Pattaya, Friday 29th August,[PDN]: Tourist Police Break a human trafficking gang; - A nest of Cambodian children being forced into begging, but gang members managed to escape.

At 09:00 pm on 28th August, Police Lieutenant Colonel Suwan Aun-Anan of the Pattaya Tourist Police with his team of 20-officers, were patrolling the nightlife area and managed to arrest a group of 25-Cambodian mothers, [aged 30-40 years] and their children [between 3-5 years old].

The poor mothers and their children confessed that they were beggars and that they worked for five Thai men, who had been forcing them to beg at many various points in the Pattaya area. The men had taken them by motor bikes to different area, and at each stop had sometimes left a mother and her child. However, in some areas they had left only a poor young child to sit alone, in order for them to get more sympathy.

Every 3-4 hours, the Thai men had come back to pick up the money that was earned, and the poor mothers and their children were given only 100-baht each day, out of 400-500 baht they had normally made.

After receiving initial information, the police team raided a row of houses on Pattaya’s North (Naklua) Road, (Moo 5), that the Thai human trafficking gang had rented out as accommodation for their beggars.

At these houses, police found another 16-Khmer beggars, and none of the Cambodian forced beggars had any legal documentation to access the Kingdom of Thailand. They had sneaked in through the Chanthaburi and Sa-Kaew borders, and they claimed that after this, they were trickily persuaded to work in Pattaya by the Thai men.

The Pattaya Tourist Police inspector, Lt. Col. Suwan, revealed that his police team had been watching the criminal gang for quite some time. The police had a collection of photos and videos of the gang’s operations, but at the time of the arrests, the gang members had managed to escape.

However, the police already have their details, with enough evidence to bring them to justice. The Cambodian mothers and children will be prosecuted and deported back to their own country. Everyone is appalled that poor young children, who cannot defend themselves, should be treated in such a callous manner, and our police are to be applauded for stamping out such disgraceful criminal activities.

http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000010192

The Cambodian mothers and children will be prosecuted

'Prosecuted?!' What does that mean? Are they trying to make criminals out of vicitims? How do you prosecute people who were taken by force?

The Cambodian mothers and children will be prosecuted

'Prosecuted?!' What does that mean? Are they trying to make criminals out of vicitims? How do you prosecute people who were taken by force?

You are missing the point.

I spoke to a local in Bangkok recently about the cambodians begging in the capital. Apparently most beggers get paid 200 bt for one day plus 'accomadation and expenses' - the gangs take the rest of the money that the beggers 'earn.' Would imagine it works along a similar principle in Pattaya.

Dunno about the beggars.. But isn't it about time the police arrested the guy who has a young girl (around 5yo) performing acrobatic tricks on a rickerty wooden table outside the old marine disco entrance.. How can this be allowed/legal ? Surely it is abuse or a child and having a kid perform tricks in public like a tame monkey is humiliating and demeaning at best.. No exactly the best example being set for visitors to Thailand ( though they are partly to blame as they encourage it by giving money)

The Cambodian mothers and children will be prosecuted

'Prosecuted?!' What does that mean? Are they trying to make criminals out of vicitims? How do you prosecute people who were taken by force?

You are missing the point.

I think it's a very important point! How do you treat victims of kidnapping and enslavement? You prosecute them?! Was it THEIR fault? Women and Children?! I can certainly understand why the police would want to return them back to Cambodia. BUT, why add more insult to their already miserable situation by in turn making them criminals when they in fact really are the victims here. That's MY point!

Edited August 30, 200916 yr by EffectiveAnger

Amazing how they only managed to get the victims and not one gang member even though, they say, they've been watching this criminal gang for a long time.

I guess the women and children are more visual and it makes for a good story to show they are doing something about the problem, which they are not! For all the people being arrested and deported, there will be more next week to take over.

It also looks good on paper aswell for the police when they have so many arrests under their belt. It looks like they've been working hard and I guess it might even have something to do with promotions for their efforts.

Everyone is appalled that poor young children, who cannot defend themselves, should be treated in such a callous manner, and our police are to be applauded for stamping out such disgraceful criminal activities

Maybe, they should start dealing with the source of this problem. i.e. Arrest the gangs and deal with the border crossing officials where they are illegally getting through without their passports and visa's. That's probably the day that I would applaud them.

Edited August 30, 200916 yr by joskydive

For sure some of the Napolean look alikes at the top ... weighted down with good service and good conduct (what a laugh) medals.... know darn well who is responsible. Nothing gets past these low life creeps in their back yard.

Course the local thugs who use and abuse these unfortunates won't be touched.

"Have another brandy General???""

Although it has all been said, my stomache is turning from reading this story and I just have to voice off. The gang leaders got away!! There was never any intention of catching these people - they were Thai. It is the nasty undesirable foreigners that are degrading Thailand don`t you know?? Over and over again the reports of illegal activities [like murder for instance. When it is not suicide of course.] state 'Foreigners were involved and Thais were defenately not'. Disgraceful. In this particular case, by all means return these people to their own country, without prosecution, but catch and imprison the slave masters. Not a difficult task. They are known.

The Cambodian mothers and children will be prosecuted

'Prosecuted?!' What does that mean? Are they trying to make criminals out of vicitims? How do you prosecute people who were taken by force?

You are missing the point.

I think it's a very important point! How do you treat victims of kidnapping and enslavement? You prosecute them?! Was it THEIR fault? Women and Children?! I can certainly understand why the police would want to return them back to Cambodia. BUT, why add more insult to their already miserable situation by in turn making them criminals when they in fact really are the victims here. That's MY point!

Sorry mate, you've taken what I said totally out of context. Look carefully. They are going after the Cambodians, not actually the Thai leaders of these "work gangs". That was my point.

It's quite interesting that the police have been watching this gang for some time, yet the gang is able to get away. My guess is that tourists complained and the police simply arrested the beggars to make it look like they took action. The bottom line here is that the corruption is rampant.