US downgrade move 'wrong'
Kornchanok Raksaseri,
Petchanet Pratruangkrai,
Jeerapong Prasertpolkrung
The Sunday Nation

Sihasak

BANGKOK: - Foreign Ministry says tangible progress not taken into account; vows to continue fight against human trafficking

THAILAND is "disappointed and disagrees" with the US State Department over its decision to downgrade the country in the latest Trafficking in Persons report to the lowest ranking, insisting tangible progress has been made in trying to solve the problem.

However, officials said Thailand would continue to improve its methods in preventing and suppressing human trafficking.

Foreign Ministry permanent secretary Sihasak Phuangketkeow told a press conference yesterday that Thailand was "disappointed and disagrees" with the decision and had previously provided the US with a rundown of the measures it had taken to combat the issue.

"My point is Tier 3, as described [by the US], are the countries that put in no effort. We did. We have the figures. It's not right to say we did nothing," he said.

Officials are preparing to try and boost Americans understanding of Thailand, while executives of the Thai Frozen Foods Association will this week fly to the United States for a meeting with American importers and super stores to convince them to keep importing Thai products.

The move is a response to the US move to downgrade.

Sihasak said Thailand was not adopting measures against human trafficking to please a particular country but to protect human rights.

"With or without the TIP report, Thailand will continue with our efforts to tackle this problem. It's a scourge we are facing, it's a challenge to mankind," he said. Sihasak said that over the past year, Thailand had taken up more than 400 cases involving human trafficking violations and more than 200 people had been prosecuted. At least 30 corrupt officials had been prosecuted.

He said considering the effort, which US Congress representatives had witnessed, placing Thailand in Tier 3 - on the same list as North Korea - did not reflect what Thailand had done.

Moreover, it was not right for a country to evaluate others based on its own standards, he added.

"The US should stop using such unilateral evaluations," he said, adding that the US should also review its stance towards Thailand.

The 2014 TIP report was released on Friday. Thailand was downgraded from the Tier 2 watchlist, on which it had stayed for four years.

Tier 3 is for countries that have not made sufficient progress in tackling human trafficking or not made significant efforts to do so.

As a result, Thailand could face sanctions from the US. Sihasak said, however, the sanctions would not relate to trade or humanitarian assistance. He said the military coup was not the reason behind the downgrade as the year-long evaluation prepared for the report had concluded in April.

The military coup took place on May 22. The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has put the fight against human trafficking on the national agenda, Sihasak said.

Thailand will continue to intensify measures to prevent and suppress human trafficking, he said.

NCPO chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha on Friday addressed the issue of migrant workers and human trafficking. NCPO spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvari yesterday said the downgrade was according to US law, with a Tier 2 country's ranking automatically dropping if it could not improve to Tier 1.

He said the NCPO had started working on bringing more foreign workers into the country and ensuring their human rights were protected. Another related urgent agenda was taking legal action against those who violated the laws on labour.

Caretaker director-general of the Department of Special Investigation Chatchawal Suksomjit said he was disappointed with the US decision, as human trafficking arrest statistics had clearly improved over the past five years.

However, he believed other factors were considered by the US, including the problem of law enforcement in the fisheries industry and the cases of Rohingya illegally coming to work in Thailand and being considered part of the human trafficking problem.

He also cited the problem of taking legal action against government officials, who were subject to harsher penalties but they must be convicted on concrete evidence.

He said the effect of the downgrade would be mainly psychological and it would hurt the country's image.

Five export products - textile, fish, shrimp, sugarcane and pornography - could be affected by the downgrade.

But Sihasak said Thailand's exports should not be affected, and Thailand did not export pornography.

"So far as the TIP report is concerned, whatever is mentioned as a result of the report or retaliation is not related to trade, not related to humanitarian assistance," he said.

Responding to retailer Carrefour's decision to suspend shrimp purchases from a Thai company, Sihasak said the Kingdom had already clarified that the company did not buy shrimp from factories that used forced labour.

-- The Nation 2014-06-22

Normal diplomacy; Deny deny deny.

It means nothing.

Deny yes

but is it not the USA who are in denial here

They are complaining about the last 4 years of the Thailand government not doing any thing about this problem

yet they are against this bad government being removed

To me it is typical USA so called democracy where the right hand has no idea what the left hand is doing

Before the go with verbal BS

How about they give the new ruling body a chance first

constructive criticism is what Thailand needs to help it

Not complaints about a government that is no longer in power

these people are the reason Thailand is in such a corrupt mess, they basically see no wrong in SLAVERY, prostitution, child abuse or money under the table.... the list goes on but all Thais ever do is Deny; like spoilt little children..but forget the evil deeds they do in the name of money ...Thais re-inventing buddism

So you've tired ? Try harder !

Thais sending "teams" of executives to the US is a waste and not to be believed. Thais should expense US inspectors for a show around of the Thai shrimp factories and plants to see for themselves if Thais are cleaning up. They are not.

Of course it's wrong, how dare the Americans point out the Thais are very wrong, even if it's true.

