Get tough on firms trafficking migrant workers, US official urges Thailand

[webfact]

HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Get tough on firms trafficking migrant workers, US official urges
Thammarat Kitchalong
The Nation

WASHINGTON: -- LUIS CdeBaca, ambassador at large for the US State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, urged Thailand yesterday to impose harsh sentences on employers found guilty of trafficking migrant workers.

The Anti-Human Trafficking Act calls for four to 10 years in prison and fines of Bt80,000-Bt200,000 against those convicted of such offences.

CdeBaca said the US would send an advisory team to help improve the Thai Labour Ministry's worker-inspection system and human-trafficking prosecution process, which he said was rather slow, not strict enough, and encouraged employers to repeatedly commit trafficking offences.

Expressing concern over the seizure of migrant workers' passports and docking of their pay to cover middlemen's commissions, CdeBaca suggested the ministry - which is unable to cover all sites employing migrants due to labour staff shortages -enlist the help of police to inspect factories and ensure the timely arrest of offending employers.

CdeBaca urged stricter controls on employment agencies, some of which charge Thai workers placed in jobs overseas fees so high they fall within the framework of human-trafficking offences.

He also urged the government to ensure that a good worker-protection system was in place before it proceeds with its plan to import 50,000 Bangladeshis to work in the Thai fishery industry.

Admitting that most employers faced only fines and civil lawsuits, Labour Ministry permanent secretary Somkiat Chayasriwon said he would talk to the minister about stricter measures and criminal charges for those who commit human trafficking. He would also talk with the departments of Employment and Labour Protection and Welfare about a probe into agencies that overcharge Thais for placement in overseas jobs, and the possibility of prosecuting these agencies under the criminal code.


-- The Nation 2013-08-07

[ChrisY1]

A bit of a test for Chalerm here......could be interesting, although I doubt much will change.....other than more the usual talk from his department

[Robby nz]

Like the ones from Mexico.

Oh hang on that's a different country.

[NongKhaiKid]

Sorry US no can do, too many politicians and VIPs involved with the companies

[zydeco]

Like the ones from Mexico.

Oh hang on that's a different country.

You beat me to it. The self righteous hypocrisy of the US on this issue is unmatched.

[4evermaat]

Isnt it fairly easy for migrant workers from neighboring countries to legally work in thailand anyway?

Much easier than migrating to usa for work?

"...the 2nd best time to plant a tree is today." Sent from ThaiVisa app (Galaxy Note 2).

[chooka]

Those involved in this would be connected and nothing will happen. Just tell the U.S we are taking care of it, now where is that truckload of Burmese I ordered?

[arthurboy]

I congratulate Mr. CdeBaca on his comments and initiative.

Working together with the eminently qualified and obviously capable Mr. Chalerm on this important issue is sure to bring results.

[tomross46]

Like the ones from Mexico.

Oh hang on that's a different country.

You beat me to it. The self righteous hypocrisy of the US on this issue is unmatched.

You guys are fast. This is another case of politicians in the USA telling other countries to crack down on a problem, when the USA does nothing. OH! my mistake the US governments rewards illegal aliens with food stamps, and now they will get citizenship. While people that follow the law, have to wait for years to get a visa, foreign students that graduate from university in the USA are deported because they are no longer students.

[lovetotravel]

Like the ones from Mexico.

Oh hang on that's a different country.

You beat me to it. The self righteous hypocrisy of the US on this issue is unmatched.

So you are saying Thailand is doing a better job at this than the US?

[zydeco]

Like the ones from Mexico.

Oh hang on that's a different country.

You beat me to it. The self righteous hypocrisy of the US on this issue is unmatched.

So you are saying Thailand is doing a better job at this than the US?

The estimate of the number of illegal aliens in the US ranges from 12 million to more than 30 million. So, yes, I AM saying that Thailand is doing a better job than the US.

