SWALLOWING A BITTER PILL IN FOREIGN EMPLOYMENT

A Sri Lankan housemaid employed in a Saudi Arabian house for nearly 18 years amidst a lot of difficulties arrived at the Sri Lanka Embassy of that country seeking help. However, after spending two years at the embassy, she was asked to return to the house she worked in, her children said.

After the media carried her story, embassy officials scolded her, the children said. They went on to say that after their investigation on the discrimination as claimed by her, instead of sending their mother back to Sri Lanka, they had sent her to the same employer who had ill-treated her placing her at risk.

Manawaduge Indrani, a mother of three children and a resident at Ethgala in Gampola had worked in Dubai and Lebanon as a housemaid. Due to financial difficulties (even her husband didn’t have permanent employment) , she had decided to go abroad for employment (to Saudi Arabia) on 19th November, 1995.

However, there had been no news of her for nearly eighteen years. Her family had informed several departments including the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLFEB). However to no avail.

“Meanwhile a notice was seen at the Ethgala Police Post in Gampola, that our mother was in the Sri Lankan Embassy in Saudi Arabia, “said her son Ajantha Manojith. “After this, the OIC of the police post, Inspector Akbar, we were able to talk with our mother through Skype when my mother told us she was held under duress.”

He went on to say: “As a result of an attempt made by a Sri Lankan living in Saudi my mother had a chance of leaving her employer. However later she had to stay 2 years at the Sri Lankan Embassy without receiving her wages for her employment over of 18 years. She had been informed by the FEB she can go to Sri Lanka quickly if she were to sign a letter she was not interested in getting her wages for the period she was employed. We revealed the facts to the media as we understood that we can’t get the justice through the FEB. After the news was published, the officers have abused her and, we couldn’t get any news from her for about two months until our mother suddenly informed us that she was handed over to the former employer by the embassy staff.

“Although we repeatedly informed the SLFEB of our mother’s predicament, no action was taken. With the assistance of Ethgala police we talked to our mother, who explained her misery. Now mother has been asked to work at three houses. Due to her work at a sheep farm she had sustained wounds on fingers and legs. In addition she has to work in date farms also,” said her daughter- in- law Iresha Nelum Kumari.

Indrani’s family members are shocked over the lethargic attitude of embassy officers who didn’t consider Indrani’s plight during 18 years of her employment in Saudi. They seek justice They have complained about this matter to the President, the Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Minister, Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission and the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau. Reference letter No is: FA/CONS/D1/12/233/CD/862.

Indrani’s family has complained about this matter to the President, the Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Minister, Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission and the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau