More Charges In Forced Labor Of Thais On US Farms

[webfact]

More charges in forced labor of Thais on US farms

WASHINGTON, January 14, 2011 (AFP) - Two Los Angeles men were charged Friday with conspiring to force 400 Thais to work for little or no pay on farms in Hawaii and elsewhere in the United States.

A federal grand jury in Honolulu indicted Joseph Knoller and Bruce Schwartz, along with six other co-defendants originally charged in September, the Department of Justice announced Friday.

Prosecutors alleged that approximately 400 Thai nationals were lured by the defendants to the United States from Thailand from 2001 through 2007 to work as laborers.

Also charged were Israeli national Mordechai Orian, Pranee Tubchumpol, Shane Germann and Sam Wongsesanit of the Los Angeles-based company Global Horizons Manpower.

They allegedly conspired with Thai labor recruiters Ratawan Chunharutai and Podjanee Sinchai to carry out the crimes that began with false promises of lucrative jobs.

Upon arrival in the United States, the Thais had their passports taken away and forced to pay thousands of dollars in recruitment fees, which were "financed by debts secured with the workers' family property and homes," the department said in its statement.

The defendants allegedly "paid the workers low wages and required them to remain under the defendants' control, without pay, in overcrowded, substandard conditions, to serve as a cheap, compliant, and readily available labor pool when there was insufficient work," the department said.

The indictment seeks forfeiture of an aircraft that Orian and his co-conspirators used to transport workers among Hawaiian Islands.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-01-15

[elshaheen]

Wow, Thai complaining about working on a farm with low pay or no pay. I can see the no pay being a crime, but low pay that's standard for any migrant laborer in any country.

I never once seen Hmong or Vietnamese complain about low wages as they picked strawberries in California fields.

Next thing you know, Juan Valdez will be bitching about him getting low pay and extreme working conditions to pick each individual coffee bean for you and I to savior.

Mexican labors don't sue for low wages for picking grapes for your wine or Oranges, apples, vegetables, etc.

Just tell Thai. If you don't like it there, then point to the ocean and say, Thailand is that way, enjoy your swim.

[khaowong1]

Wow, Thai complaining about working on a farm with low pay or no pay. I can see the no pay being a crime, but low pay that's standard for any migrant laborer in any country.

I never once seen Hmong or Vietnamese complain about low wages as they picked strawberries in California fields.

Next thing you know, Juan Valdez will be bitching about him getting low pay and extreme working conditions to pick each individual coffee bean for you and I to savior.

Mexican labors don't sue for low wages for picking grapes for your wine or Oranges, apples, vegetables, etc.

Just tell Thai. If you don't like it there, then point to the ocean and say, Thailand is that way, enjoy your swim.

A little harsh, but funny.

[iono]

Wow, Thai complaining about working on a farm with low pay or no pay. I can see the no pay being a crime, but low pay that's standard for any migrant laborer in any country.

I never once seen Hmong or Vietnamese complain about low wages as they picked strawberries in California fields.

Next thing you know, Juan Valdez will be bitching about him getting low pay and extreme working conditions to pick each individual coffee bean for you and I to savior.

Mexican labors don't sue for low wages for picking grapes for your wine or Oranges, apples, vegetables, etc.

Just tell Thai. If you don't like it there, then point to the ocean and say, Thailand is that way, enjoy your swim.

Well compare that to Thais that go to work in Israel, decent wage and treated with respect, to the point that many stay on for 5 years (farming). No these people were promised something probably not in a written contract, but verbally and we know how persuasive these recruiters can be, they arrived and found the money promised was a lot lower, then they are saddle with an unknown expense i.e. pay more for travel, so now they are basically economic prisoners in a foreign land, the only reason they stay on is because now their family back in the villages are saddle with a large bill by the recruiter mafia (guarantee someone took their passports for safe keeping, so no can leave the country). They should prosecute all of the individuals involved, slave labor at its finest. Yeah there's the ocean enjoy your swim my A@@.

