Songkhla ranked fourth highest in human trafficking crimes

[webfact]

Songkhla ranked fourth highest in human trafficking
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Royal Thai Police revealed that Songkhla ranked fourth in terms of the number of areas most at risk of human-trafficking crimes at 642, after Bangkok's 1,108, Chumphon's 997 and Prachuap Khiri Khan's 848 locations.

This report prompted Social Development and Human Security Minister's secretary Anusorn Eiamsa-Ard to visit the province for inspection yesterday, where he was told by Songkhla deputy governor Surapong Panut-ampon that there were many human-trafficking cases in terms of prostitution in the city.

Surapong explained that Songkhla, a tourism and trade hub, served as a core supplier of women and children to prostitution rings in Malaysia and Singapore. He said authorities had rescued 73 prostitution victims in 2011; 17 in 2012 and eight in 2013. There was also a high number of people being forced into labour in the fishery business, he said, adding that authorities had rescued 15 persons in 2011; 17 in 2012; and seven in 2013.

Provincial Police Region 9 investigator Pol Maj-General Jeerawat Udomsuk said he covered human-trafficking crimes in Songkhla, Satun, Trang and Phang Nga provinces and the toughest issue was the Rohingya people who fled turmoil in Myanmar and wished to live here permanently. He said the refugees were a financial burden on the Thai government, but nothing could be done other than force them back into their country. Even then, they tend to sneak back in, he said.

Jeerawat cited Sadao district, where thousands of migrant children had no access to education and would possibly grow up to cause social problems in the future. He called on the foreign minister and other people in power to speak to Malaysia about pushing Rohingya refugees into Thailand as well as punish the state officials who help with the transfer.

Royal Thai Police representative Pol Colonel Surapong Muenpaopun said there were 2,000 registered Rohinya people in Thailand, but the actual figure could be larger and grow further if nothing is done to send them back to Myanmar. These people also faced the risk of becoming human-trafficking victims.

Anusorn's visit was to prepare for the ministry's strategy to tackle human trafficking in seven pilot provinces such as Songkhla, which will be used as a model for the suppression of human-trafficking cases.


-- The Nation 2013-06-19

[PoodMaiDai]

They know the problem is there and even the details of how it all works. Now what are they going to do about it?

[Thai at Heart]

Did they notice a trend in the figures possibly of a geographical basis?

[tomross46]

They know the problem is there and even the details of how it all works. Now what are they going to do about it?

Nothing.

[Payboy]

Songkhla, a tourism and trade hub

Hubba Hubba

[jaltsc]

They know the problem is there and even the details of how it all works. Now what are they going to do about it?

Make as much money as they can off the situation

[theblether]

As far as I read it these are detected crimes, so that tells you that the authorities are looking for these poor people.

I'm interested in what happens next after detection, the Scottish government has recently announced that victims of human trafficking will no longer be prosecuted for any "offences" committed as a result of their deprivation.

Many of these people were in a position where they felt that by going to the authorities for help they would themselves be arrested, prosecuted, jailed, and deported. What a hellish state to find yourself in.

I applaud the Scottish government for taking this step to help the victims of this despicable trade, and I hope that this policy becomes standard practise around the world.

We need to get after the scum the run these rings.

[noitom]

Where are the headline arrests and prosecutions of all these thousands of cases of human trafficking in Thailand?

[Emdog]

Part of government economic development plan for the south I hear.

[allan michaud]

"He said the refugees were a financial burden on the Thai government, but nothing could be done other than force them back into their country. Even then, they tend to sneak back in, he said."

So they admit what they told the UN about the Rohinga was a lie!

[GentlemanJim]

Songkhla ranked fourth highest in human trafficking

Obviously such statistics add up towards making Thailand 27th most competitive in the World!

The problem here is that there are too many people making too much money out of this, so the chances of stopping this are almost impossible without a cast iron will from the Government. With oxygen thieves such as these around and the corrupt MP's if Thai's really do believe in reincarnation and that if you are bad in this life you will regress to a worse life form in the next then Thailand is due a plague of cockroaches in 30 years time.

[lee b]

sick