Human Trafficking Getting Worse In Thailand's Fishing Industry

[webfact]

Human trafficking getting worse in fishing industry

By Wannapa Khaopa

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Human trafficking in Thailand's fishing industry has worsened with the number of victims soaring three times higher, the Mirror Foundation revealed yesterday.

Up to 138 humantrafficking cases were reported to the foundation last year - three times more than the number of cases reported in 2008, Ekkalak Lumchumkhae, head of the foundation's antihuman trafficking centre said at a press conference yesterday.

Since the fishing industry suffers from a severe shortage of workers - 10,000 as last reported by the Federation of Thai Industries - human traffickers it as an opportunity to make money by deceiving locals and aliens from border countries to work in extremely harsh conditions.

Moreover, Ekkalak said the shortage of workers was likely to get worse.

The centre blacklisted four seaports with severe problem of human trafficking: Songkhla, Chon Buri, Samut Sakhon and Samut Prakan.

Human trafficking in other sectors, such as prostitution and begging, remained unchanged over 2008 and 2009, the centre's report said.

"People are accustomed to seeing child beggars who are mostly Cambodians on pedestrian bridges and prostitutes waiting to pick up customers in public areas," Ekkalak said. "I don't want people to ignore this, but to notify the authorities."

Sompong Srakaew, director of Labour Rights Promotion Network (LPN), said the number of beggars in Bangkok had dropped because the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration managed to stop them from coming to the capital. However, they begged in Pattaya, Nakhon Ratchasima and Songkhla instead.

AntiTrafficking Coordination Unit Northern Thailand manager Duan Wongsa said locals had not discussed the demand or the attitude of people who use prostitutes, and also asked if it was possible to campaign against the use of young girls.

Ekkalak pointed out that some local politicians and government officials had a hand in human trafficking, but the police were not brave enough to charge them under the AntiTrafficking in Persons Act 2008. "The act is not enforced properly," Ekkalak said.

All of them called on related state agencies to come up with aggressive plans to deal with the problem.

"The Social Development and Human Security Ministry is providing training to improve its personnel's capacity to operate antihuman trafficking jobs, but in practice they do not work well enough. We want related ministries to come up with aggressive plans," Duan said.

-- The Nation 2010-06-04

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[asiawatcher]

As many of the beggars on the overhead bridges and the women with children are being 'handled' by gangs, who charge a 'fee' for them to have the right to 'beg' this appears to be more manipulation, racketeering as well as 'perhaps' human trafficking. It is hard to define but even the kids on the bridges are usually not of the same blood as the woman begging. It is very sad. It is also a slight against us as people who pass by and do nothing. Telling the police is a waste of time as simply they will be paid off by the 'handlers' and take a bribe so are a party to the criminal act. The police in Thailand are a disgrace and this falls squarely on government to wipe the majority clean and start again. The sooner the better.

[toybits]

I have always been wondering how to classify the Long-Necked Karen women (Padawng) at Chiang Rai. Should these people be classified as trafficked persons? One person I chatted with said that some of the tribal people he had as his operation (in Chiang Rai) had papers that identified them as laborers. In actuality, they were being used for tourism activities. It seems the law is not very clear on this.

[xenomorph]

"Since the fishing industry suffers from a severe shortage of workers"

Wouldn't the poor in, for example, Issan be interested on doing work on a fishing boat, instead of burning down shopping centers in Bangkok and complaining about poverty?

Edited June 4, 2010 by xenomorph

[robblok]

"Since the fishing industry suffers from a severe shortage of workers"

Wouldn't the poor in, for example, Issan be interested on doing work on a fishing boat, instead of burning down shopping centers in Bangkok and complaining about poverty?

A illegal gets half of what a Thai gets.. i dont think the fishing industry wants legal ppl themselves.

[toybits]

The fishing industry is a dirty and dangerous industry shunned by most Thai laborers. Another sector that is avoided like the plague is the rice milling sector where laborers carry up to three sacks of rice on their heads and walk up a ramp up a waiting truck/lorry. Isaan laborers opt for types of work in construction or manufacturing sector. Seems they have better work conditions.

"Since the fishing industry suffers from a severe shortage of workers"

Wouldn't the poor in, for example, Issan be interested on doing work on a fishing boat, instead of burning down shopping centers in Bangkok and complaining about poverty?