[maswov]

Odd they had to resort to trafficking in persons, there are plenty illegal immigrants happy to work for low pay.

[Robroy]

What a nasty racket.

Glad the Americans have had the decency to terminate it, & bring those responsible to justice.

[AZBill]

Wow, Thai complaining about working on a farm with low pay or no pay. I can see the no pay being a crime, but low pay that's standard for any migrant laborer in any country.

I never once seen Hmong or Vietnamese complain about low wages as they picked strawberries in California fields.

Next thing you know, Juan Valdez will be bitching about him getting low pay and extreme working conditions to pick each individual coffee bean for you and I to savior.

Mexican labors don't sue for low wages for picking grapes for your wine or Oranges, apples, vegetables, etc.

Just tell Thai. If you don't like it there, then point to the ocean and say, Thailand is that way, enjoy your swim.

A little harsh, but funny.

Very harsh and off point. Mexicans don't sue because they are typically illegally there and have no status to sue. There have been many Hispanic groups in the past that have brought many lawsuits on their behalf in California and elsewhere. It's also not the low wages, it's the entire fraud of luring them on false promises and the subsequent treatment here and not just the wages. It was a total scam to get these people to work for virtually nothing knowing they had no power to do much. Oooops! Wrong! Falang go jail now!. I've seen too much of this in AZ with the human smugglers and it's not pretty and no one deserves to be treated like that. I remember a few years ago the same kind of scam lured a bunch of Thai teachers to Lousiana where a similar treatment was awaiting them. Dispicable on any level. My father in law is a Thai farmer and I can't imagine allowing him to be treated like that.

[Carib]

Wow, Thai complaining about working on a farm with low pay or no pay. I can see the no pay being a crime, but low pay that's standard for any migrant laborer in any country.

I never once seen Hmong or Vietnamese complain about low wages as they picked strawberries in California fields.

Next thing you know, Juan Valdez will be bitching about him getting low pay and extreme working conditions to pick each individual coffee bean for you and I to savior.

Mexican labors don't sue for low wages for picking grapes for your wine or Oranges, apples, vegetables, etc.

Just tell Thai. If you don't like it there, then point to the ocean and say, Thailand is that way, enjoy your swim.

First READ the OP again, than THINK, and after you have managed those two, come back here and we will see if you have learned anything.

Where are you from? Hick o Ville?

[johnefallis]

Wow, Thai complaining about working on a farm with low pay or no pay. I can see the no pay being a crime, but low pay that's standard for any migrant laborer in any country.

I never once seen Hmong or Vietnamese complain about low wages as they picked strawberries in California fields.

Next thing you know, Juan Valdez will be bitching about him getting low pay and extreme working conditions to pick each individual coffee bean for you and I to savior.

Mexican labors don't sue for low wages for picking grapes for your wine or Oranges, apples, vegetables, etc.

Just tell Thai. If you don't like it there, then point to the ocean and say, Thailand is that way, enjoy your swim.

First READ the OP again, than THINK, and after you have managed those two, come back here and we will see if you have learned anything.

Where are you from? Hick o Ville?

Nah, he's just a douche-bag

[slapout]

The good news is they are going after the organization from the top down and giving names of the Thais involved. It starts right here in Thailand and there are recruits sent to many countries under similar promises etc. It would be nice if the local authorities on this end would handle ill gotten gains in the same manner. (seize assets)

There is a government agency that advises the potential workers that there are a lot of shysters out there and background checks can/will be done.

I have known of several Thais, Mexicans, etc working in the US who were paid wages, furnished housing and they were not on legal visas. They were voluntary long time employees. They were treated fairly while the referenced group was there legally and were treated like slave labor. The out right greed of some people casts a shadow on the rest of the law abiding citizens of many countries.

[Scott]

Please take care to stick to the topic. Flaming will not be tolerated, nor will baiting.

