US warns Kuwait
AMERICAN AMBASSADOR LASHES OUT AT MISTREATMENT OF CHILDREN, EXPAT WORKERS
The Daily Star (Kuwait Edition) Saturday, October 29, 2005

By Abdulrahman AI-Najjar, AI-Watan staff

KUWAIT: In a letter by US Ambassador to Kuwait Richard LeBaron directed to Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed AI-Sabah, LeBaron strongly criticized the State of Kuwait for abusing children under the age of 18, who are used as camel jockeys, and the mistreatment of expatriate laborers. He said in his letter that Kuwait, unlike Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), must act as a model country in the region.LeBaron also said that Kuwait must take actions as Qatar and the UAE did to protect children used as camel jockeys and expatriate laborers in order not to have restrictions imposed against it and face negative votes by the US in case Kuwait stands in need for US aid or assistance."Qatar and the UAE have introduced legislations to protect children under the age of 18 used as camel jockeys and expatriate laborers. Both governments established special shelters for abused expatriate laborers in cooperation with the expatriates' governments to repatriate them. Qatar in particular constructed special villas to host abused expatriate laborers, while the UAE initiated a media campaign to eradicate the phenomenon of abusing children," said LeBaron in his letter.The US Ambassador also wrote that Kuwait was informed about the actions adopted in both Qatar and the UAE last June. He demanded that Kuwait must put on trial those responsible for abusing children and expatriate laborers in addition to developing a special mechanism to protect the abused.LeBaron attached with the letter to Sheikh Mohammed an anti-exploitation of children and expatriate laborers strategy, in which he determined steps and measures that must be adopted by Kuwait, in addition to possible actions that President George W. Bush would take against Kuwait in case it remains on the watch list for countries that abuse children and expatriate laborers. The strategy outlines measure that Kuwait must implement in order to be re-evaluated in light of its efforts to end the abuse of people and children.The anti-exploitation of children and expatriate laborers strategy, which was sent in the Arabic language to the Foreign Ministry, was weak and inaccurate in translation, and stated that Kuwait does not implement the lowest standards in protecting children and expatriate laborers as stipulated in US laws pertaining to protecting humans from any type of abuse.According to the strategy, President Bush is demanded by the US Congress to submit a report listing the names of countries that do not comply with the acceptable standards and measures to protect children and expatriate laborers.According to the report, Kuwait is one of the few countries that dose not comply with these measures.The strategy also stipulates that Kuwait will be subject for re-evaluation after 60 days to examine its efforts in complying with implementation of the acceptable standards pertaining to protecting children and expatriate laborers.Kuwait is demanded to implement the following six points:

1. The Kuwaiti government must assign a specialized person in charge of monitoring the implementation of the standards as stipulated in the US law to protect camel jockey children and expatriate laborers.

2. Kuwait must conduct a precise count of the number of camel jockey children and provide protection to them, in addition to providing rehabilitation programs prior to repatriating them back to their home countries.

3. Kuwait must bring to court all persons responsible for abusing children and expatriate laborers and domestics, in addition to apprehending officials in charge of abuse.

4. Kuwait must develop special measures and mechanism to protect abused children and expatriate laborers and must also open the doors for expatriates to complain about their sponsors freely in case of mistreatment or severe abuse.

5. Kuwait is demanded to establish special shelters for abused children and expatriate laborers in addition to providing them with the necessary medical attention regardless of their legal status in the country.

6. Kuwait must initiate a media campaign to highlight the rights and duties of children and expatriate laborers and the consequences of abuse or mistreatment.