Thai govt moves to tackle human trafficking

[webfact]

Govt moves to tackle human trafficking
PRAVIT ROJANAPHRUK
THE NATION

FISHING BOAT GPS PART OF MEASURES TO LIFT RATING NEXT YEAR; US 'TOO JUDGMENTAL'

BANGKOK: -- THE GOVERNMENT has taken measures to improve Thailand's rating in the United States' Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report for next year, officials said yesterday.

Thailand was ranked the lowest at Tier 3 in the TIP report released this year, which means the Kingdom does little to nothing to protect people from being trafficked or in prosecuting traffickers. The report is the US government's key diplomatic tool to engage foreign governments on the issue of human trafficking and modern-day slavery.

Focusing on possible abuse of migrant workers on trawlers, new measures just introduced, include equipping trawlers with more than eight workers with a GPS system, Varaporn Prompoth, an expert at the Department of Fishery, said.

"If the trawler leaves [the port] with 10 workers and returns with eight, then they will have to explain what happened to the other two. Were they thrown overboard or tortured?" Varaporn told the 13th National Symposium of Justice Administration at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.

However, he acknowledged that Thailand could do little to ensure workers' safety in international waters.

Other measures include holding a hearing about human-trafficking problems at 22 coastal provinces with shrimp-processing plants, as well as running roadshows in the US and France to show that Thailand is taking the problems of human trafficking and labour exploitation seriously.

Witchu Vejjajiva, director of the North America Division at the Foreign Ministry, commented that the US tends to be too sweeping in its judgement on human trafficking in the Kingdom.

He said the Foreign Ministry was trying hard to convince the US State Department that the situation in Thailand is not as bad as it appears.

He noted that Thailand had increased the punishment for human traffickers and offered compensation to victims in a bid to improve the situation.

He acknowledged, however, that the US looked into many other areas, such as whether the hotline for trafficked persons had interpreters and if people rescued were offered adequate shelter and an opportunity to earn a living. Other areas that need improvement include boosting public awareness about the human-trafficking problem.

While the situation has improved since the TIP report was released earlier this year and many markets have now resumed buying Thai fishery products, Witchu urged vigilance and said negative foreign reports worsen the situation.

Pol General Chatchawan Suksomchit, permanent secretary of the Justice Ministry, admitted yesterday that Thailand still had a lot to do, adding that the Kingdom is an independent country.

"Though the situation [of human trafficking] exist, we're not their colony," he said, referring to the US.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Govt-moves-to-tackle-human-trafficking-30250534.html


-- The Nation 2014-12-24

[BigBadGeordie]

Govt moves to tackle human trafficking

Pol General Chatchawan Suksomchit, permanent secretary of the Justice Ministry, admitted yesterday that Thailand still had a lot to do, adding that the Kingdom is an independent country.

"Though the situation [of human trafficking] exist, we're not their colony," he said, referring to the US.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Govt-moves-to-tackle-human-trafficking-30250534.html

-- The Nation 2014-12-24

Thats it son, you tell them damned yankees. By the way hows the free trade negotiations with the US going?

[thesetat2013]

Pol General Chatchawan Suksomchit, permanent secretary of the Justice Ministry, admitted yesterday that Thailand still had a lot to do, adding that the Kingdom is an independent country.

"Though the situation [of human trafficking] exist, we're not their colony," he said, referring to the US.

Sure they are not a colony of the USA. However, when the USA reports such horrid conditions in human trafficking, they and other countries react as well. It is not just the USA who believes Thailand should be at Tier 3, the lowest level. General Chatchawan should be looking at the consequences internationally if they don't improve this level drastically.

[ExPratt]

Where does the "US TOO JUDGMENTAL' part come into it , is this the Nations opinion ? I didn't see that quoted anywhere in the article, have I missed it ?

[Kooweerup]

US 'TOO JUDGMENTAL'

Yea bloody yanks sticking their noses in. Don't they realise it is a rite of birth for a Thai to own at least one Burmese slave. They are not really human like us thais.

[Kooweerup]

Govt moves to tackle human trafficking

Pol General Chatchawan Suksomchit, permanent secretary of the Justice Ministry, admitted yesterday that Thailand still had a lot to do, adding that the Kingdom is an independent country.