Thainess is for Thais not others to understand and marvel at.

these people are the reason Thailand is in such a corrupt mess, they basically see no wrong in SLAVERY, prostitution, child abuse or money under the table.... the list goes on but all Thais ever do is Deny; like spoilt little children..but forget the evil deeds they do in the name of money ...Thais re-inventing buddism

If we take out the word Thailand

we are describing the United States

and which country in the world put slavery on the map

a culture that set American again American

he who lives in a glass house should not throw stones

Thais sending "teams" of executives to the US is a waste and not to be believed. Thais should expense US inspectors for a show around of the Thai shrimp factories and plants to see for themselves if Thais are cleaning up. They are not.

Thai officials, and their wives, will grab any excuse to go on an all expenses paid ' chopping ' trip.

"Five export products - textile, fish, shrimp, sugarcane and pornography - could be affected by the downgrade."

Did anyone read the whole article? Just wondering if this was a typo, joke or misquote? Help me here!

"But Sihasak said Thailand's exports should not be affected, and Thailand did not export pornography."

Why would he even say this?

these people are the reason Thailand is in such a corrupt mess, they basically see no wrong in SLAVERY, prostitution, child abuse or money under the table.... the list goes on but all Thais ever do is Deny; like spoilt little children..but forget the evil deeds they do in the name of money ...Thais re-inventing buddism

If we take out the word Thailand

we are describing the United States

and which country in the world put slavery on the map

a culture that set American again American

he who lives in a glass house should not throw stones

I'm not sure what's worse - the crap you wrote or that you believe the crap you wrote.

Wouldn't it have been better to just shut up?

Set in motion what is necessary to save what little face is left.

When there are tangible results then is the time to be speaking out?

From the article: "Moreover, it was not right for a country to evaluate others based on its own standards, he added."

Thats an interesting twist.

Normal diplomacy; Deny deny deny.

It means nothing.

Normal diplomacy:kick the ambassador out. whats taking so long?

"Five export products - textile, fish, shrimp, sugarcane and pornography - could be affected by the downgrade."

Did anyone read the whole article? Just wondering if this was a typo, joke or misquote? Help me here!

"But Sihasak said Thailand's exports should not be affected, and Thailand did not export pornography."

Why would he even say this?

No typo. Further review determined pornography was not an export product and so should remain unaffected.

Thais sending "teams" of executives to the US is a waste and not to be believed. Thais should expense US inspectors for a show around of the Thai shrimp factories and plants to see for themselves if Thais are cleaning up. They are not.

Thai officials, and their wives, will grab any excuse to go on an all expenses paid ' chopping ' trip.

Sorry to burst your bubble

This is no longer allowed in Thailand

but in countries like Australia and America it is way over the top

People who live in glass houses

Interesting article here on money that was spent on lobbyists.

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jun/20/thai-government-us-human-trafficking-report

"But Sihasak said Thailand's exports should not be affected, and Thailand did not export pornography."

C.P. Foods, The richest man in Thailand! Karma.

Next time, read the op instead of your old book of overused sayings.

The first thing I noticed was he had something in his nose.

I know who is really disappointed are the people being Trafficed.

Thailand did not export pornography

That's a wasted opportunity, right there.

Thais sending "teams" of executives to the US is a waste and not to be believed. Thais should expense US inspectors for a show around of the Thai shrimp factories and plants to see for themselves if Thais are cleaning up. They are not.

This goes against what the General said about overseas junkets? Waste of time and money. Put that money and time to tracking down the culprits.

So you've tired ? Try harder !

When you take over the country you inherit the problems of the predecessor. Its up the Junta to fix the problem.

The navy boys will have to go without the $600 for each refugee that went fishing?

Wrong that it took so long.

What a very silly man. "It is not right to judge a country based on it's own standards"

Perhaps he has forgotten that these standards are set regarding foreign produce imported into America and the EU

They have every right to set their own standards and if Thailand wants a piece of this pie them simply comply and stop bitching and paying lip service. It is an open secret that little has been done in this area and the recent current exodus of worker back to Myanmar and Cambodia only highlights the condition that exist.

General off topic bickering posts and replies have been removed.

Thais sending "teams" of executives to the US is a waste and not to be believed. Thais should expense US inspectors for a show around of the Thai shrimp factories and plants to see for themselves if Thais are cleaning up. They are not.

This goes against what the General said about overseas junkets? Waste of time and money. Put that money and time to tracking down the culprits.

I would not think its a particularly difficult problem to solve for the General. A quiet word in the ear of some of his colleagues and the Navy might be able to put an end to it.

Maybe time to give Suthep a call to have a discussion about the HR policy of his fishing business off the gulf coast may need to be toned down or hidden for a few months. I believe Suthep owes him a favor.

It's about performance improvement and outcomes not effort and creating policies and programs...

Classic thai answer to problems and glad they got exposed on it..

Thailand needs to learn how to monitor and evaluate, how to enforce how to measure progress and do follow-through

Create a task force and policy and that is the thai solution...pick any problem and show me effective measurable improvent...

The list goes on and on and nothing ever changes...dog trafficking pollution waste management education prostitution burning traffic and road fatalities etc

Complete lack of problem solving skills or certain people and groups really don't want change b/c of profit and power ie corruption?

My guess is a combo of both in play...