VZCZCXRO2393
RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHKU #0772/01 1910339
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 090339Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1820
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RHWSMRC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000772 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, NEA/PI, INR/NESA, R/MR, I/GNEA, 
B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA 
LONDON FOR NEA WATCHER 
PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO XF KU TIP MEDIA REACTION
 
SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION - Update:  TIP Report Coverage in 
Kuwait's Press Shifts Focus 
 
Summary 
------------ 
 
Tuesday, July 08, 2008 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary.  The TIP report's June 4 release triggered a 
plethora of articles, editorials, and op-eds responding to the 
report's contents.  Initially, articles harshly challenged the 
report's content; some articles continued to cover the Government of 
Kuwait's (GOK) refutation of the report's contents.  However, in 
recent days, scathing editorials have given way to reports of 
government efforts to address the issue, and editorials urging the 
GoK to take action.  It is worth noting that the conservative 
English language daily Al-Watan ran a long investigative piece on 
the treatment of domestic workers in Kuwait, complete with a 
somewhat graphic picture.  This cable is a snapshot of recent 
Kuwaiti press coverage of the still-evolving reaction to the content 
of the most recent TIP Report.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) Block Quotes: 
 
-- The newly established Arabic language daily, Al-Seyassah, 
reported that the Administration of International Relations at the 
Ministry of Justice refuted any allegations of trafficking in 
persons occurring in Kuwait.  The report said:  "There is no solid 
evidence supporting these allegations [of trafficking in persons]." 
It also confirmed that "the Kuwaiti Constitution protects citizens 
and residents rights', including the inhumane treatment of 
laborers." 
 
-- Under the title, "530 laborers violating decision banning working 
at noon seized," the conservative Arabic language daily, Al-Watan, 
interviewed Dr. Saleh Al-Sheikh, Deputy Undersecretary at the 
Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor.  Dr. Al-Sheikh stated (07/05): 
 "During the Ministry's surprise inspection tours of workplaces in 
Kuwait between the hours of noon and four, the Ministry found 530 
workers in violation of the Ministry's by-law, which bans work 
during this period.  The Ministry's by-law number 2005/157 bans 
laborers in Kuwait from working in an environment where they would 
be subject to direct sun exposure.  During the Ministry's June 
inspection tours, 530 workers were found to be in violation of that 
law.  Secondary inspections in the same locations during the same 
month revealed 293 cases of violation." 
 
-- Chief Editor of Al-Watan English language daily in Kuwait, and 
daily columnist in Al-Watan's Arabic daily, Dr. Ali Al-Tarrah opined 
(07/05):  "Marginal labor in Kuwait is a big problem and growing 
fast because the source of the problem is not being addressed.  The 
government must take strict measures against those who trade in 
residency permits rather than simply opening shelters.  Traders in 
residency permits wander free without having any sense of their 
responsibilities.  All countries in the world have their own 
regulations, except Kuwait, where things are loose and no 
regulations are in existence." 
 
-- The conservative Arabic language daily, Al-Shahid reported that 
the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor is considering establishing 
a company for ensuring laborers' wages (07/05):  "The Ministry of 
Social Affairs and Labor is studying a proposal from Dr. Walid 
Al-Tabtabaei, Chairman of the National Assembly's Human Rights; the 
proposal aims to solve the problem of laborers having their wages 
withheld by their employers.  The Ministry is considering 
establishing a company that would be in charge of collecting the 
wages of laborers from private sector companies and then paying the 
laborers their salaries through the Ministry."  The Minister of 
Social Affairs and Labor Bader Al-Duwaila told reporters in an 
earlier press conference that the Ministry "is very serious about 
finding solutions to foreign workers' problems." 
 
-- The conservative Arabic language daily Al-Watan interviewed 
Lawyer Al-Thuwaimir (07/05).  In reference to an MP's promise of an 
investigation during a Committee for Human Rights meeting, 
Al-Thuwaimir said to Al-Anbaa [Arabic language daily]:  "citizens 
have the right to know if past or present officials in the National 
Assembly are involved in trafficking in persons."  He added that the 
[Kuwaiti] "Constitution gives us the right to prosecute those who 
misuse their positions of authority as public servants.  If former 
officials were guilty of trafficking in persons, we need to know and 
prosecute them.  Legal immunity only protects current MPs, but we 
need to know who they are so that we can prosecute them in the 
future." 
 
 
KUWAIT 00000772  002 OF 002 
 
 
-- The conservative English language daily Al-Watan ran a story 
under the headline, "Exploring conflicting reports of sexual abuse 
on domestic workers in Kuwait."  The report featured a graphic 
picture of an injured Kuwait-based domestic, quoted extensively from 
the TIP report, but also interviewed Kuwaitis alleged to be involved 
in human rights issues.  The article quoted Hamdan K. Al-Nimshan, 
described as an advocate and legal consultant: "Sexual abuse takes 
place all over the world and not only in Kuwait. I believe the 
reason there is so much controversy about the issue of sexual abuse 
amongst domestic workers is because we have a lot of servants in 
Kuwait.  Yes, there are cases of domestic workers who have been 
sexually abused by their sponsors but I believe that the report that 
was released by the human rights society was exaggerated.  There are 
not that many maids being sexually abused, on the contrary, most of 
these maids come to Kuwait and receive good treatment.  When these 
maids go on their annual leave, their sponsors drive them to the 
airport, process their paper work and do not leave the airport until 
they have finished all necessary documents.  Many of the employers 
buy their workers mobile phones, give them gifts and ensure that 
they have free time to relax."  The article also quoted several 
domestics who related stories of physical and sexual abuse, as well 
as an anonymous source from the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait, 
saying:  "We have a lot of problems regarding rape, physical 
injuries and sexual harassment here at the embassy.  Some domestic 
workers are being abducted and forced into prostitution and these 
workers are unable to defend themselves.  We have rescued 121 
workers from October, 2005, who have been victims of abuse including 
sexual abuse.  It is likely that the numbers are a lot higher but we 
are not authorized to go into every house and monitor how employers 
are treating their staff.  The number of workers being sexually 
abused by their employees on a monthly basis is roughly two per 
month, and these are the ones who runaway and seek the Embassy's 
support.  The real number is hard to obtain because most of the 
workers are afraid to come forward for various reasons; some do not 
do anything about it because they feel afraid, while some receive 
verbal threats, by their employers." 
 
********************************************* * 
For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s 
 
Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ 
********************************************* * 
 
JONES