Dear Friends,

Below this letter are two appeal letters addressed to the Amir (King) of Kuwait and the President of the Philippines. The first is asking for his compassion to commute the death sentence on May Membrini Vecina. And the second is to request the Philippine government to exhaust all possible means to save the life of May Vecina.

The Supreme Court of Kuwait has upheld the death sentence on Vecina for killing her employer's seven year old son and attempted murder on two other children of her employer last year. Mrs. Vecina has two young children of her own aged 2 and 6 respectively.

Newspaper reports indicated that she was mistreated by her employer and on the day of the incident reacted violently to insults hurled against her by her employer's family.

In a study made by the Social Work Society of Kuwait on domestic workers in the last quarter of 2005, the domestic workers stated that 47.1% of them face problems which include (use of) abuse and vile words, overworking, less time for sleep, bad treatment, beating, accusations of stealing, beating from the sons, and accusations of many go-outs and revealing the secrets of the family.

Kindly sign on the appeal by sending your organization's/group's/individual name to our email add apmm@hknet.com

Warmest regards,

Ramon Bultron
Managing Director

The Appeal Letters:

To: His Highness the Amir of Kuwait
Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah

Your Royal Highness,

We the undersigned organizations, groups, and individuals are appealing for your compassion to commute the death sentence on May Membrini Vecina which was upheld by Kuwait's Supreme Court on April 1, 2008.

You had earlier shown your kindness in the case of Marilou Ranario earlier this year by commuting her death sentence into life imprisonment. Both Ms. Vecina and Ranario were convicted by Kuwaiti's court for killing the daughter of her employer and employer respectively.

Ms. Vecina is married with two young children living in the Philippines. Ms. Vecina was forced to leave her family and children to help support them financially.

We fervently hope that this could be duplicated in the case of May Vecina and would be most grateful for this.

Signed by the following organizations, groups and individuals

Initial signatories:  60 organizations in 17 countries and territories
 
Hong Kong:
Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM)
Asian Human Rights Commission
Abra Tingguian Ilocano Society (ATIS)
Asosiasi Tenaga Kerja Indonesia di Hong Kong (ATKI - HK)
Bethune House Migrants Women's Refuge
Filipino Women Migrant Workers Association in Hong Kong (FILWOM-HK)
Mission for Migrant Workers (MFMW)
United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK)
Karl Zed Wolfe N. Tellez
Jun Tellez

Korea:
Pastor Jones Galang, Osan Migrant Center
Osan Migrant Workers Coordinating Body (OMWCB)
Agumang Capampangan in Korea  (ACK)
Pang Iribang Bicolnon in Korea  (Bicol Association)
New Era Foundation (NEF)
Women in the Move (WeMove)
Katipunan ng mga Samahang Migranteng Manggagawa sa Korea (KASAMMA-KO)

Pakistan:
Gulzar Ahmed Chaudhary , All Pakistan Trade Union Federation
Rubina Jamil, Working Women Organizatio

India
Alliance for Holistic and Sustainable Development of Communities (AHSDC)

Canada:
Joselito Calugay (Ottawa, Canada)
Pinay - The Filipino Women's Organization in Quebec
Philippine Network for Justice and Peace-Toronto
Centre d'appui aux Philippines - Centre for Philippine Concerns (Montreal)
Filipino Women Working Group, Inc. Ottawa

Philippines:
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Philippines
Migrante International
International Movement of Catholic Student Asia Pacific
Cristy Purificacion
Alexander Martin Remollino

Middle East:
Andrew M. Ociones, Chairperson, Migrante Saudi Arabia
Migrante - Jeddah
Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan - Migrante Riyadh
Migrante - United Arab Emirates
Migrante ¡V Kuwait
Migrante ¡V Qatar

Japan: 
Migrante-Japan
Migrante-Minato Chapter
Migrante-Shibata Chapter
Filipino Migrant Center (FMC)
Nagkakaisang Nanay Para sa Kalayaan (NANAY KA)
Kalipunan ng mga Filipinong Nagkakaisa - Saitama Chapter
KAFIN Migrant Center
Dulaang Bayan (DUYAN)
Center for Japanese-Filipino Families (CJFF)
Philippine Society in Japan (PSJ)
Filipina Circle for Advancement and Progress (FICAP - Aichi)

