Trafficking of Sri Lankan Women : a birthday and idiotic motions

It is truly horrendous to know that our women are trafficked to the Middle East and some are now stranded in Oman. TV news broadcasts have cited them crying for help and conveying their helplessness and the hopeless of the situation they are in. On 22 November, TV news had it that their plight was raised and highlighted by MTV in their broadcasts. The Minister of Foreign Employment said they had been working on it.

The Editor of the Sunday Island of 20 November very succinctly and sharply focused attention on them. It has been imputed that the trafficking was for sex purposes and not mere employment at low salaries in any old place; the Middle East countries harbouring sex fiends and thus accommodating money grabbers through the selling of mostly innocent flesh. The apparently stranded women were taken to a safe house in Oman but it was far from safe since an official or persons of our country doing duty of overseeing safety, exploited the poor women by forcing them to degradingly serve their sex urges. Talk of a fox placed to guard a hen coop!

And what pray have embassy staff done in Oman and adjoining countries? There were, and probably are, labour offices specially posted in the Sri Lankan embassies in West Asian nations to see to the welfare of the blue-collar workers – more especially the woman who are vulnerable to exploitation and even torture. They seem to have been hand in glove with the traffickers.

Cass, more than a decade ago, worked voluntarily for a trade union that had as one of its major concerns women who went overseas to work in menial jobs, more so as house-maids. Also included in the Union’s purview were Free Trade Zone women workers and estate labourers. These three categories were then recognised as the major earners of foreign exchange; and probably still are. And they, quite the backbone of our forex earners, were the most exploited and tortured and left with little protection and unnoticed when they cried for help.

Cass was introduced to the Foreign Employment Bureau (FEB),which gave the ones selected to go overseas pre-departure training and made them aware of what to expect in their overseas homes and jobs. The FEB oversaw the welfare of those who went through the Bureau while employed overseas and ensured them insurance and even kept an eye on children and families left behind. Cass remembers they conducted programmes for returnees, mostly to have them use their earnings profitably. Thus, Cass’ immense surprise that women go overseas for jobs arranged by agencies, many of them dubious if not totally suspect. Her weekly domestic’s daughter-in-law in sheer desperation has registered with such a private and illegal agency. People should know a government Bureau recruits and sends women for jobs overseas. They may not be aware the Bureaux’ selection of workers and places of work are scrupulous and the benefits of going via the FEB. Illegal agents go from door to door, probably, pouncing on innocent women and cheating them totally, though showing concern and promising great wealth earned in a short while.

Cass blames our women folk and their avaricious husbands and willing to sacrifice older relatives. Many of the women go being tired of their marriages and seeking diversion; many to spite husbands; and most believe the pot of gold lies at the other end of an exciting plane ride and merely cooking in a house. Then dawn realities: large families to cook for, babies to care for; hijabs to be worn, food deplorable as Cass has heard: camel meat and invariable tomato curry. Passports confiscated; total lack of freedom, and women of the household deaf to meek complaints of sexual harassment.

Cass is hardhearted but realistic when she lays the greater blame is on the women who are duped than on the duping illegal recruitment agencies. Don’t these women read newspapers? Watch TV news? Hear of the travails undergone by many workers? No, they dream and proceed dubiously to jobs abroad only to find them difficult and conditions far from what was promised, or they imagined. Then starts the sniffling and appeals to families and the SL government to bring them back.

Cass travelling to the UK a decade and more ago on British Airways, had a woman seated next to her who did not know where she had to get off; would not eat or drink, or even answer solicitous questions asked of her. It was a one stop in a Mid East country flight. When the plane landed at this one spot (Oman. Dubai or wherever) the woman did not move. Fearing she would be over-carried to Heathrow, Cass summoned the airhostess – white and rude. She looked into the woman’s passport and taking her roughly by her shoulder, angrily led her out. Cass was haunted by her landing and what awaited her. This sort of thing could happen even now.

India banned labour class women going overseas for jobs; so also Malaysia to name but two South Asian and South Eastern countries. The Filipinos spoke English and were prepared for what awaited them and met with minimum trouble. Our country encouraged women to go overseas for menial jobs no matter harm done to them and their families. It was a way of earning foreign money.

The birthday of the Elder ‘Royal’

One day in the recent past, TV news captured a part of the celebration of Mahinda Rajapaksa’s birthday celebrations with all brothers present. Monks were lined up and would have chanted pirith or given first place to the focus of attention – a white clad woman who placed a crown like object on the ex Prez/ PM’s head. Wondered whether it was Gnana Akka, whom Hirunika sought a predicting session with and was denied by an entire battalion of police officers. Friends said it was a not so powerful and sought after upasikawa since the ceremony was a kiriammas’ dane. Good for MR – he got double blessing from monks and upasaka ammas (NOT bhikkhunis, Cass hastily adds). Cass has never witnessed fully ordained Bhikkhus being upped by lay women of silwathkama – true or pretend. This must be the way of Sinhala Buddhism, promoted by the Brothers and observed and loudly proclaimed by the Pohottuwas.

MP brings in King Ravana

Sri Lanka is in the suicidal grip of the worst economic crisis in its entire period of known history and ensnared in the constant protest of millions of dissatisfied and frustrated persons. In this dire country condition, SJB MP for Matara District, Buddhika Pathirana, ups with a motion to enable “a systematic study about King Ravana, on whom there is no specific historical information.” Matter of life and death to the nation? What has come over this so far wise and honest MP whom we admired as having sense and speaking it? Cass wondered whether to laugh or cry or better, hoot with derision.

She did the last at Deputy Minister Diana’s constant suggestions to earn forex. She started by suggesting the installation of a Disney Land theme park here in SL. We want people to enjoy and appreciate our diverse natural beauty and our wild life. Then she comes up with creating a Macau or Las Vegas Strip in Mannar. Pooh-poohed by the public she wants to encourage farmers to grow ganja extensively. She should go for honesty and elimination of corruption in Parliament and government if she truly feels patriotic kekkuma for the country, she returned to recently. How to do that is the question when she is there as State Min ister supposedly holding double you-know-what.

The IUSF protesting ‘Buddhist Monk’ has been released on bail, we heard on Wednesday morning. Good and proper. Please release Wasantha Mudalige too. Then protests should stop and this parched for dollars county might get tourists a-coming. Our hotels are so prepared and so languishing for stayers.