Little Being Done To Counter Rampant Trafficking Of Burmese Into Thai Fishing Industry

[webfact]

SAMUT SAKHON

Little being done to counter rampant trafficking of Burmese into fishing industry

Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation

Samut Sakhon

SAMUT SAKOHN: -- Labour exploitation, human trafficking and bondage of migrant workers from Burma continues in Samut Sakhon's shrimp-processing factories and onboard trawlers despite the passing of an anti-human-trafficking law nearly four years ago, said Sompong Srakaew, founder and director of Labour Rights Promotion Network Foundation (LPN).

Exactly how many workers are trapped in bondage inside shrimp factories or lured and forced to work on deep-sea fishing trawlers is unknown. But, Sompong, who worked in this area for eight years, estimates about 30 per cent of the 400,000-plus Burmese workers in the province are exploited beyond Thai laws.

Bosses confiscate work permits, temporary passports and identity cards so that Burmese in fish-processing factories cannot seek employment elsewhere. Worse still, some are held in small factories and not allowed to leave the compound and forced to work like slaves.

Young migrant men are also being trafficked into forced labour aboard deep-sea fishing boats via false documentation with the aid of corrupt Thai officials and police.

"It's hard to pin down the figures by making an estimate," Sompong said. "But they are definitely there and they end up as virtually slave labour."

In November 2009, two employers at Anoma shrimp-processing factory were charged with forcing 73 foreign workers including 25 children to be "slaves", working from 2am until 8pm every day. This was among other abuses that according to the local police inquiry report included "keeping them in slave-like conditions… confining of people [including] women and children by means of threat or use of force to achieve their consent to allow him/herself or others to exploit them…"

While the two employers were eventually sentenced to eight and five years, they are now out on bail fighting their conviction in the Appeal Court while many workers cannot afford to spend time to follow the case.

Even Thai men have been forced to work on fishing trawlers. The Mirror Foundation's Anti-Human Trafficking Centre published a report last year that said there had been 83 recorded cases of Thais aged between 14 to 55 tricked or abducted to work on fishing boats in Thai waters and beyond.

Sompong believes the Thai government isn't doing enough to warn Thai and migrant workers of the danger of these industries. He said even signs warning job-seekers at busy transport hubs like Mor Chit Bus Terminal put up by Mirror Foundation have been removed.

"Thais want to tell ourselves that no human trafficking exists. If they admit it, they fear it will be bad for tourism."

Sompong said the government should run a vigorous and visible campaign to warn job-seekers, both Thai and foreign, about the danger of human trafficking and forced labour at transport hubs such as bus and train terminals and also petrol stations. He said unlike the very visible anti-drug billboards, no such campaign has been run in Thailand to date.

Once people are inside factories or on-board ships, very little can be done to help them. Those on boats face a life-threatening work environment, while those detained inside prison-like factories cannot seek help. "Some are detained and cannot come out to call for help."

But Sompong said formal recognition of job-brokers by the government may help reduce the number of people duped into virtual bondage, as only half of the estimated 100 to 200 job-brokers were reliable and trustworthy.

Burma also needed to do more, he said. For the eight years he has been trying to protect migrant workers from Burma, the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok had never sent anyone to speak to him or ask for his advice or collaborate on any project.

"They have never sent anyone here," he said.

Sompong said he took a group of Chulalongkorn University graduates to some factories in Samut Sakhon two weeks ago. But they only saw high walls and fences that looked like prisons from the outside. And no one could enter.

-- The Nation 2012-02-28

[lovetotravel]

Hard to enforce laws with corrupt police and politicians.

[Poke]

This is a disgrace and Thai people should be ashamed

[sparebox2]

Like EU, Asean should have free access and free movement of people.

That will solved all illegal workers problem.

Than ASEAN will have time to deal with illegal Bangladesh and Chinese illegal workers.

Edited February 28, 2012 by sparebox2

[TantraMantra]

Like EU, Asean should have free access and free movement of people.

That will solved all illegal workers problem.

Than ASEAN will have time to deal with illegal Bangladesh and Chinese illegal workers.

You obviously don't know what problems this created in the EU with massive unemployment of locals and slave labor for immigrants.

[Unkomoncents]

It's hilarious that The Nation

publishes this article the same day:

Progress made on red-yellow reconciliation, Surapong tells UN rights body

Nuntida Puangthong

The Nation

Geneva

GENEVA: Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul yesterday told the United Nations Human Rights Commission that his government had made progress in reconciling the deep colour-coded political divide in Thailand.

The government has been fully supportive of the work of the Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand (TRCT), he said.