[assayer]

• 640 posts

Posted 13 minutes ago

lovetotravel, on 07 Aug 2013 - 08:56, said:

zydeco, on 07 Aug 2013 - 07:39, said:

Robby nz, on 07 Aug 2013 - 07:33, said:

Like the ones from Mexico.

Oh hang on that's a different country.

You beat me to it. The self righteous hypocrisy of the US on this issue is unmatched.

So you are saying Thailand is doing a better job at this than the US?

The estimate of the number of illegal aliens in the US ranges from 12 million to more than 30 million. So, yes, I AM saying that Thailand is doing a better job than the US.

I could not find the statistic to support my thoughts, but i think that if you can find the numbers the USA has a lower percentage of illegals than are here in Thailand.

[noitom]

The US, Europe, Japan, and Australia should boycott all Thai goods made or farmed in industries suspected of repeated human trafficking. Do it now. Compel the Thais to stop it. Surveil it, enforce it, and keep surveilling it. The international boycott and suspension of any aid is the only language the Thais relate to.

[simple1]

The US, Europe, Japan, and Australia should boycott all Thai goods made or farmed in industries suspected of repeated human trafficking. Do it now. Compel the Thais to stop it. Surveil it, enforce it, and keep surveilling it. The international boycott and suspension of any aid is the only language the Thais relate to.

Not going to happen as suspension of trade betwen countries is not covered by international conventions for human trafficking

[jmccarty]

Khun Somkiat says he will talk! Isn't that enough?

[lovetotravel]

You beat me to it. The self righteous hypocrisy of the US on this issue is unmatched.

So you are saying Thailand is doing a better job at this than the US?

The estimate of the number of illegal aliens in the US ranges from 12 million to more than 30 million. So, yes, I AM saying that Thailand is doing a better job than the US.

There's a huge difference between an illegal alien and a trafficked worker. In the US, illegal aliens get free health care, drive cars and some live in very nice homes. They go to the US on their own, not brought in by corrupt companies with the help of corrupt government employees. My cousin is married to one from Slovakia. Came on a tourist visa and overstayed. But, not sure how long she'll be able to stay. She is an illegal alien after all.

Get caught hiring illegal alien workers in the US and it's a big deal. Here, a brown paper bag solves the problem. Good reading on Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_trafficking_in_Thailand

I doubt anything like this happens in the US, but is very common here:

http://www.ejfoundation.org/soldtotheseafilm

And this is a good article:

http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Phuket-Opinion-Human-trafficking-is-Thailand-s-failure-21482.html

Whatever a person thinks of the messenger, the message itself really should be heeded because human trafficking is everywhere in Thailand, and in no part of the Kingdom is it more 'in your face' than right here in Phuket. Illegal migrants, mostly from Myanmar, do almost all of the heavy lifting here in jobs that many Thais wont do: fishing, rubber tapping, domestic help and construction.

Well put. Focus on the problem, not the messenger.

[LuckyLew]

"the US is not my older brother"

[deecee10]

Trafficking migrant workers is one way to bolster tourism figures.

[Joe Mamma]

• 640 posts

Posted 13 minutes ago

lovetotravel, on 07 Aug 2013 - 08:56, said:

zydeco, on 07 Aug 2013 - 07:39, said:

Robby nz, on 07 Aug 2013 - 07:33, said:

Like the ones from Mexico.

Oh hang on that's a different country.

You beat me to it. The self righteous hypocrisy of the US on this issue is unmatched.

So you are saying Thailand is doing a better job at this than the US?

The estimate of the number of illegal aliens in the US ranges from 12 million to more than 30 million. So, yes, I AM saying that Thailand is doing a better job than the US.

I could not find the statistic to support my thoughts, but i think that if you can find the numbers the USA has a lower percentage of illegals than are here in Thailand.

Estimates on illegal and magnet citizen scams have the population of Bangkok in the US invasion of encroachers awaiting amensity!

[DGIE]

Let's see if the order will be obeyed

[arthurboy]

Human trafficking is modern day slavery.

And no matter where it exists, it must be stopped and those people responsible for it severely punished.

End of.

****nonsense comment removed****