Jakarta Globe, Dessy Sagita, Apr 03, 2014
Jakarta.
After weeks of controversy, the Indonesian government said today it had
formally agreed to pay blood money in exchange for the life of Satinah Binti
Jumadi Ahmad, 41, of Ungaran, Central Java, who was scheduled for execution on
Friday in Saudi Arabia after admitting to slaying her former employer in 2007
and fleeing with 37,970 riyal ($10,125).
“We have
agreed to give the victim’s family what they demanded,” coordinating minister
for political, legal and security affairs Djoko Suyanto said on Thursday, as
quoted by a report published on Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi’s official website, setkab.go.id.
The
al-Garib family — the close relatives of Nura, who was killed — initially
requested 10 million riyal in 2011, but the Indonesian government managed to
negotiate the amount to 7 million, with 5 million to be paid now and another
two due in the next two years.
Djoko said
the government had agreed to pay the diyat (blood money) in full and that
Satinah was expected to be spared.
He said
that a diplomatic a task force led by former religious affairs minister Maftuh
Basyuni had conveyed the message to the victim’s family.
“Our team
left for [Saudi Arabia's] Qassim province on Thursday morning to meet the
governor and convey that the Indonesian government had agreed to meet the
family’s demand,” Djoko said.
He said
that the Saudi government had also confirmed having received a letter sent by
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
“The letter
from the president has been sent to Saudi Arabian king, and the Saudis have
responded by telling us that the Kingdom’s staffs will work on a pardon,” he
said.
Anis Hidayah,
executive director of Migrant Care, andNGO that advocates for the rights of
migrant workers, said he welcomed the government’s actions.
“Finally,
the public movement initiated by social media users has successfully touched
the government’s arrogance, they can no longer ignore he fact that saving a
citizen is the country’s responsibility,” Anis said.
The social
movement joined by celebrities, public officials and activists, led by singer
Melanie Subono, managed to collect Rp 2.8 billion ($246,400) for the cause.
“From the
very beginning our main objective was not only to collect [Rp] 7 million, but
also to push the government and to tell them that they cannot let the people to
take over the responsibility to save Satinah,” she said.
Anis said
she would let the donors to decide what to do with the funds collected through
the movement.
‘We will
discuss this later, maybe we can use it for the greater good, but we don’t
advise that the money be given to Satinah’s family,” she said.
In a
meeting earlier this week with the families of migrant workers facing death penalties overseas, Yudhoyono said that 246 Indonesian migrant workers were
facing death but that 176 had been freed during his time in office.
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A photo of Satinah Binti Jumadi Ahmad is seen on her sister’s phone in Ungaran, East Java. (JG Photo/Dhana Kencana) |
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