The TRCT was set up by the previous government after a major military crackdown on red-shirt protesters left 91 people dead, including security officials, in April and May 2010.

A committee has been set up to coordinate with the TRCT to follow up on actions taken to implement its recommendations, Surapong said. A compensation package was recently approved for all sides in the political conflict on an equal basis.

Investigations are still ongoing to bring the perpetrators to justice and provide redress to the victims, he said.

The Independent Committee to Promote the Rule of Law is studying ways to ensure that the work of state agencies follows the intent of the law and is fair and free of double standards, he said.

"Human rights lie not only at the heart of Thailand's domestic policies, but also our foreign policy. We will deliver on what we have pledged. Indeed, some of these commitments have already been realised," he said.

In his speech to the UN human-rights watchdog, various issues of concern were brought up, such as the rights of ageing and disabled people, women, children and victims of trafficking as well as political and human-rights development in Burma and Sri Lanka.

However, his speech did not address the issue of lese majeste, which has drawn the attention of many international human-rights defenders.

New York-based Human Rights Watch last week expressed deep concern over a Thai court's rejection of the bail requests of 12 of those charged with lese majeste. The criteria used for the red shirts and yellow shirts are not the same, it said.

"Bail appears to be systematically denied to members of the red shirts while they await trial for lese majeste," said Brad Adams, Asia director for Human Rights Watch. "Denial of bail seems to be for punishment rather than for justified reasons."

TRTC chairman Kanit Na Nakhon has publicly called for judges to treat lese majeste offenders more leniently, but to no avail.

Three bail requests were turned down this month. Members of red-shirt groups are basically major supporters of the incumbent government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, while the conservative yellow-shirt royalists are mostly its opponents.

[Unkomoncents]

'Sompong believes the Thai government isn't doing enough to warn Thai and migrant workers of the danger of these industries. He said even signs warning job-seekers at busy transport hubs like Mor Chit Bus Terminal put up by Mirror Foundation have been removed.'

"Thais want to tell ourselves that no human trafficking exists. If they admit it, they fear it will be bad for tourism."

This is what the international community (not to mention the whole of Thailand) needs to know about Thailand and traveling for holidays here: the Thai government will not only NOT tell you about active risks and dangers but they will intentionally try to obscure your knowledge of any of the plethora of horrible things that can happen to unsuspecting tourists who expect a first-world approach to tourism, legal issues and personal safety and get a nasty little surprise.

Edited February 28, 2012 by Unkomoncents

[jalansanitwong]

Maybe this problem has something to do with the fact that alot of Thais dont like working.

[MaiChai]

Surely there is some government department responsible for inspecting factories for meeting legal standards and work conditions? Factories enslaving staff can be shutdown and prosecuted?

[BookMan]

As long as we get to keep eating all that cheap shrimp...

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Surely there is some government department responsible for inspecting factories for meeting legal standards and work conditions? Factories enslaving staff can be shutdown and prosecuted?

You obviously don't live in Thailand, or perhaps one located in some parallel universe. AFAICT, the main purpose of laws and regulations in Thailand is to facilitate the personal enrichment of officials and entrenchment of the ruling elite. Anything occasionally achieved in the theoretical direction of justice and protection of the common people is usually a PR exercise in window dressing.

[sparebox2]

Like EU, Asean should have free access and free movement of people.

That will solved all illegal workers problem.

Than ASEAN will have time to deal with illegal Bangladesh and Chinese illegal workers.

You obviously don't know what problems this created in the EU with massive unemployment of locals and slave labor for immigrants.

Really? I thought all EU nationals have equal rights. Eg a Romanian = a Brit.

Are you telling me that Europe have not abolish slave? Wow, Thailand has already done do since King Rama 5.

[toybits]

Nothing will be done - because by the year 2015, the borders will be opened. Then this problem of trafficking would just vanish - so they hope.

[lovetotravel]

Like EU, Asean should have free access and free movement of people.

That will solved all illegal workers problem.

Than ASEAN will have time to deal with illegal Bangladesh and Chinese illegal workers.

You obviously don't know what problems this created in the EU with massive unemployment of locals and slave labor for immigrants.

Really? I thought all EU nationals have equal rights. Eg a Romanian = a Brit.

Are you telling me that Europe have not abolish slave? Wow, Thailand has already done do since King Rama 5.

Human slavery/trafficking is a global problem. Especially here in Thailand. Unfortunately!!!

[Shantaram]

This is a disgrace and Thai people should be ashamed

Why? It's just the market, supply and demand, what's wrong with that. Also, the Burmese destroyed Ayuttaya and killed many Thais, now Thais helping them earn a living and escape from their dictatorship country, what's the problem?