Earlier this week, in two separate incidents, two Asian domestic workers attempted suicide in Saudi Arabia. This kind of desperate acts are often the results of abuse, poor living and working conditions and non-payment of salaries. The Kingdom does not include domestic workers under the scope of protective labor laws.

The first case was reported - Opens in new tabon July 26 by the paper Dar al-Hayat briefly recounted an incident where an "Asian" maid locked herself in her sponsor's bathroom and slashed her wrists. Security forced burst through the locked door and found the maid with a razon by her side. The maid was taken from the sponsor's home in Tabuk to the hospital. The second incident was reported - Opens in new tabby the paper al-Riyadh on July 29. A Sri-Lankan jumped off the fifth floor in a 7-floor building in Khobar. The maid survived the jump and was taken to the hospital by Saudi authorities.

As it is customary, the papers do not bother reporting basic details about the victims, including their names or ages.