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Lessons from Rizana’s case

All Sri Lankans will be praying for 19-year-old Rizana Nazik, who is on death row in Saudi Arabia, as the Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Bhaila arrives in that country today on a mercy mission.

Rizana is facing execution under Saudi Arabia’s strict Sharia laws for the alleged murder of her employer’s months-old infant. Rizana has maintained that she confessed under duress and that it was an accident, not a pre-meditated murder.

Whatever the truth may be, the fact remains that Rizana was a minor when the offence was committed two years ago. Most countries do not carry out the death penalty for crimes committed while the convict was still a minor.

With due respect for the laws and regulations of Saudi Arabia, we hope the legal process now initiated there will lead to clemency for Rizana. The Sri Lankan Government and the Asian Human Rights Commission are making every effort in this direction.

Rizana’s pathetic case highlights the perils that migrant workers face in the Middle East. Rizana is from a poor family in Muttur in the East, a region which is only now emerging from decades of conflict.

Poverty has driven thousands of Lankans, mostly women, to seek employment abroad at salaries they can only dream of here. In many instances, they get duped by dubious foreign job agencies who sometimes resort to completely illegal methods to send people abroad.

Rizana herself is a prime example. Rizana was only 17 when she went to Saudi Arabia for employment, which can only mean that a passport has been obtained using a fake/forged birth certificate that indicated an age above 21. This in itself is a grave offence.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has directed the Foreign Employment Bureau to ban this agency and take action against its owners. Taking action against one agency alone will not solve the problem. Indications are that many other agencies, both licensed and non-licensed, are engaged in this kind of scam.

Another factor, again highlighted by Rizana’s plight, is that most of the migrant workers are unskilled and untrained. Rizana was completely ill-prepared for a task such as baby sitting and indeed, no 17-year-old girl could be expected to. Language is another barrier.

Most migrant workers know only their native language (Sinhala or Tamil). With no knowledge of Arabic or at least English, they face an uphill task in communicating with their employers and understanding their instructions.

The State must immediately intervene to close all rogue job agencies, strictly monitor the legally recognised agencies and ensure that all migrant workers leave only with the knowledge and approval of the Foreign Employment Bureau. Training for operating household appliances should be made compulsory for would-be domestic workers. Crash courses in Arabic and English should be offered.

In the long term, the Government should explore the possibility of sending more skilled workers and professionals for foreign employment and expanding the labour market to new countries. This will help earn more foreign exchange and respect for Lankans overseas.

We must not lose sight of the fact that expatriate remittances prop up the economy substantially. They must be given all facilities and the Lankan State and its missions abroad must do more for their welfare.

SLFP’s contribution to the Lankan political landscape

The SLFP Convention will be held tomorrow under the chairmanship of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Several important resolutions are expected to be passed at this event. This article traces the history of the SLFP and its people-friendly initiatives.

Full Story

Fear, pain and sorrow abound as Tigers step up conscription

Youths like Rajathurai Ponnambalam are living in hiding to avoid being forcibly recruited by the Tigers and sent to fight in a war they don’t believe in. Many residents Reuters spoke to during a rare visit to the Tiger heartland in the North said the Tigers are demanding every family contribute at least one member to a movement widely banned as a terrorist organisation by the likes of the United States, Britain and the European Union.

Full Story

Human rights, national security, and terrorism

Dr. Mohamed Haneef’s case highlights the importance of a proper balance between civil liberties, individual human rights, and the responsibility of the state to protect inhabitants from terrorists.

Full Story

 

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