Posters are welcome to express their opinion. You are under no obligation to respond to nonsense.

It is probably hard to compare the Hispanic workers with the Thai workers. For one, the Hispanic farm workers are a rather large group and they are reasonably knowledgeable of what they can and cannot get by with. Thais farm workers would most likely be much less knowledgeable and much more isolated.

[hardy1943]

Odd they had to resort to trafficking in persons, there are plenty illegal immigrants happy to work for low pay.

That is right and Mexicans going back to Mexico.The real criminals are in Thailand that promise them a good job and charge them a hell of a fine to get there

and companies that employ people in the US.

[TimeBandit2]

I wish they'd (the Thais) take more interest in their immigrant workforce. Burmese and Cambodians are notoriously treated as sub-human.

As far as comments like "swim back that way" or "Them Mexi-cans don't make no fuss" are you just trolling or something?

[Hawaiian]

There is more to this case than mentioned in the news release. Among others, it involves one of the largest growers of produce in Hawaii. While I rather not pay more for my fresh veggies, I certainly don't want to see anyone being scammed. These farm workers went into debt based on the lies of the Thai labor recruiters. It is very doubtful that the head honchos of Global Horizons Manpower did not know that U.S. labor laws were being violated.

The U.S. Justice Department should prosecute this case to the full extent of the law.

Have to agree with you asiawatcher. My sentiments, exactly!

Edited January 15, 2011 by Hawaiian

[Pria]

Wow, Thai complaining about working on a farm with low pay or no pay. I can see the no pay being a crime, but low pay that's standard for any migrant laborer in any country.

I never once seen Hmong or Vietnamese complain about low wages as they picked strawberries in California fields.

Next thing you know, Juan Valdez will be bitching about him getting low pay and extreme working conditions to pick each individual coffee bean for you and I to savior.

Mexican labors don't sue for low wages for picking grapes for your wine or Oranges, apples, vegetables, etc.

Just tell Thai. If you don't like it there, then point to the ocean and say, Thailand is that way, enjoy your swim.

First READ the OP again, than THINK, and after you have managed those two, come back here and we will see if you have learned anything.

Where are you from? Hick o Ville?

Nah, he's just a douche-bag

Same standard of ex-pat who gets on this forum to rejoice at the army shooting people for protesting over double standards, freedom, human rights, and equality no doubt.

Another fine export. Probably wears plaid knee-length shorts as well

[hardy1943]

What a nasty racket.

Glad the Americans have had the decency to terminate it, & bring those responsible to justice.

They do not think it is funny there I know I guy that ran a sweat shop in LA he got some serious hard time.

[cmiuc]

Well every country has their problems about this... Isreal is a tiny country compared to US...

The problem is in these big countries, non of its own population want to work in the fields anymore... so we need people who are willing to do.. So to keep food cost down, low labor cost is needed. One thing, most asians and mexicans families live together(share all their salaries together) and therefore they are able to do like this.

These guys should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law for cheating people. They will ruin it for the rest of the migrant workers and farmers who need these things.

I think there are special provisions, temporary work stays in US(probably the best in the world) to allow migrant workers to work... Anyone caught(accepting money under the table or giving money under the table) should be fine/convicted...

Right now in China, American companies are forced to higher the people of the country and because of the politics, basically have this slave labor going on because the gov't is taking a large portion of the salaries of these people...

basically this is a wasteful post... nothing will change or its not really worthy news.

[hardy1943]

Odd they had to resort to trafficking in persons, there are plenty illegal immigrants happy to work for low pay.

Its not really that, it is the guys in Thailand that promise them the $1000 a month job then charge them a big up fee up front.

Just returned from Philippines they had places in Manila everywhere advertising for great jobs for young women but wanted 60,000 Pesos up front then work it off. Slave labor at its finest.

In their life time they never work it off.Japanese are looking for pretty young blond blue eyed gals in America and promise them great jobs. I bet, to make bar workers and prostitutes

and Japanese police look the other way too. Not just in Thailand. Slavery is a big business everywhere.

