Labor Minister: Thailand shows significant advancement in effort to eliminate worst forms of child labor

 

BANGKOK, 25 September 2017 (NNT) – The Minister of Labor discloses that Thailand has shown “significant advancement” in its effort to eliminate the worst forms of child labor in 2016, according to the United States Department of Labor. 

Labor Minister Sirichai Ditthakul said that the United States Department of Labor has announced its annual report on Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor 2016, which focuses on efforts of certain trade beneficiary countries and territories with the United States, to eliminate the worst forms of child labor through legislation, enforcement mechanisms, policies and social programs. 

Thailand’s status has been lifted from moderate advancement in effort to eliminate the worst forms of child labor in 2015 to significant advancement in 2016, considered the highest level of gauging. 

Mr Sirichai attributes an advancement made to the enactment of laws to tackle forced labor. The progress is also resulted from the formation of a government committee to investigate crimes in connection to human rights violations as well as various measures to reduce child labor, he said. 

The Thai government has adopted an amendment to the penal code that increases penalties for individuals who use children to commit crimes. 

Thailand has also established a new task force to investigate crimes involved with commercial sexual exploitation of children perpetrated via the internet. 

In collaboration with multiple stakeholders, the government has begun implementing a new project to prevent and reduce child labor along with forced labor in the fishery and seafood industry. 

The government is also working with the International Labor Organization to collect data and produce nationally representative child labor estimates.

 

-- nnt 2017-09-25

I would have said it was a little early to be patting themselves on the back, as there is a very long way to go to make this country safe for children, both in terms of underage and often dangerous work, not to mention sexual exploitation, which recent news stories have shown appears to still be rampant.

Good work boys, nothing like a "policy case" to rush things though to your guilty verdicts and long prison terms!

They have never visited my hood...

I would like to hear a non partial comment on this one. Guess that is going to be hard.