Another Slap In The Face For Thai Law Enforcement: Editorial

webfact · June 21, 2012

EDITORIAL

Another slap in the face for Thai law enforcement

The Nation

As with a host of other issues, the govt isn't doing enough to combat human trafficking, thus bringing more unwanted publicity to our failings

BANGKOK: -- Thailand has again been put on a Trafficking in Persons (TIP) watchlist by the US government. This is Washington's diplomatic tool to "encourage" other countries to tackle the problem of human trafficking. The listing is bad news for Thailand because it shows that the government is not doing enough to bring this issue to a proper conclusion. After all, Thailand has been on the Tier 2 watchlist for three consecutive years.

The US report states that Thailand has failed to show satisfactory results in combating this crime. If Thailand fails to end human trafficking in and through its territory, the country may become subject to a more severe listing on Tier 3 of the report, which could lead to punitive measures.

Human trafficking involves the acts of recruiting, transporting, transferring or receiving a person through the use of force. Thousands of men and women, as well as children, continue to be forced into miserable situations via trafficking every year.

Due partly to its geographic location in the centre of Southeast Asia, Thailand has been both a destination and transit country for many trafficked men, women and children who are subject to forced labour in various industries, and particularly in the sex trade.

The US report said victims from neighbouring countries such as China, Myanmar and Vietnam, as well as from places such as Russia, Uzbekistan and even Fiji, migrate willingly to Thailand for various reasons. Unfortunately, many of them are later defrauded or coerced by trafficking gangs into forced labour or commercial sexual exploitation. Some are forced to beg on the streets. The problem has been exacerbated because of a lack of legal enforcement, corruption, and the hard conditions in the migrants' homelands.

Cooperation is required from the migrants and their countries of origin. For instance, the TIP report said research made available in 2010 indicated that 23 per cent of all Cambodians deported by Thai authorities at the Poipet border crossing were trafficking victims. A study by the UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking found that Thai authorities deport more than 23,000 Cambodian trafficking victims each year. Similarly, Lao authorities have reported that groups of 50 to 100 Lao trafficking victims were among thousands of Lao nationals deported by Thai authorities in recent times. An assessment of the cumulative risk of labour trafficking among Burmese migrant workers in the seafood industry in Samut Sakhon found that 57 per cent are employed in forced labour.

The Thai government has tried to address the issue by enforcing the law and arresting offenders, but progress has been slow. The number of arrests related to trafficking cases is small compared to the severity of the problem. Moreover, it is shameful that the effort is being hampered by the massive corruption of Thai law-enforcement personnel, who actually create the right conditions for trafficking to prosper, the TIP report said.

The report said: "There were credible reports that officials protected brothels, other commercial sex venues, and seafood and sweatshop facilities from raids and inspections, and that some officials engaged in commercial sex acts with child trafficking victims. In addition to the well-known corruption of local-level police officers, there were also protective relationships between central-level specialist police officers and the trafficking hot-spot regions to which they were assigned."

In fact, the responsible agencies must also realise that this problem works both ways, since many Thais are trafficked to other countries every year to become low-paid labourers or sex workers.

We do not need the TIP report to show us the seriousness of the problem. Regardless of the result of Thailand's inclusion on the US watchlist, the responsible agencies here must start to address these crimes against humanity. The task does not fall to the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security alone. It requires cooperation from everyone involved - from employees, employers, communities, law-enforcement officials and immigration officers. Moreover, Thailand will have to work much harder with other nations to prevent more migrants being lured here, either wittingly or unwittingly.

-- The Nation 2012-06-22

simple1 · June 22, 2012

Resolution of endemic corruption with the Royal Thai Police and other Thai government agencies currently appears to be irresovable when promotions are allocated based on "tea money". For example two Thai police officers recently committing armed robbery - reason given - not enough cash to pay for their promotions. A never ending supply chain of corrupt cash.

As we know ethical and moral leadership comes from the top & supported by grass roots organisations; evidence to date is this is sadly lacking

Edited June 22, 2012 by simple1

georgeesarn · June 22, 2012

I pay an employment agency to get me a job, I don,t want to pay too much,they say you will be illegal... never mind I want to make real money,

get caught: human smuggling.

I,m tired of these bleeding heart liberals, this is not trafficking, these people know what they are getting into.

( it,s only criminal if you get caught)...

