COLOMBO // Authorities investigating how a Sri Lankan maid working in Saudi Arabia ended up with 14 nails in her body have temporarily barred the local agent who recruited her from soliciting more workers.
Sri Lankan officials also have asked Saudi authorities to investigate the agent in the kingdom who was involved in getting the job for the maid, said Mangala Randeniya, deputy general manager of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment.
If necessary, Sri Lanka will pay to fly the woman to Saudi Arabia to help in the investigation, he said in an interview.
The bureau has ordered that the Saudi agent, who must be registered with local authorities here, be temporarily removed from a list of authorised agents.
The employer has been blacklisted, so neither the agent nor the employer can recruit in Sri Lanka, he said.
The case of LPD Ariyawathi, 50, has drawn worldwide attention, prompting the president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, to order an investigation.
Local newspapers have been running the story throughout the week, a few days after Ms Ariyawathi revealed that her employer had forced 14 nails and five wires into her body.
Thousands of Sri Lankan women are employed in the Middle East as domestic workers and there are often complaints of abuse, sexual harassment and unpaid wages. However, this is one of the most bizarre cases reported so far, said Mr Randeniya of foreign employment bureau.
Ms Ariyawathi is being treated at Kamburupitiya Hospital and on Friday underwent an operation to remove the metal objects. Dr Kamal Weeratunge said in an interview that X-rays indicated there were 14 nails and five metal wires embedded in her body. There was a metal wire inserted over her eye brow and the others were in the lower and upper limbs.
He said he did a three-hour operation and removed all except four thin pins, two in the forearms and two in the arms as they were too close to the bones.
"We took into consideration the surgery versus benefits and decided to let them be so that the body could adjust to them," he said.
He said the injuries were probably not self-inflicted.
"Usually if a right-handed person inflicts injuries on herself, they would most be on the left side - but it is not so in Ariyawathi's case. Her injuries are all over her body," the surgeon said.
Ms Ariyawathi's son-in-law, H Gunapala, speaking by telephone from the hospital, said that when she returned to Sri Lanka on August 21, just five months after arriving in the kingdom, she had to be carried to a vehicle at the airport.
"When asked what was wrong, she said that she had trampled thorns from the date tree.
"She was afraid to state the truth because the family was opposed to her going to the Middle East," he said.
It was the next day when she was taken to a private doctor that she said she had been abused.
"She didn't have any mental problems at the time she left Sri Lanka," he said.
On Monday, women promoting the rights of migrant workers demonstrated outside the Saudi Embassy in Colombo demanding an impartial investigation into the alleged abuse.
The Saudi Arabian ambassador and his counselor were unavailable for comment, despite repeated calls to the Colombo embassy. Other officials there declined to talk, saying they are not authorised to speak to the media.
@Email:foreign.desk@thenational.ae
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Match info
Karnataka Tuskers 110-3
J Charles 35, M Pretorius 1-19, Z Khan 0-16
Deccan Gladiators 111-5 in 8.3 overs
K Pollard 45*, S Zadran 2-18
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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FIRST TEST SCORES
England 458
South Africa 361 & 119 (36.4 overs)
England won by 211 runs and lead series 1-0
Player of the match: Moeen Ali (England)
Result
2.15pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,950m; Winner: Majestic Thunder, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
2.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m; Winner: Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,600m; Winner: Native Appeal, Adam McLean, Doug Watson.
3.45pm: Handicap Dh115,000 1,950m; Winner: Conclusion, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh100,000 1,400m; Winner: Pilgrim’s Treasure, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
4.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m; Winner: Sanad Libya, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,000m; Winner: Midlander, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
RESULTS
6.30pm UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Final Song, Christophe Soumillon (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer).
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m
Winner Almanaara, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner Grand Argentier, Brett Doyle, Doug Watson.
8.15pm Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Major Partnership, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.
8.50pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
Winner Universal Order, Richard Mullen, David Simcock.
