Saturday, May 08, 2004

Not just prisoners abused

Here's a story that isn't breaking the front pages of the U.S. news.

The war in Iraq has not only witnessed hordes of Indian ex-soldiers looking for non-combat employment opportunities, but has also engendered a rush of workers looking to perform back-end menial jobs for coalition troops stationed in Iraq and Kuwait. Various travel agencies across India have recruited hundreds, perhaps thousands, of military support staff - chefs, kitchen assistants, service assistants, camp supervisors, mess supervisors, accountants, financial supervisors and bus drivers.

Because of the risk as well as the demand for such personnel, the salary packages offered are considerably better, US$1,000-$2,000 a month, than what such professions would offer in India. The assignments are for periods ranging from six months to two years. In addition to the emoluments, the candidates are offered free flight tickets, food and accommodation.

On April 15 the Indian government banned workers from going to Iraq, for security reasons, but it seems that the government, as well as US authorities, were prepared to turn a blind eye to the illegal transit of Indians through Kuwait or Jordan on their way to Iraq. Until Aliyarkunj Faisal, Haniffa Mansool, Shahjehan Abdul Aziz and his brother Hameed Abdul Aziz, who hail from a village near Kollam town in Kerala, narrated their horror story.

The four were promised $1,000 per month to work in Kuwait, but ended up in a US military camp living in horrible conditions. They claim they were made to work non-stop for 18 hours, beaten up when they complained and paid only $200 a month instead of the promised amount. Faisal says he counted at least 30 other Indians in the camp living under similar conditions. He and his friends managed to escape by bribing an Iraqi truck driver, as well as getting some help from local citizens who are friendly to Indians.

The account of the four Indians has resulted in widespread protests. In Kerala, the state that supplies the largest immigrant population to the Middle East, election-campaign posters have denounced the US occupation of Iraq, as well as the Indian government's failure to check immigration.

...The Indian government has asked the United States for information on reports that Indian nationals were being forced to work for contractors in Iraq with little rest and low pay and held "against their will". The Ministry of External Affairs asked the US Embassy in New Delhi for details on the number of Indians working in Iraq, a ministry spokesman said. The ministry "expressed its concern regarding the disturbing reports about the conditions in which some Indian nationals are being forced to work for contractors active in Iraq", a statement said. The embassy was asked about news reports "that Indians who wished to leave were unable to do so, and were being compelled to continue to remain in Iraq against their will", the statement said.

In Washington, a State Department official confirmed that Indian officials had been in contact with the US Embassy in New Delhi. The official said the embassy was seeking additional information about the allegations by the Indian workers. The embassy is looking into reports that US contractors lured Indians into Iraq and mistreated them, the State Department has said. "Our embassy has started to look into these reports and has advised the [Indian] Ministry of External Affairs that it's doing so. Obviously, we take all such reports seriously, and we'll do our best to find out the facts of the matter," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.
  Asia Times article

Toronto Star article

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