Edited January 15, 2011 by hardy1943

[sawadeeken]

My sympathy is with the 400 Thais. The Thais that I have known to travel abroad are like a fish out of water when they don't have the foods they are used to. They don't like it but will tolerate it for the opportunity to earn 'good money'(which can be much lower than 'Minimum Wage' and they think it is good) but these 400 poor souls were even cheated out of that. I know, because I married a Thai girl out of a sweat shop in Los Angeles, Just a stroke of luck that she was spending the night with me when the Immigration Police raided her shop at 5 AM about 15 years ago -- Just after the 'infamous' El Monte Sweatshop got busted. I saw the poor conditions they lived in.............. I wish a good case of 'Karma' on their perpetraitors........

[jsflynn603]

This is an illegal "human trafficking scam," it's not about "low wages," at all, just about misuse and fraud. It's good that these perps were caught. As punishment they should be forced to sign the same agreement that they made their workers sign and then have the "contract" be sold off to one of these fraudsters offshore in a country where such practices are allowed.

Each state in the US has a minimum wage law which is strictly enforced, so this is not about low wages. This scam is about workers being paid minimum wage but being coerced to pay most or all of these wages to their "masters" as fees that were not evident to the workers in the first place.

This is done to a lesser (and thus legal) extent with tens of thousands of RP (Republic of Philippine) nurses working in the US. Worldwide this is a serious problem and is human trafficking.

I'd venture a guess that over 90% of all "offers to work overseas" that are made in RP are fraudulent, though the most common fraud is "pay a fee and we'll find you a job overseas," and then no job is forthcoming.

[jayjay0]

Wow, Thai complaining about working on a farm with low pay or no pay. I can see the no pay being a crime, but low pay that's standard for any migrant laborer in any country.

I never once seen Hmong or Vietnamese complain about low wages as they picked strawberries in California fields.

Next thing you know, Juan Valdez will be bitching about him getting low pay and extreme working conditions to pick each individual coffee bean for you and I to savior.

Mexican labors don't sue for low wages for picking grapes for your wine or Oranges, apples, vegetables, etc.

Just tell Thai. If you don't like it there, then point to the ocean and say, Thailand is that way, enjoy your swim.

Well I read your post twice and I still came up with the same conclusion.

You approve of it.

Sad, have you a monetary interest in that kind of treatment for your fellow man?

[Nisa]

Odd they had to resort to trafficking in persons, there are plenty illegal immigrants happy to work for low pay.

Not as slaves.

[atyclb]

I wonder if the men indicted were scammed and defrauded by thai bar girls and they are now exacting revenge reversing the tactics??

All kidding aside, human trafficking is a crime against humanity and should halt (God knows how?)

[Just1Voice]

I know a woman here in Chiang Mai who is beautiful, sexy, very charming, and who's parents got out of Thailand just 1 step ahead of the cops for running this type of scam on their fellow Thai. Daughter wasn't involved that I know of. They then "set up shop" in LA and continued to do the same thing for about 5 years, till someone "dropped a dime" on them. They are now enjoying the facilities of one of California's prisons, and will be deported in due time. And from what I understand, they'll be facing more time once they arrive back in the LOS.

There's a major difference between migrant workers and slave labor, and anyone who uses the latter should face the full extent of the law, period!

[lubbkis]

Wow, Thai complaining about working on a farm with low pay or no pay. I can see the no pay being a crime, but low pay that's standard for any migrant laborer in any country.

I never once seen Hmong or Vietnamese complain about low wages as they picked strawberries in California fields.

Next thing you know, Juan Valdez will be bitching about him getting low pay and extreme working conditions to pick each individual coffee bean for you and I to savior.

Mexican labors don't sue for low wages for picking grapes for your wine or Oranges, apples, vegetables, etc.

Just tell Thai. If you don't like it there, then point to the ocean and say, Thailand is that way, enjoy your swim.

