Arab News
Riyadh, Nov 28: Saudi authorities are currently looking into ways of changing the Kingdom’s sponsorship law, which would see private companies being given sponsorship rights in place of individual citizens, said Saudi Arabia’s governmental Human Rights Commission (HRC).
“There is an initiative to begin studies (into a system) where private companies will import foreign labor… Communication, hence, would be between citizens, who are in need of foreign labor, and these private companies,” HRC President Turki Al-Sudairi said in an interview with Arab News, the first ever by a Saudi daily.
Al-Sudairi said he supports the change in law, which would bring an end to the existence of sponsors. “I support it. I think it would be better and easier for laborers and for the country,” he said.
The top HRC official said that the Ministry of Labor, in an attempt to create awareness among foreign workers of their responsibilities, duties and labor rights, has already begun issuing pamphlets to foreign workers arriving in the Kingdom.
“The Ministry of Labor has already started distributing these pamphlets. It will also soon begin distributing pamphlets regarding the law concerning housemaids and drivers,” he said, adding that incidents of Saudi sponsors mistreating foreign laborers in the Kingdom, as highlighted by foreign organizations, do not mean mistreatment is rampant or widespread.
“If things were as bad as foreign organizations say, then why would people be anxious to come here to work? They would run away. What is true is the contrary that the general atmosphere of work here is good,” he said. Al-Sudairi emphasized that Saudi Arabia should not claim that because cases of mistreatment are not rampant, then reforms in the labor area should not be done where needed. “There is no space for us to say that things are comfortable and that we should stop there. We should look out for shortcomings,” he said, adding there is a need for the formation of more labor dispute committees.
“According to our understanding, the labor (dispute) committees are doing their job, but we need more committees to cover the entire Kingdom,” he said.
The HRC official noted that many reports on Saudi Arabia by international human rights organizations were exaggerated and contained many misconceptions. He particularly mentioned a US State Department for Religious Freedom report on Saudi Arabia.
“It is obvious that the original status of this country, Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam and the land of the Two Holy Mosques, is not clear to them,” he said, adding that the Kingdom’s religious nature could not be compared to other countries in terms of building public places of worship such as churches.
“However, religious freedom is guaranteed to visitors and residents in their private residences. No one will get in their way when they practice their rituals at home,” he said, adding that it is safer for non-Muslims to worship at home. “By practicing at home and not in public, as they want, they are protected from instigating the feelings of Muslims here,” he added.
Regarding the negative aspects mentioned in some reports by international human rights bodies, the HRC official said that the Saudi human rights body “would seek to correct whatever is untrue in the reports.”
He said the HRC is cooperating with international human rights organizations, adding that Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch were both expected to visit the Kingdom soon.
Regarding the situation in Saudi prisons and the violations listed by the National Society for Human Rights and other international human rights bodies, Al-Sudairi said the overall situation was not as people has imagined it to be.
“I have personally visited two prisons in Riyadh. There were some observations. But it is not as people expect,” he said. “Some prisoners complained that they were not allowed to get out in the open air long enough, others said they were only able to call their folks once a week. We have brought this to the attention of the wardens and I think they have taken this into consideration.”
Regarding the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, the official said the HRC has not received many complaints. “We follow what is published in newspapers. The last complaint we received against the commission was about 10 days ago and we contacted them about it,” he said.
“I am not defending the commission. But I know that the officials in the commission do not intentionally want to harm people. God knows that they might not expose cases we do not know about,” he said.
Regarding the high profile Al-Huraisi murder trial, Al-Sudairi said the General Investigation and Prosecution Authority has already looked into the matter. “We do not interfere with the responsibilities of other government bodies,” he said.
Since its establishment nearly two years ago by a royal decree in Saudi Arabia, the HRC has been able to settle 1,500 cases of domestic violence, labor disputes and individual and social rights.
That number represents only part of the total number of complaints received by the HRC since its establishment. “We received over 6,000 complaints in the past two years. To some people we have provided consultations, others we have directed to other concerned government departments,” he said, adding that it was unfortunate that many people think that the HRC can solve everything.
“We cannot say that what we have achieved is great. But it is encouraging,” he said.
The official denied that the Saudi human rights body puts pressure on government bodies to comply with its directives. “We don’t have any means of putting pressure. But with cooperation, understanding and persuasion many things can be achieved,” he said.
Al-Sudairi said, however, that government or nongovernment bodies that refuse to communicate are listed and sent to the king. “If it is proved that they are refusing to communicate with us, then the matter will be brought to the attention of the board, which on their part will take this up with the king,” he explained.
Regarding discrimination based on ethnic and tribal background, or even preferences given to Saudis with certain tribal affiliations, the HRC official said such attitudes cannot be removed in a short period of time. “You know, as in any country, it is difficult to change customs and traditions overnight. There are tribal customs, and there are local customs. But I admit there is some form of discrimination,” he said.
He, however, ruled out that discrimination was present in governmental jobs, as this is against the law. “The civic labor law issued in 1977 gives equal opportunity for promotion and employment for locals. There is no trace of any reference to tribe in this,” he said, adding that very few government departments have the ability to choose between individuals.
He said it is a “clear violation of human right” when a Saudi is mistreated on account of his color or background. He added that when such complaints are received, the HRC would contact the concerned body. “We would seek an explanation from the body against which a complaint is received,” he said.
So far, only one Saudi national has complained to the HRC about discrimination. The case involves the person in question being refused permission to marry a girl of his choice. “The case is still under study,” Al-Sudairi said.
Regarding the noncompliance of businessmen to open female sectors in their businesses and factories (in line with the Council of Ministers’ decision 120), the official said the HRC would not interfere in the Ministry of Labor’s job. “We only interfere when a complaint is filed with us. We do not override the authority of another government body,” Al-Sudairi said.
“We cannot deny that there are problems in this area. There are people who do not want women being employed. I remember that a certain body was required to employ women. When we confronted them, they responded by asking us not to interfere and that they did not need us. So if the employer is in no need of us, how can we as a rights body interfere? This is the role of the Ministry of Labor,” he said.
On the issue of the rise of domestic violence and child abuse cases in Saudi Arabia, and the absence of a governmental body dealing with such cases, the official said that the HRC receives such cases, but not on a wide scale.
“We get such cases, but not to the extent that the National Society for Human Rights receives. They probably get more cases since they have a women’s section,” Al-Sudairi said, adding that the number of cases received by the HRC over the past two years were no more than 10 to 15.
Regarding its future plans, the HRC official said that his main aim was to see the achievement of the aims for which the rights body was established. “The trust given by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince by the establishment of the HRC pushes us to rise up to their expectations,” he said. “If we achieve only 50 percent of their expectations, then we consider we have succeeded.”
The HRC was not established for nothing, Al-Sudairi said, adding: “Its purpose is to hinder what is said against Saudi Arabia — domestically or abroad — in relation to the violation of human rights.”