Girl, 9, Dies Selling Garlands On Street

[george]

Girl, 9, dies selling garlands on street

BANGKOK: -- A nine-year-old girl who had been forced by her father to sell garlands at a Bangkok intersection to support the family was run over and killed by a six-wheel truck on Monday evening.

Police found the body of Ananya "Lee" Meunsuwan, a second-grader at Wat Phya Yang School, at Teuk Chai intersection in Phya Thai district at 6pm. She had suffered fatal head injuries.

Her parents, Bualoy and Umaporn Meunsuwan, were standing beside her crying.

The truck driver, Chom Hanphum, 30, who waited for police at the scene, said he was taking construction workers to the Sri Yan area when he felt the rear wheels run over something. He pulled up and saw Lee underneath the truck. Police charged Chom with reckless driving causing death.

Witnesses from the neighbourhood said Lee was forced to sell flowers to pay for her schooling and get money for her parents who did not want to work.

Ramathibodi Hospital's Forensic Medicine and Corpse Examination Unit yesterday handed over Lee's body to her parents who then took her to a funeral ceremony at Wat Khae Nang Lerng.

Relatives said Bualoy had forced Lee to sell flowers every evening until 8pm and on weekends since she was seven. She was supposed to meet a sales target or she would face a beating. Bualoy was often seen assaulting Lee at the intersection in front of others because she had asked for a break to play with other children or do homework, they said.

Social Development and Human Security Ministry permanent secretary Wallop Ploytaptim said the ministry heard about Lee two years ago and had taken her into state custody. But her parents asked for her to be returned home so they could send her to school.

Wallop said the ministry had given money to 120 families at a community near Yommarat railway line to start their own businesses but about 20 families, including Lee's, still put the lives of their children in danger by making them sell flowers and garlands at intersections. They believed children were able to sell more because people felt sorry for them.

The ministry warned the families in April last year and put them on probation, he said. Now it was considering separating the children so they could attend school and provide the parents with vocational training as a long-term solution.

Wallop said he would consult city police and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to apply the Child Protection Act to punish parents who endanger their children by forcing them to sell things at intersections. The parents could be fined up to Bt30,000 or jailed for three months. Motorists who buy from children at intersections could also be punished.

--The Nation 2006-06-28

[Backpack_thailand]

Witnesses from the neighbourhood said Lee was forced to sell flowers to pay for her schooling and get money for her parents who did not want to work.

This is a truly tragic story and I hope that the parents "who did not want to work" can NEVER show their faces in public again...!!!

This kind of story really gets my blood boiling! That poor innocent girl with her whole life in front of her.... BASTARDS!

Castrate the father, do whatever to the mother!

[bino]

This is tragic news..... Especially following so closely behind the announcement in the news recently.

I hope that the parents do face some kind of punishment for allowing this to happen, and that the government is prompted to take action against other parents before something like this happens again.

On a brighter note- at least the driver waited for the police, and didn't "flee from the scene" like we are all accustomed to seeing in reports like this!

Edited June 27, 2006 by bino

[Backpack_thailand]

Social Development and Human Security Ministry permanent secretary Wallop Ploytaptim said the ministry heard about Lee two years ago and had taken her into state custody. But her parents asked for her to be returned home so they could send her to school.

Wallop said the ministry had given money to 120 families at a community near Yommarat railway line to start their own businesses but about 20 families, including Lee's, still put the lives of their children in danger by making them sell flowers and garlands at intersections. They believed children were able to sell more because people felt sorry for them.

The ministry warned the families in April last year and put them on probation, he said. Now it was considering separating the children so they could attend school and provide the parents with vocational training as a long-term solution.

Just reading through this report again, now I'm really getting it on me...!!!

What the <deleted> is this so called "Human Security Ministry" actually doing? Giving families a load of cash to promote child labour? How was she allowed back to live with these animals?

This is the side of Thailand that really f***ing winds me up. Nothing will happen to these people and it will all be forgotten in a few weeks.

R.I.P Nong Lee...xxx

Trust me, you're better off where you are now!