Pib · June 22, 2012

The police doing law enforcement?!! I thought the police left that to the military and nowdays the police only issue (or almost issue) traffic tickets.

slapout · June 22, 2012

When you look at who is in charge of the BIB, at Minister level and at national level, leadership is a reflection of the individuals in charge. Who put them in charge and why is a perfect example of how corrupt the system is.

jonclark · June 22, 2012

What a crock of sh*t. People are often lied to by employment agencies, 'yes you will work in a restaurant', 'yes you will have a visa' etc.etc. however once the money is paid and they are on the bus,documents are confiscated, they end up in a country with no id, and in some cases they are sold by the employment agency to a gang boss and made to work to repay the value the gang boss paid for them. That work can involve working in slave like conditions with no health care or any legal right, often confined to an area/factory, with the gangs who bought them threatening violence or worse.

Hardly the pot of gold they were promised.

You will probably scoff that they are naive from the comfort of your air con room in front of your computer, which is slightly hypocritical as you said they knew what they were getting into.

Your lack of sympathy for your fellow man is conspicuous by its absence.

Skywalker69 · June 22, 2012

chooka · June 22, 2012

They don't actually issue to many traffic tickets. They generally give the customer a choice, if you want receipt (traffic ticket) 200 baht, no receipt (tea club) 100 baht. Most people dispense with the receipt as it is good for the enviroment (a few less trees pulped into paper)

Jimmu · June 22, 2012

You sir are a buffoon! You obviously have no idea with regard to this serious problem. There are more people in slavery now than there was when slavery was legal. Do some research or basic reading before opening your mouth and letting your belly rumble.

pauljones · June 22, 2012

What about the 500 or so disfigured Cambodians that are used on Bangkok footpaths to collect donations?

Is that considered human trafficking?

They must be paying the BMA.

MikeOboe57 · June 22, 2012

Oh dear, a liberal (from latin liber = free) is in political sense a person who promotes free markets whithout state interference, personal freedoms etc. Just read the agendas of the liberal parties in Europe.

Only in America people like the brainless Rush Limbaugh and the tea baggers are labelling their political opponents as "liberals" when they actually mean "socialists" or "communists" - which in the outside world makes them look like idiots, which they are.

It is like labelling the Pope a "protestant" when he protests against same sex marriages or abortions.

edit: typo

Edited June 22, 2012 by MikeOboe57

swillowbee · June 22, 2012

... but, Thai human trafficking is not the problem ... it is but a symptom of something far more threatening to Thais than a Trafficking in Persons Tier 3 listing and punitive measures.

... think about it .... this is who Thailand is, as a nation, as people, as Thai cultural values ... unlike in Thailand, civilized cultures judge who you are by what you do, not how you are perceived ... this persistent problem is an example of what Thais will actively purpetrate (by some), or officially tolerate (by many) ... in either case, only a person with truly ugly soul would do either.

... and, let's be honest ... (well, non-Thais) ... it is not just trafficking in persons that infects Thailand ... it just goes on and on and on ... this Buddhist nation must be so very proud of the cesspool they have created out of their spiritual values.

SOEYCHANLOY · June 22, 2012

I am sorry but this is not a "New". Since how many years we hear the same? 20? More...? But nothing changes. Thai economy needs slaves for continue getting income. There's slaves in many fields like in the fishing industry most workers are slaves from Burma. In the agriculture many come from Cambodia. In the prostitution many come from Laos, Burma, Cambodia.... Then, if Thailand cut those activities from another age, who will make those jobs? Rhe slaves do the lowest class jobs that Thais won't do.

Sent from my GT-S5830T using Thaivisa Connect App

Reasonableman · June 22, 2012

Where is this discount mart? Normally 200 now or 400+ at the police station, IME.

Headgame · June 22, 2012

It's obvious you know absolutely nothing about what you are commenting on.

Bleeding heart liberals? No, just people with hearts. Something you are clearly lacking along with a brain.

chrisinth · June 22, 2012

Not sure if any of you have been to the site, link is: http://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2011/164228.htm and shows the tier ratings they have given.

Definition of human trafficking in the article seems to be:

"Human trafficking involves the acts of recruiting, transporting, transferring or receiving a person through the use of force. Thousands of men and women, as well as children, continue to be forced into miserable situations via trafficking every year.

Due partly to its geographic location in the centre of Southeast Asia, Thailand has been both a destination and transit country for many trafficked men, women and children who are subject to forced labour in various industries, and particularly in the sex trade.

What I don't understand is why countries like Holland (not picking on the Dutch!) can be classed as a tier 1 country with the amount of transit that goes on there?

