Thai govt finding real problems to human trafficking in fishery industry

[webfact]

Govt finding real problems to human trafficking in fishery industry

BANGKOK, 6 November 2014 (NNT) – The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security is now trying to find a solution to human trafficking in the fishery industry.

Social Development and Human Security Minister Pol. Gen. Adul Sangsingkaew chaired a meeting that focuses on resolving human trafficking problems in the fishery industry. Several key agencies such as the Harbor, Fishery, and Consular Departments as well as the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and the Ministry of Labor have been invited to join the meeting.

The objective of this meeting is to determine measures and identify real problems in the fishery industry. Roles and responsibilities would be given to each unit involved to keep anyone from falling prey to human trafficking.

Police General Adul said that problems would be voiced in today’s meeting and provincial governors would be needed to get involved and take actions whether it be amending the law or enforcing strict regulations.

The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security is expected to visit Samut Sakhon province on November 13th to listen to opinions from the private sector and use them to devise a preventative approach.


-- NNT 2014-11-06

[Costas2008]

The whole world is condemning the human trafficking in Thai fishery industry and they are going on November 13th to listen to opinions from the private sector and use them to devise a preventative approach!

For once in your lives, do something now, stop human trafficking at once.

You can do it if you want, you know who the culprits are, stop talking and lets see some action.

[casindonet]

And at the end of the day....nothing changes, business & denial as usual.

[JOC]

From the Thai side, clearly nothing is going to happen!!

So the only solution is a ban from US and the EU of import of products where fishmeal (mainly prawns) has been used.

Or is a cheap price for Western customers more important than the lives of some Asian fishermen??

Sadly I know the answer!!

[clockman]

The problem they face. Is how can we hide this?

[dinger]

Sure seems the story has changed dramaticly from a few month ago when the U S downgraded Thailands rating on human rights. Just go re-read the articles written then, Thailand doesn't have a problem with human trafficing, besides Thailand doesn't care what the U S and EU think anyway.

[thesetat2013]

And at the end of the day....nothing changes, business & denial as usual.

Not so! When all is said and done they will make another claim that industry has stopped all human trafficking and registered all workers the same they did last month. Until some more slaves jump overboard and are found still alive to tell their tale.

[toybits]

The problem of human trafficking in the fishing industry has been going for too long it that is cannot possibly exist without complicity of certain authorities. Those authorities are probably paid off to turn a blind eye to the human trafficking problem. It is shameful that it is allowed to happen. If the government were really serious about eliminating human trafficking in the sector, they would have done it a long time ago. It is really more about making more money. Who cares about those aliens?

[Katipo]

Pesky foreigners again. Letting themselves get abducted and damaging Thailand's reputation.

I really am looking forward to the rational and well thought out policies to help stamp out this slave trade. They've set the bar so high in their tackling or problems in other areas after all.

[AGareth2]

too much money involved

[worgeordie]

I thought they checked the fishing fleets not long ago and could not

find any trafficked workers, A.K.A. slaves ,which I thought strange at

the time,now they want to solve a problem, they said before they never

had,Thailand is a confusing place.

regards Worgeordie

[brucec64]

One only has to look as far as the Rohingya trafficking lawsuit to understand why there will be no meaningful change under the current regime.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/22/world/asia/thailand-media-defamation/

[Chris Lawrence]

Arrest some of the big wigs and then parade them in front of the cameras with people pointing fingers at them.

That should start to bring a little change in the industry.

But as Bruce above points out in the attached article, this will not happen.

[kuiburi]

Well , only thing we can hope is that they are serious about it now , so less corpses wash up the beaches .

[RustBucket]

Sure seems the story has changed dramaticly from a few month ago when the U S downgraded Thailands rating on human rights. Just go re-read the articles written then, Thailand doesn't have a problem with human trafficing, besides Thailand doesn't care what the U S and EU think anyway.

Thailand will care a lot if sanctions are imposed by the EU and USA.

It will cripple the entire fishing industry and exporters and hit the Thai economy.

If Thailand still fails to comply, the sanctions will be widened to other products.

Thailand will certainly care. Don't fool yourself. It also has knock on effects across many sectors where other importers will dislike Thailand's use of human trafficking and boycott them off their own backs.... including tourists.

[englishoak]

Keep digging that sick hole Thailand and see where it gets you.

Add to the reputation it would rather forget such as sex tourism, drug parties and cheap copies of this and that brand, the world is becoming increasingly aware of Thailand being a country that

Has a ongoing massive terrorist problem in the south.