[bkkmadness]

The punishment for forcing children into labour needs to be much harsher and implemented now.

The parents could be fined up to Bt30,000 or jailed for three months.

That's just not enough.

[OZONE]

The punishment for forcing children into labour needs to be much harsher and implemented now.

The parents could be fined up to Bt30,000 or jailed for three months.

That's just not enough.

I agree with Backpack Thailand first statement, "castrate the father and do whatever with the so called mother".

Raising the fined of 30000 baht to stop child labor will do nothing. I think if you get caught, automatic 1 year in jail and kids get taken away from you.

They really need to develop a better child's welfare department here in Thailand . F*** the Human Security Ministry department, obvously they didn't help much.

[Maestro]

The truck driver, Chom Hanphum, 30, who waited for police at the scene, said he was taking construction workers to the Sri Yan area when he felt the rear wheels run over something. He pulled up and saw Lee underneath the truck. Police charged Chom with reckless driving causing death.

A child walks in front of the rear wheels of a truck as it starts off at an intersection when the lights change to green, and the truck driver gets charged with reckless driving.

Interesting! Any wonder why most truck drivers prefer to flee the scene?

---------------

Maestro

[marquess]

This is tragic news..... Especially following so closely behind the announcement in the news recently.

I hope that the parents do face some kind of punishment for allowing this to happen, and that the government is prompted to take action against other parents before something like this happens again.

On a brighter note- at least the driver waited for the police, and didn't "flee from the scene" like we are all accustomed to seeing in reports like this!

Imprisonment is the only suitable punishment for these so called "parents!" The gov needs to send the correct message out to other would be exploiters.

[Maejo Man]

A child walks in front of the rear wheels of a truck as it starts off at an intersection when the lights change to green, and the truck driver gets charged with reckless driving.

Interesting! Any wonder why most truck drivers prefer to flee the scene?

I must confess that I'm normally with the lynch mob when it comes to culpable drivers fleeing the scene, but in this instance, the poor driver was stopped at the lights! Having seen the way in which these young children flirt with death as the lights change, it's a wonder there are not more accidents.

A sad and needless loss of a young life. Words escape me as to the parents

[marshbags]

A child walks in front of the rear wheels of a truck as it starts off at an intersection when the lights change to green, and the truck driver gets charged with reckless driving.

Interesting! Any wonder why most truck drivers prefer to flee the scene?

I must confess that I'm normally with the lynch mob when it comes to culpable drivers fleeing the scene, but in this instance, the poor driver was stopped at the lights! Having seen the way in which these young children flirt with death as the lights change, it's a wonder there are not more accidents.

A sad and needless loss of a young life. Words escape me as to the parents

................................................................................

.............................

Why does Thai society allow childrens lives to be put at such a risk ?

Imagine all the thousands of buyers and observers who tolerate this and other such incidents and give there approval by doing so.

Feeling sorry now and displaying sadness is really hypocritical.

How tragic for the loss of life and in particular this young girl.

I feel sick to my stomach every time i read about yet another incident.

When is the government going to outlaw such happenings.

It shouldn,t be difficult, after all they are all in the open and in this particular case she has been in the public view for at least 2 years now.

How very, very sad, again i am sickened by humanity.

May she now be in a happier place ..............please.

marshbags

Edited June 28, 2006 by marshbags

[leftcross]

parents are complete and utter filth. they don't deserve to breathe the air any more. they were probably crying because they realised they might have to work for once. thai kee nok.

[Scott]

This is truly sad for all concerned. I am afraid I also have pity for the parents. I think those reporting this story may have taken liberties with their journalistic skills. They have painted the parents in a very evil way but based on what? Did these people actually say they don't want to work? They may be bad parents or they may be very unfortunate souls with very limited means of earning money.

Remember this is a gov't that a few months back had proposed that children selling garlands change to selling expressway coupons. They didn't propose that they be taken off the street.

I guess what makes me feel badly is that with all the populist policies, these extremely vulnerable children, living and working in a very dangerous situation, have not been provided with basic protection. This is especially true since they aren't hidden. We can all see them. Most work within easy site of a police box.

