Catholics have joined a demonstration for migrant workers’ rights after a Sri Lankan domestic worker accused her Saudi employers of driving nails into her body.

Local doctors recently removed 13 nails and five needles from Lahanda Purage Ariyawathie, a mother of three, who worked for a family in Riyadh from April this year.

X-rays showed that there were a total of 24 nails and needles embedded in the 47-year-old village woman’s body.

“Justice for Ariyawathie!” shouted about 200 rights activists, including nuns, priests and Buddhist monks, in front of the Saudi Arabia embassy in Colombo on Aug. 30.

"We fight for safe and secure working conditions for women migrant workers,” said Nilmini Fernando, a Catholic. “These should be according to the migrant rights’ convention."

“Caritas has requested from the Caritas animator at Ariyawathie’s area to make a report on this incident,” said Sister Ushani Perera, coordinator of Caritas Sri Lanka’s migrant workers’ desk.

“We will take action and bring justice for Ariyawathie,” she said.

Demonstrators also handed a petition to the Saudi embassy demanding justice for Ariyawathie and urging the Saudi government to protect workers’ rights as specified by the UN.

Aryawathie’s case is not the first and many similar cases have been reported from Saudi Arabia, said a press release issued by Lakbime Mawwaru Saha Diyaniyo (Mothers and Daughters in Sri Lanka), which organized the protest.

The Sri Lankan government has failed to take prompt action against those responsible, the statement said.

The foreign ministry says it has handed over the investigation report and a video statement from Ariyawathie to the Saudi embassy for it to take action against her employers.

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