Dosnt have elections but Martial Law

Can't go a decade without a coup

Cant keep a constitution for less

Has corrupt police to the point tourists regularly get murdered and no one caught.

Human trafficking it wont deal with the armed forces are involved in running

Minorities like the hilltribes it wont even give rights to.

Massive Black market Ivory trade it will not address

Slavery of epic proportions in industries it refuses to eradicate.

Rapidly rising prices to the point its becoming no longer cheap or worth the quality to price

im sure theres more but thats just whats current and regularly in the international news about the place.

It'll get to the point people will just associate Thailand with these problems it refuses to clean up and just stop coming or wanting anything to do with the place. not every single person but just in general will be enough. Getting a good reputation is hard but once established a bad rep is even harder to shrug off.

It'll serve the place right too.

Edited November 6, 2014 by englishoak

[oneday]

This should put a dent in the case against Andy Hall. Go Andy!

[Emster23]

Not so much "finding" the problem as having it shoved in face til run out of excuses to ignore. Reminds me of owner taking dog and rubbing it's nose in poo found in living room. Probably with about same level of behavior change....

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

Make people accountable!!! I have not seen any high level people charged in connection with this. Do nothing and nothing will change. Obviously they don't really want it to.

[trainman34014]

When all is said and done.......a lot will be said and not a lot done !

[retarius]

Why isn;t the Navy involved....the military run the country why not have the Navy intercept fishing trawlers and check whether the crew have been paid...if not impound the boat and jail the owner for life. If he tells the name of the broker and the broker goes down for life, give the owner a 20 year sentence instead of life.

[Hatyaier]

Police General Adul said that problems would be voiced in today’s meeting and provincial governors would be needed to get involved and take actions whether it be amending the law or enforcing strict regulations.

"Amending the law" Is there no laws against this practice?

"Enforcing strict regulations" What a novel idea!

[Traveler19491]

Several posters have mentioned sanctions by the US and EU. I have to agree that it is going to take some drastic action from outside of Thailand before anything meaningful is going to happen with regard to human trafficking. There's just too much money involved, and too many corrupt government officials profiting handsomely from this activity for any real solutions to ever be brought into action. Thailand is going to have to hurt, and hurt seriously before anyone does anything that will actually make a difference. So I would urge the US and EU to immediately invoke draconian sanctions against Thai exports, and not just in the fishing industry, but across the board. Thai officialdom has revealed itself to be more than happy to drag its feet for indefinite periods, hoping that whatever the current issue is will simply lose its popularity and then fade away (think Koh Tao), which has, unfortunately, worked pretty successfully for them in the past. Sanctions should not be phased in, but be drastic, be enacted quickly, and be targeted so as to hurt those at the top as quickly as possible. Hit their pocketbooks, hit them hard, and something will get done. Until then...business as usual. And more slaves are snared, lives destroyed, and people dying.

[FireMedic]

Is there money to be made? Yes or no? It will stop when the answer is no.

[BestBitterPhuket]

How about sentencing some of the fishing boat owners and captains to life in prison for kidnapping like Thailand's laws allows. How about following thai law, even if the rich and influential lose out. How about that?

[ggt]

These animals who work the slave trade need to be placed in prison and made to do hard labor...

Do whatever is required to bring the menace to Thai society under control...

[joecoolfrog]

A great deal of effort will be spent in order to disguise the problem as much as possible.

[chrisrazz]

Unfortunately for Thailand, 'Country of Origin' is stated on all products in western supermarkets. It is easy for discerning shoppers to decide what they buy based on their personal moral and ethical standards. If you are aware that a purchase of an item was a product of slave labour, and that your purchase of said product implied that you supported such behavior you may leave the product on the shelf. Unlike Thai officials, supermarkets chains are no mugs, when stuff does not sell it's taken off the shelf. Thailand's solution to this is criminal defamation. The other issue that flies straight over the head of Thai officials is that unlike Thailand, western supermarkets operate in regulated, competitive and unprotected markets. They spend a lot of money trying to influence and exploit public sentiment and will act in ways to protect THIER interests, good and bad PR will impact these interests. Thai officials, on the other hand......

[farangmick]

Some good will come of this for some people. The officials involved will be able to point to the crackdown and use it as an excuse for extracting more money from the skippers and boat owners for turning a blind eye "at great risk to themselves".