Southern Thai Police inspect fishing boats in search of human traffickers

[webfact]

Southern Police Inspect Fishing Boats In Search Of Human Traffickers
By Khaosod English


Marine police in Satul province inspected fishing boats manned by Burmese workers to look for potential human traffickers and drug use, 19 June 2014.

SATUL — Marine police in Satul province inspected fishing boats manned by Burmese workers today to look for potential human traffickers and drug use.

The inspection was overseen by Prayoon Rattanasenee, deputy governor of Satul, and carried out by a combined force of police officers, Royal Thai Navy servicemen, and social workers.

The officials selected fishing boats at random off of Thailand’s western coast and boarded them to inspect their crews. According to Mr. Prayoon, the inspection found no breach of laws on any of the boats.

Mr. Prayoon told Khaosod that the officials want to ensure the welfare and safety of workers on Thai fishing boats, especially migrant workers.

"Many agencies in Satul are enforcing strict measures to monitor the condition of workers' lives, food, residences," Mr. Prayoon said. "We are also working to root out the human trafficking network in the fishing industry. It's a major problem in Satul province."

The search came after a series of events have brought Thailand's weak record of combating human trafficking into global spotlight. Earlier this month, the British newspaper The Guardian revealed that more than 200,000 Burmese migrants are trafficked into Thailand to work as slaves in the Thai seafood and fishing industry. According to the investigative report, thousands of Burmese migrants pay brokers to help them cross the border and find work in Thailand, but are instead sold on to "slave vessels" and subject to deplorable working conditions and abuse.

Days later, Thailand incurred a fresh wave of criticsim from human rights groups after it was the only country to vote against a U.N. treaty requiring countries to punish perpetrators of forced labor.

Before reversing its decision, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country voted against the protocol because “Thailand has to seriously consider her own readiness to implement such an instrument, in conformity with relevant Thai laws.”

After a week of bad press, Thai officials are now bracing themselves for another blow. The US State Department is set to release its annual human Trafficking in Persons report (TIP) on Friday, and Thailand is expected to drop down to the lowest rank. If Thailand is downgraded to Tier 3, it may face economic sanctions and the withdrawal of financial aid.

In the past week, over 200,000 Cambodians have fled Thailand out of fear that the Thai military regime is preparing to crackdown on migrant workers.

However, deputy governor of Satul Mr. Prayoon said he has not received any reports of migrant workers in Satul heading back to their home countries. Most of the migrant workers in Satul are from Myanmar, not Cambodia.

Mr. Prayoon also urged operators of fishing boats in Satul who have not legally registered their migrant workers to do so in the near future.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1403179696&typecate=06&section=


-- Khaosod English 2014-06-20

[EricBerg]

A media-offensive probably will not work this time. A US boycott would cost heaps of money. Present government has all the power. Fighting the trafficking should be made a priority.

[ramrod711]

Days later, Thailand incurred a fresh wave of criticsim from human rights groups after it was the only country to vote against a U.N. treaty requiring countries to punish perpetrators of forced labor.

Before reversing its decision, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country voted against the protocol because “Thailand has to seriously consider her own readiness to implement such an instrument, in conformity with relevant Thai laws.”

Shameful, I love the response, basically "No Thai workers want to work on the boats for nothing so we need slaves to gain a competetive advantage".

[NongKhaiKid]

With a feared US report just about to be published this could be shutting the stable door and a lot more over a protracted period will have to be done to redress any adverse comments, cuts in aid etc.

[Usual Suspect]

The report shows RTP inspecting these boats..

* Would the slaves DARE to speak out while still onboard the vessel?

* RTP report no cases of human traffiking..are these the same MIB that have been inspecting these boats for years now..?

* And yes..this photo & report will be seen in most U.S. newspapers given that the hatchet is now swinging above Thailand's Tier 2 status.

[thumper101]

This is all staged to discredit the Guardian report of 200,000 Burmese slaves on Thai waters. Probably posed for the photo and then left.

Almost certainly propaganda, and all it will do is piss off the educated west who know exactly what is going on here.

It wouldn't shock me too much if all the slaves have been tipped overboard by now.... Naaa, maybe that's going a too far, but if they can do it to Indonesian naval officials....

[timewilltell]

If anyone gets all worked up about journalists who expose bad things and reacts by criminal prosecution rather than an internal investigation the it pretty much shows exactly who is in the right and who is trying to cover up.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

[UbonRatch]

Forget the South. They should be hard hitting Samut Sakhorn... Oh yeah! I forgot. Too close to the devastaing truth that place... better leave it 'til last.

http://www.google.co.th/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CEAQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ilo.org%2Fipecinfo%2Fproduct%2Fdownload.do%3Ftype%3Ddocument%26id%3D17341&ei=YYejU-ijMsiHuASd04LABw&usg=AFQjCNFDTceMw6Am9hNsZ-kXPCBLbBj_4g&sig2=9YvloWAGQRe0WW-NJrYVHA&bvm=bv.69411363,d.c2E&cad=rjt

I have vast experience of what goes on in Samut Sakhorn. My ex-wife's family owns one of the huge processing/freezer plants there.

I was gobsmacked when I was openly given a tour, to display their vast wealth. Brother, sister, father (Chinese) and mother... 4 brand new Benz parked in a row each morning outside the front of a huge, beautifully glazed reception. What goes on at the back of the factory/freezer is a different kettle of fish. I won't go into great detail, but I saw Burmese girls as young as 10 sitting in rows, in what could be described only as approx 20C max temps. Their exhaled breath was visible as white clouds of freezong air... and they were watched intesively by Thai overseers.

I dared to ask how my ex-Bro in law felt about the use of migrant labour. He was delighted to tell me he was investing in the property market, and he had many Burmese lined up to build new sets of condos. Their pay would be 150Baht a day... his margins were huge and his ammortisation time for return on investment would be in the months... Delightful... NOT!

Edited June 20, 2014 by UbonRatch

[clockman]

Land of smoke and mirrors!

[Bluespunk]

deleted

Edited June 20, 2014 by Bluespunk

[klauskunkel]

Thailand incurred a fresh wave of criticsim from human rights groups after it was the only country to vote against a U.N. treaty requiring countries to punish perpetrators of forced labor.

Before reversing its decision, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country voted against the protocol because “Thailand has to seriously consider her own readiness to implement such an instrument, in conformity with relevant Thai laws.”

Oh Thailand, always ready to punish those who tarnish your image, always ready to prosecute those who criticize the way you do things, always ready to cry and shout "foul" to the world for a perceived wrong....but also always ready to step with gusto onto every available pile of poop on your way to a respectable nation...