[Mosha]

I have always been wondering how to classify the Long-Necked Karen women (Padawng) at Chiang Rai. Should these people be classified as trafficked persons? One person I chatted with said that some of the tribal people he had as his operation (in Chiang Rai) had papers that identified them as laborers. In actuality, they were being used for tourism activities. It seems the law is not very clear on this.

On a Discovery programme I watched, it said the Karen want refugee status. However Thailand wouldn't give them it because they were being used by the tourist industry. It said a lot of the women were stopping wearing the tubes on their necks, in protest.

[zthyadat]

The fishing industry is a dirty and dangerous industry shunned by most Thai laborers. Another sector that is avoided like the plague is the rice milling sector where laborers carry up to three sacks of rice on their heads and walk up a ramp up a waiting truck/lorry. Isaan laborers opt for types of work in construction or manufacturing sector. Seems they have better work conditions.

"Since the fishing industry suffers from a severe shortage of workers"

Wouldn't the poor in, for example, Issan be interested on doing work on a fishing boat, instead of burning down shopping centers in Bangkok and complaining about poverty?

And most of the northeast country folk can't swim, which is a bit of a disadvantage for a fisherman.

Also xenomorph, you know as well as the rest of us, that the people who set fire to the city are not the same people who were complaining about poverty. (The fire setters are among the society's bigger a-holes, and were doing it for pay or for the fun of it - most were from Bkk, not Isaan)

And there is also the point that the minimum wage is so low, that unless you have a household of ten people, all working in some horrible factory, with grandma staying at home and making the food, you are still mired in poverty. As long as that situation remains, there will always be people like Thaksin, Arisman, etc. to dupe the poor into doing their bidding under the guise of caring about them.

[junglist]

"Since the fishing industry suffers from a severe shortage of workers"

Wouldn't the poor in, for example, Issan be interested on doing work on a fishing boat, instead of burning down shopping centers in Bangkok and complaining about poverty?

you would think but many avoid the water, they can not swim and fear it. sad but true. my wife couldn't swim to save her life.

[sirchai]

"Since the fishing industry suffers from a severe shortage of workers"

Wouldn't the poor in, for example, Issan be interested on doing work on a fishing boat, instead of burning down shopping centers in Bangkok and complaining about poverty?

Have you ever been in an Isan village before and communicated with them? Lots of them are driving cabs in Bkk, working in hotels and doing other kind of low paid employment.

Your statement that they’re complaining about poverty seems pretty sick to me. In addition that people from Isan burned shopping centers down.

Don’t you think that the government should do something to keep them happy? Like building factories, paying more for their rice?

I wish you’ll have some financial problems pretty soon to understand what poverty really means.

[gemini81]

"Since the fishing industry suffers from a severe shortage of workers"

Wouldn't the poor in, for example, Issan be interested on doing work on a fishing boat, instead of burning down shopping centers in Bangkok and complaining about poverty?

Have you ever been in an Isan village before and communicated with them? Lots of them are driving cabs in Bkk, working in hotels and doing other kind of low paid employment.

Your statement that they're complaining about poverty seems pretty sick to me. In addition that people from Isan burned shopping centers down.

Don't you think that the government should do something to keep them happy? Like building factories, paying more for their rice?

I wish you'll have some financial problems pretty soon to understand what poverty really means.

The gov't is doing a lot for them (tax free for rice farmers, programs, loans, the hospital gold card), but they don't appreciate it, they want more. (I guess the typical thinking was you only get what you fight for?)

There are more factories being built, and land prices there are on the rise.

Edited June 4, 2010 by gemini81

[Thai at Heart]

"Since the fishing industry suffers from a severe shortage of workers"

Wouldn't the poor in, for example, Issan be interested on doing work on a fishing boat, instead of burning down shopping centers in Bangkok and complaining about poverty?

A illegal gets half of what a Thai gets.. i dont think the fishing industry wants legal ppl themselves.

There is barely a manual labour based industry in this country that an employer wouldn't employ illegal immigrants in order to save on the enormous wage burden of paying between 160 odd and 210 baht a day depending on province.

I have a close friend who's family builds condos in Bangkok. Not a single Thai among his work crews because they are willing to work for 150 baht a day unlike the official Bangkok rate. It aint much fun being on minimum wage in this country, even worse when every employer gets away with paying under the odds for imported illegal workers.

