Indonesia temporarily suspends labor exports to Saudi Arabia

The Star (Indonesia)

13th July 2001

The Indonesian government has temporarily stopped sending migrant laborers to Saudi Arabia to force Riyadh to better protect the hundreds of thousands already working there, Manpower Minister Al-Hilal Hamdi said Thursday.

Hamdi said the suspension, which came into effect on July 9, would remain in place until Aug. 25. 

He said the move was intended to press Saudi Arabia to sign a joint agreement on the protection of Indonesian workers.

He said the ministry was planning to impose similar suspensions on other countries with large numbers of Indonesian workers.

"There are at least 800,000 Indonesian workers overseas," Hamdi told the Associated Press. "Their protection must be improved."

Thousands of Indonesians travel abroad to take up low-skilled jobs, mostly to the Middle East and wealthy countries in the Asia Pacific region. 

The hard currency they send home is vital for Indonesia's economy, which is still struggling from the effects of the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

At least 370,000 Indonesians work in Saudi Arabia. Many complain they have no legal rights and are often ill-treated by their bosses.

Some Indonesian house maids have reported they were sexual abused by their Saudi Arabian employers.