New Zealand:
Migrante New Zealand
Wellington Kiwi Pinoy

United States:
Troops Out Now Coalition
International Action Center
FIST Youth Organization (Fight Imperialism Stand Together)
Workers World Party

Taiwan:
Filipinos Married to Taiwanese Association
Federation of Filipino Communities in Taiwan
Filipino Bowlers Club in Taiwan Taiwan Committee for Philippine Concerns (TCPC)
Pei fen Su

Australia:
Migrante Melbourne
Philippine Caucus for Peace
Gabriela Australia
Solidarity Association International League of Peoples Struggle - Australia
May Kotsakis (Melbourne)

Malaysia:
National Human Rights Society (Persatuan Hak Asasi Manusia Malaysia, HAKAM)

The Netherlands 
Princess Urduja Foundation

To: President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

We the undersigned organizations, groups, and individuals are appealing that your government exhaust all means to ensure the commutation of the death sentence on May Membrini Vecina which was upheld by Kuwait's Supreme Court on April 1, 2008.

Ms. Vecina is married with two young children living in the Philippines. Ms. Vecina was forced to leave her family and children to help support them financially.

We fervently hope that you will grant our request on behalf of May Vecina and her family.

Signed by the following organizations, groups and individuals

Initial signatories:  60 organizations in 17 countries and territories
 
Hong Kong:
Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM)
Asian Human Rights Commission
Abra Tingguian Ilocano Society (ATIS)
Asosiasi Tenaga Kerja Indonesia di Hong Kong (ATKI - HK)
Bethune House Migrants Women's Refuge
Filipino Women Migrant Workers Association in Hong Kong (FILWOM-HK)
Mission for Migrant Workers (MFMW)
United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK)
Karl Zed Wolfe N. Tellez
Jun Tellez

Korea: 
Pastor Jones Galang, Osan Migrant Center
Osan Migrant Workers Coordinating Body (OMWCB)
Agumang Capampangan in Korea  (ACK)
Pang Iribang Bicolnon in Korea  (Bicol Association)
New Era Foundation (NEF)
Women in the Move (WeMove)
Katipunan ng mga Samahang Migranteng Manggagawa sa Korea (KASAMMA-KO)

Pakistan:
Gulzar Ahmed Chaudhary , All Pakistan Trade Union Federation
Rubina Jamil, Working Women Organization

India 
Alliance for Holistic and Sustainable Development of Communities (AHSDC)

Canada: 
Joselito Calugay (Ottawa, Canada)
Pinay - The Filipino Women's Organization in Quebec
Philippine Network for Justice and Peace-Toronto
Centre d'appui aux Philippines - Centre for Philippine Concerns (Montreal)
Filipino Women Working Group, Inc. Ottawa

Philippines: 
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Philippines
Migrante International
International Movement of Catholic Student Asia Pacific
Cristy Purificacion
Alexander Martin Remollino

Middle East: 
Andrew M. Ociones, Chairperson, Migrante Saudi Arabia
Migrante - Jeddah
Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan - Migrante Riyadh
Migrante - United Arab Emirates
Migrante ¡V Kuwait
Migrante ¡V Qatar

Japan: 
Migrante-Japan
Migrante-Minato Chapter
Migrante-Shibata Chapter
Filipino Migrant Center (FMC)
Nagkakaisang Nanay Para sa Kalayaan (NANAY KA)
Kalipunan ng mga Filipinong Nagkakaisa - Saitama Chapter
KAFIN Migrant Center
Dulaang Bayan (DUYAN)
Center for Japanese-Filipino Families (CJFF)
Philippine Society in Japan (PSJ)
Filipina Circle for Advancement and Progress (FICAP - Aichi)

New Zealand: 
Migrante New Zealand
Wellington Kiwi Pinoy

United States: 
Troops Out Now Coalition
International Action Center
FIST Youth Organization (Fight Imperialism Stand Together)
Workers World Party

Taiwan:
Filipinos Married to Taiwanese  Association
Federation of Filipino Communities in Taiwan
Filipino Bowlers Club in Taiwan
Taiwan Committee for Philippine Concerns (TCPC) Pei fen Su

Australia: 
Migrante Melbourne
Philippine Caucus for Peace
Gabriela Australia
Solidarity Association International League of Peoples Struggle - Australia
May Kotsakis (Melbourne)

Malaysia:
National Human Rights Society (Persatuan Hak Asasi Manusia Malaysia, HAKAM)