Where do the thousands of men and women, as well as children end up in Thailand? I am talking about people "forced" to work here, and not the ones who want to be here for financial gain.

Straight question!

sabye · June 22, 2012

You sir are totally uniformed and heartless. Try reading "SEX SLAVES - the trafficking of women in Asia" by Louise Brown. If you have any compassion in your heart this book will definetly give you a better understanding of how much trafficking of women and children goes on in South Asia and South-east Asia. I picked up a copy a couple of weeks ago at Asia Books in Phuket. I have always known that therre is a lot of trafficking of women and children in Thailand but this book makes it look even bigger and worse than what I thought it was and I have lived in Southeast Asia for 25 years. these women are in girlie bars and brothels and they range form young 10 year old girls to 25 year old women. By the time they are 25 they are worn out if they are lucky. Many will have died long brefore that from malnutrion, torture and HIV/AIDS.

bangkokheat · June 22, 2012

punitive action???

Thai at Heart · June 22, 2012

How can anyone give any real respect to the Thai police for their inability to provide a law abiding society.

Slap in the face? Plus ca change

Greer · June 22, 2012

I think this may have been a little misunderstood - I dont doubt that some money may change hands in order to grease the wheels for a promotion, but the ongoing cost is also a big, if not bigger, problem.

When you are an officer in charge of a group of subordinates, whether military or police, you become at least partly responsible for many of the extra costs that surface from time to time - you are the one who has to help the lower ranks when they get monetary problems, a special party for a child, or when a relative dies for example and the funeral costs are high (just a couple of examples I was told about)... apparently this goes on all the time, and its a very real and costly hidden "extra" for officers - simply that this is the cultural expectation as one in a senior position.

There is no way to condone any of the under the table or corrupt practices, but one thing that should eventually be done, is to increase the pay for military and police officers, and probably also for those in government service - removing some of the financial pressure may help reduce the need for tea money - otherwise, good or bad, it will remain - oh, be under no illusion that its going to go away easily either - it truly has become part of the culture, but there has to be a starting point somewhere, and I think a better salary is a good first step.

lannarebirth · June 22, 2012

Perfectly said.

Thai at Heart · June 22, 2012

I will bet that today that the total accumulated earnings of the head of the armed forces of Thailand and the head of the Thai police choice is at least twice their position in the west.

in the west they are dealing in 100k+ deals, meaning 6mn baht at most. These guys deal in 10s of millions of baht

Edited June 22, 2012 by Thai at Heart

phl · June 22, 2012

For some reason the West, including USA keeps thinking of Thailand as a fully developed country, where in reality Thailand was and still is a developing 3rd world country.

West keeps expecting the action of a grown up from a child, the reality is no matter how loud child screams he is a grown up, he is still a child

Just the fact that the PM of the country does not know what the Parliament House looks like on the inside should be enough indication to stop expecting things

Edited June 22, 2012 by phl

hellodolly · June 22, 2012

You are right that does happen quite often.

I heard talk by a fellow with a NGO that worked to redeem people who had been caught up in the human trafficking business. He was saying that it was not as easy as people think. Many of them do not want to be deported back to where they come from. As bad as they have it here it is worse back home.

He also mentioned that it was not uncommon to rescue some one only to find out that they had already been rescued returned to their home country and volinterally got caught up in the trafficking business again.

To often foreigners will look down there nose at Thai's and say look at them poor dumb people. They have no idea of what life is like in other countries. Thailand is a much better place to live under the harsh conditions here than where they come from.

I am in no way condoning it but people should be looking at way's to help these people rather than sending them back to where they came from.

hellodolly · June 22, 2012

Do these books talk about the conditions these slaves were in before. Have you ever sat down and talked with people who are trying to do some thing about the problem.

It is easy to look at part of the problem with no knowledge of the reason behind it on the part of the ones being trafficked. We know why the traffickers do it money.

When you put the whole package together you will see it is very ugly far more ugly than what you can see. Often times what you see is the good part. You can have no idea of where these people come from. I am all for stopping the trade but not for sending them back to far worse conditions.

Pib · June 23, 2012

Yea, here in Bangkok over the past years I have paid 3 "almost" issued tickets ranging from B200-B400....high cost of Bangkok living compared to the provinces I guess plus the farang price markup Didn't even have to get out of the car to make the payments...sure glad the traffic BIB didn't have to actually write the tickets because that just helps cut down more trees and Thailand needs all the trees it can get for flood prevention. I just consider my almost issued tickets as donations to flood prevention and BIB morale.

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