It is incredible that this way of doing business is allowed to go on in such a large way. Meanwhile, we are all Thai's together, unless you happen to be minimum wage, in which case a Cambodian is much better. Absolutely disgraceful situation in my opinion.

[Thai at Heart]

"Since the fishing industry suffers from a severe shortage of workers"

Wouldn't the poor in, for example, Issan be interested on doing work on a fishing boat, instead of burning down shopping centers in Bangkok and complaining about poverty?

A illegal gets half of what a Thai gets.. i dont think the fishing industry wants legal ppl themselves.

There is barely a manual labour based industry in this country that an employer wouldn't employ illegal immigrants in order to save on the enormous wage burden of paying between 160 odd and 210 baht a day depending on province.

I have a close friend who's family builds condos in Bangkok. Not a single Thai among his work crews because they are willing to work for 150 baht a day unlike the official Bangkok rate. It aint much fun being on minimum wage in this country, even worse when every employer gets away with paying under the odds for imported illegal workers.

It is incredible that this way of doing business is allowed to go on in such a large way. Meanwhile, we are all Thai's together, unless you happen to be minimum wage, in which case a Cambodian is much better. Absolutely disgraceful situation in my opinion.

[toybits]

Whenever there is a large disparity in economic conditions between two adjoining countries, people from the poorer country will always try to cross over to the richer country. To stop this flow, the economic condition in that poorer country must be improved. We all know that chances of Burma ever achieving that. So...

[Thai at Heart]

Whenever there is a large disparity in economic conditions between two adjoining countries, people from the poorer country will always try to cross over to the richer country. To stop this flow, the economic condition in that poorer country must be improved. We all know that chances of Burma ever achieving that. So...

Or alternatively you enforce the law preventing employers from engaging illegal labour. If the fine for employing illegal workers was 100k per head and you enforced it, it would be amazing how few jobs would be taken by illegals.

[BigC]

i have always wondered if i shouyld give money to really handicapped beggers. i know they look very pitty full. people with 2 arms and no legs but should i really give them money. i mean it would be hard for someone behinde the scenes to rob them. are they being bullied into doing it for someone else. surely there should be some liscencign system for beggers. some poeple i look at specially in bangkok are visablily disabled liturally cannot even stand up let alone get a job but with all the corrupt gangsters that rome the streets am i givinng money for a good cause or giving to a bully !

[rubl]

"Since the fishing industry suffers from a severe shortage of workers"

Wouldn't the poor in, for example, Issan be interested on doing work on a fishing boat, instead of burning down shopping centers in Bangkok and complaining about poverty?

Have you ever been in an Isan village before and communicated with them? Lots of them are driving cabs in Bkk, working in hotels and doing other kind of low paid employment.

Your statement that they’re complaining about poverty seems pretty sick to me. In addition that people from Isan burned shopping centers down.

Don’t you think that the government should do something to keep them happy? Like building factories, paying more for their rice?

I wish you’ll have some financial problems pretty soon to understand what poverty really means.

Sorry for the cherry-picking, but...

The scheme for fixing a minimum price for rice doesn't seem to help. It distorts the markets, costs lots of money, doesn't seem to help farmers, make taxpayers unhappy. Middlemen and rice-millers seem to love it (PTP MP's or family?). After continuing the scheme for the last two years this government has rice it paid for dearly and now can only sell at a loss, something government official can't do because they could be charged for loosing the country money. So it sits there with bugs helping to get rid of it. Do you really think paying more for rice will help?

[ralphlsasser]

"Since the fishing industry suffers from a severe shortage of workers"

Wouldn't the poor in, for example, Issan be interested on doing work on a fishing boat, instead of burning down shopping centers in Bangkok and complaining about poverty?

Have you ever been in an Isan village before and communicated with them? Lots of them are driving cabs in Bkk, working in hotels and doing other kind of low paid employment.

Your statement that they're complaining about poverty seems pretty sick to me. In addition that people from Isan burned shopping centers down.

Don't you think that the government should do something to keep them happy? Like building factories, paying more for their rice?

I wish you'll have some financial problems pretty soon to understand what poverty really means.

I agree. It seems like the writer doesm't know what he's talking about and getting his information from the biast television stations. Sad.

[Atmos]

"the poor"

every time I see this written I think of a news item, UK woman asked about "the starving in Africa"

"what do they spend their money on, then?"