Record number of trafficking victims in Thailand raises concerns over care

Nanchanok Wongsamuth

 

REUTERS file photo

 

BANGKOK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Thailand rescued a record 1,807 victims of human trafficking last year, according to data that campaigners on Monday said raised concerns about the nation’s ability to support survivors.

 

The number of victims soared from 622 in 2018, while the previous high was 982 in 2015, the government data showed.

 

About 60% of those rescued last year were women and most were labor trafficked. Nearly three-quarters of them were Burmese migrants bound for neighboring Malaysia, police said.

 

Thailand has ramped up efforts to tackle trafficking in recent years, under scrutiny from the United States and following criticism of its failure to stop trafficking in its multi-billion dollar seafood industry, as well as the sex trade.

 

The large spike in the number of victims uncovered by the authorities could put pressure on the nine government-run shelters that support survivors, lawyers and activists said.

 

“This puts a strain on the budget (for victims) and affects the ability of staff ... to provide support ... especially when there is already a low amount of staff,” said Papop Siamhan, an independent lawyer with expertise in human trafficking.

 

Those who are identified as trafficking victims can choose to receive help from the government, which includes staying at a shelter and being compensated through a state fund that provides living and rehabilitation expenses in addition to lost wages.

 

Victims are also entitled to legal aid and job opportunities while awaiting trial to give testimony, or being returned home.

 

Yet Chonticha Tangworamongkon of the Human Rights and Development Foundation, said she feared that a growing number of traumatized victims may struggle to receive individualized care.

 

“When a large group of people enter the shelter, it will be difficult to give them the rights they are entitled to, such as healthcare,” said Tangworamongkon, whose organization provides free legal aid to migrant workers and victims of trafficking.

 

Activists have questioned whether all those rescued by authorities were trafficked - which involves exploiting people for financial gain - rather than smuggled, which means entering another country illegally and is often consensual.

 

Thailand is home to about 4.9 million migrants, making up 10 percent of its workforce, according to the United Nations. Most are from poorer neighboring countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam and are vulnerable to trafficking, campaigners say.

 

Thailand also announced on Monday a campaign to identify and tackle child labor in gas stations, in partnership with the oil and retail unit of PTT Plc, the country’s largest energy firm.

 

“Gas stations are one of the risk groups ... as some of those located up country still employ child labor in night shifts,” said labor minister secretariat Lieutenant General Nanthadet Meksawat.

 

Thailand is home to about 610,000 modern-day slaves - about one in 113 of its population of 69 million - according to the Global Slavery Index by the rights group Walk Free Foundation.

 

(Reporting by Nanchanok Wongsamuth @nanchanokw; Editing by Kieran Guilbert. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-01-07

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Just now, webfact said:

Thailand has ramped up efforts to tackle trafficking in recent years

Hm werent the army  involved in all  this  also......and didnt the whistle  blower  have to run off to Australia?

2 minutes ago, webfact said:

rather than smuggled, which means entering another country illegally and is often consensual.

Helped for a  fee by Thailands  finest Immigration  officers

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thailand is home to about 4.9 million migrants

Who dont require a  ridiculous insurance scam scheme

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Thailand is home to about 610,000 modern-day slaves

Surely this is the heart of the problem. Many Thais are willing to put a fellow human to work for almost no payment and keep them in awful conditions. I understand the problem that decent Thais feel they are penalised by having to support so many trafficked or smuggled people but we also need to know just how many Thais are involved in this business or whether the transfer of these people is being done by outsiders. Many feel the military refused to look closely into this business when one of its own was caught and many more suspected.

3 hours ago, Lungstib said:

Surely this is the heart of the problem. Many Thais are willing to put a fellow human to work for almost no payment and keep them in awful conditions. I understand the problem that decent Thais feel they are penalised by having to support so many trafficked or smuggled people but we also need to know just how many Thais are involved in this business or whether the transfer of these people is being done by outsiders. Many feel the military refused to look closely into this business when one of its own was caught and many more suspected.

It will all change when China finishes it's belt & braces road initiative, complete factory building in all their countries so they can return home as workers for China products.
Thailand will then collapse!

Some things will never change