[chuang]

What kind of father would force his 9 years old kid do such a thing...

Maybe it's GOD's way of ending her misery now or in the future...it's really sad sad..

[Pink Mist]

I feel sorry for the driver, he did the right thing and stayed there.

I feel remorse for the child.

as to the rest it is really a no win situation

[frenchFARANGbkk]

So sad.

Hope the parents will be jailed for 20 years at least.

If they have other children they will send them to do the same job, so better give assistance to the kids and find them real parents, not bastards like these ones.

[Tompa]

While the story might well be angled it’s still a fact that the poor girl was forced into a place where no child should ever have to be.

It just breaks my heart every time I hear something like this. Hopefully some publicity will ensure proper punishment of the parents as well as to put the heat on the dead beat Government Department responsible for the well fare of kids.

R.I.P little girl…

[opothai]

firstly is the reporting correct or influenced by government heads, if the child was made to work by her parents then they deserve every thing possibly coming to them.

as for the driver being charged with reckless driving, when he had stopped and waited for the police, this again is sending the wrong message, as was mentioned earlier no drivers will stop rightly or wrongly.

i'm afraid with this government and its blatent lying record and fabricated past. will we ever know the truth?

they say they gave these families money, any varification? and why just give money without some sort of guidence.

poverty eradication we have heard for months upon months.

RIP this young child

[jaiyenjohn]

"Motorists who buy from children at intersections could also be punished."

This is probably the only way to stop the exploitation of these children in the intersections. You need to take the profit motive out of it. Relying on the goodwill of humanity vs. hard baht in Thailand is begging for dissapointment.

Like a lot of times in Thailand, money is the be all and end all of morality.

I quickly came to the rule that I simply do not buy anything from children EVER. Got to remove the profitability, rather than rely on the parents and police to do the right thing.

[Backpack_thailand]

"Motorists who buy from children at intersections could also be punished."

It's a Catch 22. If these poor kids don't sell their quota for the day then they're just going to beaten when they go home...!!!

It's a no win situation, you can't just stop buying from the children. The only way is for the kids to be banned from selling altogether. If they are caught the parents have to pay a fine and the kids are taken into care.

[jaiyenjohn]

"Motorists who buy from children at intersections could also be punished."

It's a Catch 22. If these poor kids don't sell their quota for the day then they're just going to beaten when they go home...!!!

It's a no win situation, you can't just stop buying from the children. The only way is for the kids to be banned from selling altogether. If they are caught the parents have to pay a fine and the kids are taken into care.

That's what the parents of this little girl are counting on. They're counting on your good nature to give their kid some money out of pity. In order to get that money, they are willing to put their child in a dangerous and potentially fatal situation, day after day.

If you remove that money from the equation, there is no need to put their kid out on the street. By buying things from these kids, you ensure that they, and their future brothers and sisters will be put in harms way. You do it out of general compassion, but the results are found under the wheels of large trucks.

Do you really think the police can stop this? Or rather will the parents just move the kid somewhere else, or in another juristiction where the cops aren't so vigilant?

Yes, some of the kids may get a beating if they don't make their quotas, but if no one gave there would also be no reason to beat them. Taking the money out of the equation is the only way to make it stop, and luckily that's in your power, not the police, the parents, or a social welfare ministry.

Edited June 28, 2006 by jaiyenjohn

[opothai]

"Motorists who buy from children at intersections could also be punished."

It's a Catch 22. If these poor kids don't sell their quota for the day then they're just going to beaten when they go home...!!!

It's a no win situation, you can't just stop buying from the children. The only way is for the kids to be banned from selling altogether. If they are caught the parents have to pay a fine and the kids are taken into care.

agree bpack

the only problem is what sort of care the government supply

six months scheme plenty of pictures in the press of a caring ministry then all forgotten about and onto the next project that can make somebody look good.

sorry for the negativity about the ministries but what have they ever really achieved apart from unfinished projects and unatainable promises to the masses that suits the rich to keep the poor, poor and line thier own pockets.

education is the only true way out of poverty for any country and thailand is way way short of investment in that department.