted a law which restricts the ability of foreign governments to intervene in criminal cases involving migrant workers, citing them as domestic affairs.

For this reason, Indonesia has been unable to persuade the Saudi Arabian government to sign an agreement on the protection of migrant workers, despite the same agreement being ratified in Malaysia and Hong Kong.

The Indonesian Embassy in Saudi Arabia registered almost 600,000 Indonesians employed across 13 provinces in the kingdom, with most employed in the informal sector as housemaids, gardeners and drivers.