SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: COLUMNISTS CALL FOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 001732

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PPD, G/TIP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO PREL KISL PHUM PINR KU
SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: COLUMNISTS CALL FOR
RESPECTING HUMAN RIGHTS OF THIRD COUNTRY LABOR FORCE



1. Summary and comment: In the wake of an April 24 rampage
by hundreds of Bangladeshi laborers who ransacked their
Embassy to protest chronic nonpayment of wages (septel),
both Liberal and Islamist columnists have called such
nonpayment a national disgrace and urged their countrymen
to do better by obeying the laws which regulate payment of
third country labor and treating the labor force with
respect. It is rare for Liberals and Islamists to publicly
agree on any issue. Even more unusual is the public airing
of opinion on such a normally shameful, taboo topic as the
abuse of third country laborers. End summary and comment.


2. Writing in Arabic daily Al-Watan on April 26, Salafi
Islamist MP Dr. Walid Al-Tabtabae wrote: "The 'revolution'
undertaken by a host of Bangladeshi workers represented by
gathering and demonstrating and running riot in their
Embassy in Kuwait has not developed from a vacuum. It was
rather dictated by injustice and persecution practiced by
the relevant workers' employers by not paying regularly
their monthly salaries. Some of these workers have not been
paid their salaries for over six months. Such maltreatment
by the employers negatively reflects on the services
extended to the facilities of the Ministry of Health and
the Ministry of Education, given the fact these workers
have been contracted to work at these facilities.


3. Writing in pro-government daily Al-Qabas on April 26,
Former Minister of Education and Higher Education and MP
Dr. Ahmed Al-Rubae wrote, "The unruly incident by
Bangladeshi cleaning workers at their Embassy in Kuwait is
natural in view of crimes committed by persons against this
group of people and nobody has stirred a finger to stop
these crimes. Needless to say we have among us what we can
call 'ghastly beasts,' some influential people who are
multimillionaires and those who still believe in slavery by
trafficking in visas and illicit trade I respect and trust
First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior
Shaykh Nawaf Al-Ahmed and I also respect and trust the
Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Faisal Al-Hajji.
However, I hold them accountable for this national
catastrophe and appeal to them to move as swiftly as
possible to counter this catastrophe based on their
constitutional, legal and moral duties to bring an end to
this slavery in our country."


4. Writing in independent daily Al-Rai Al-Aam on April 26,
Islamist Dr. Wael Al-Hussawi wrote, "The meager salaries
and poor living conditions allocated for this group of
people is a big topic of discussion which must be handled
by human rights organizations. Our country has a unique
record in the files of human rights and although we have a
society for human rights in addition to the National
Assembly's Human Rights Committee which day and night
boasts about human rights, unfortunately the reality says
the contrary and this can be attributed to the fact that
the 'hamours' (influential people) in our country consider
themselves above the law. In this case the best way to
solve this problem is to put behind bars the 'hamours' and
close their establishments. If this happened, the situation
in the country can be reformed within a few days and the
problem will vanish for good."


5. An unsigned front-page editorial in pro-government daily
Al-Qabas (note: unsigned editorials are used infrequently
by Kuwaiti dailies to convey an opinion with more force and
emphasis than that carried by a single, named columnist. In
this case, the editorial was likely written by Al-Qabas
editor-in-chief Walid Al-Nisf. End note.) on April 26
entitled "Let Us Remove The Mark Of Disgrace Off Our
Foreheads" said, "The violent protest by hundreds of Asian
workers on Sunday reminded us of the problems that face
foreign workers, and the violations of human rights that
surround their living conditions in our country. This is a
reoccurring problem that affects hundred of thousands of
foreign laborers who live among us, and who have come to
this country through legal channels seeking lawful
employmentThis is also a good time to mention the various
mistreatment practices against foreign workers in the
domestic help sector. It is unacceptable for the law to
over look the inhumane employment conditions for many of
these workers. The events on Sunday have affected our
international reputation, and revealed to the entire world
that we do not take law enforcement seriously. This is a
violation of international accords that Kuwait has signed.
It is our duty to use this incident to correct all past
mistakes, face the new challenges, and prove to the world
that we are responsible enough to deal with the problem. We
must give the weak an assurance that the law protects his
rights.

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LEBARON