I see nothing funny in this post. The real vctim of this crime is the American worker who has to compete with what is in effect slavery.

[Hawaiian]

This is an illegal "human trafficking scam," it's not about "low wages," at all, just about misuse and fraud. It's good that these perps were caught. As punishment they should be forced to sign the same agreement that they made their workers sign and then have the "contract" be sold off to one of these fraudsters offshore in a country where such practices are allowed.

Each state in the US has a minimum wage law which is strictly enforced, so this is not about low wages. This scam is about workers being paid minimum wage but being coerced to pay most or all of these wages to their "masters" as fees that were not evident to the workers in the first place.

This is done to a lesser (and thus legal) extent with tens of thousands of RP (Republic of Philippine) nurses working in the US. Worldwide this is a serious problem and is human trafficking.

I'd venture a guess that over 90% of all "offers to work overseas" that are made in RP are fraudulent, though the most common fraud is "pay a fee and we'll find you a job overseas," and then no job is forthcoming.

About 15 years ago the brother of my ex-wife was hired in Manila to work as a nurse in Las Vegas. He and his girlfriend were such good workers that they were offered as much overtime as they could handle. Within a year he got his state nursing license. The couple were married and soon bought a house in a new subdivision. Before buying the house he mailed me a floor plan and pictures of the subdivision. He asked me why the developer was offering them a hefty discount. I told him because sometimes home builders are not to allowed to start the next increment until a certain percentage of the homes are sold. I advised them to buy. Happy to say that it was a smart move.

So not all Filipinos are taken for a ride.

[Phatcharanan]

Wow, Thai complaining about working on a farm with low pay or no pay. I can see the no pay being a crime, but low pay that's standard for any migrant laborer in any country.

I never once seen Hmong or Vietnamese complain about low wages as they picked strawberries in California fields.

Next thing you know, Juan Valdez will be bitching about him getting low pay and extreme working conditions to pick each individual coffee bean for you and I to savior.

Mexican labors don't sue for low wages for picking grapes for your wine or Oranges, apples, vegetables, etc.

Just tell Thai. If you don't like it there, then point to the ocean and say, Thailand is that way, enjoy your swim.

You're not very worldly are you?

[Just1Voice]

Wow, Thai complaining about working on a farm with low pay or no pay. I can see the no pay being a crime, but low pay that's standard for any migrant laborer in any country.

I never once seen Hmong or Vietnamese complain about low wages as they picked strawberries in California fields.

Next thing you know, Juan Valdez will be bitching about him getting low pay and extreme working conditions to pick each individual coffee bean for you and I to savior.

Mexican labors don't sue for low wages for picking grapes for your wine or Oranges, apples, vegetables, etc.

Just tell Thai. If you don't like it there, then point to the ocean and say, Thailand is that way, enjoy your swim.

You're not very worldly are you?

No, he's not, and TV has rules against me voicing my opinion as to what I really think he is.

[pgangeles]

Wow, Thai complaining about working on a farm with low pay or no pay. I can see the no pay being a crime, but low pay that's standard for any migrant laborer in any country.

I never once seen Hmong or Vietnamese complain about low wages as they picked strawberries in California fields.

Next thing you know, Juan Valdez will be bitching about him getting low pay and extreme working conditions to pick each individual coffee bean for you and I to savior.

Mexican labors don't sue for low wages for picking grapes for your wine or Oranges, apples, vegetables, etc.

Just tell Thai. If you don't like it there, then point to the ocean and say, Thailand is that way, enjoy your swim.

Surely you jest. What a statement to make about your fellow man who were tricked. LITTLE OR NO wages were paid. Mexican laborers know exactly what pay there going to get.

[chuang]

Right now in China, American companies are forced to higher the people of the country and because of the politics, basically have this slave labor going on because the gov't is taking a large portion of the salaries of these people...

basically this is a wasteful post... nothing will change or its not really worthy news.

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