Saudi police

"People see me as a strong woman," Sunarsih says, "but I was broken inside. I was always crying but I don't want other people to see my cry."

Sunarsih is not this woman's real name. She doesn't want her identity revealed. No one, not even her family, knows what happened to her.

Her story starts 15 years ago, when she was just 17 years old.

"My family was very poor, I had to drop out of school," she explains. "Then I met many successful migrant workers and their stories enticed me."

Sunarsih's situation is not uncommon. Across impoverished villages in Indonesia, becoming a migrant worker is a woman's only chance for a better life.

But for some, the pursuit of their dreams quickly becomes a nightmare.

An American, an Englishman and a Frenchman are in Saudi Arabia, sharing a smuggled crate of booze when Saudi police rush in and arrest them. The mere possession of alcohol is a severe offence in Saudi Arabia, so for the terrible crime of actually being caught consuming the booze, they are all sentenced to death!
However, after many months and with the help of very good lawyers, they are able to successfully appeal their sentences down to life imprisonment. By a stroke of luck, it was a Saudi national holiday the day their trial finished, and the extremely benevolent Sheik decided they could be released after receiving just 20 lashes each of the whip.