"Though the situation [of human trafficking] exist, we're not their colony," he said, referring to the US.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Govt-moves-to-tackle-human-trafficking-30250534.html

-- The Nation 2014-12-24

Thats it son, you tell them damned yankees. By the way hows the free trade negotiations with the US going?

Not a U.S Colony but pretty much a Chinese one.

[ChrisY1]

Pol General Chatchawan Suksomchit, permanent secretary of the Justice Ministry, admitted yesterday that Thailand still had a lot to do, adding that the Kingdom is an independent country.

"Though the situation [of human trafficking] exist, we're not their colony," he said, referring to the US.

Sure they are not a colony of the USA. However, when the USA reports such horrid conditions in human trafficking, they and other countries react as well. It is not just the USA who believes Thailand should be at Tier 3, the lowest level. General Chatchawan should be looking at the consequences internationally if they don't improve this level drastically.

Internationally.???.....what's that?...

[Tatsujin]

Govt moves to tackle human trafficking

Pol General Chatchawan Suksomchit, permanent secretary of the Justice Ministry, admitted yesterday that Thailand still had a lot to do, adding that the Kingdom is an independent country.

"Though the situation [of human trafficking] exist, we're not their colony," he said, referring to the US.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Govt-moves-to-tackle-human-trafficking-30250534.html

-- The Nation 2014-12-24

Thats it son, you tell them damned yankees. By the way hows the free trade negotiations with the US going?

Not a U.S Colony but pretty much a Chinese one.

Putting aside the sheer number of Thai-Chinese already here, the country is definitely now heading down the road to being a vassal state of China ... strange they can't see it coming ...

[jaltsc]

"...adding that the Kingdom is an independent country."

Nazi Germany was an independent country. Soviet Union was independent under Stalin. Uganda was independent...

What does being an "independent country" have to do with being entitled to ignore the human rights and treatment standards established by worldwide treaties, of which Thailand was a signing participant?

[Pib]

Hasn't Thailand tackled human trafficking numerous times already? But maybe Thailand is one of those players who also helps the tackled to get back up again and run for more goals.

[noitom]

Thais are moving and taking measures. Thais are always taking "measures." Check it out in the Thai press the last five years how many times they bluster about taking measures and nothing ever gets done.

[Roadman]

The Pol. General would do well to dust off the chip on his shoulder from the US giving them the rightful bollocking that the rest of the western community knows they deserve, and shut the f... up and get on with the 'lot still to do' that he accepts Thailand has to address.

Edited December 24, 2014 by Roadman

[rickirs]

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"...adding that the Kingdom is an independent country."

Nazi Germany was an independent country. Soviet Union was independent under Stalin. Uganda was independent...

What does being an "independent country" have to do with being entitled to ignore the human rights and treatment standards established by worldwide treaties, of which Thailand was a signing participant?

As is the Hermit Kingdom of North Korea.

[rickirs]

"... the situation in Thailand is not as bad as it appears."

True - it's much worse.

[FangFerang]

"However, he acknowledged that Thailand could do little to ensure workers' safety in international waters."

​More of the same, including the perennial "The US is not our father" chant.

Give it a rest.

Outside the Kingdom, people expect results, expect debts to be repaid, and expect a modicum of transparency in transactions. Here is a term that is apparently not in Thai government vocabulary -- accountability.

[Oziex1]

If they dont give a damn today well soon pressure from their ASEAN partners may change their mind. Or maybe the ASEAN economy will be based on slavery.

[Suffinator]

Witchu Vejjajiva, director of the North America Division at the Foreign Ministry, commented that the US tends to be too sweeping in its judgement on human trafficking in the Kingdom. He said the Foreign Ministry was trying hard to convince the US State Department that the situation in Thailand is not as bad as it appears.

No it's probably a lot worse and when you have a junta that oppresses freedom of the press and indeed prosecutes anyone attempting to uncover such a vile trade I'm amazed Thailand hasn't been slapped with a harsh trade embargo.

Talking and trying to convince the US State Department is not the answer ... show evidence that there have been measurable advancements by locking up the perpetrators instead of transferring them.

[retarius]

Six or eight months after the downgrade and this is the response...a GPS system? The US wants traffickers to be prosecuted and put in jail. In June Prayut promised this on one of his terminally boring TV slots....has anyone seen anyone being arrested for trafficking?

[Chang_paarp]

The Thai authorities had better actually do something tangible very quickly. The TIP report is based on investigations in February, compiled and released some months later. The people who investigate are looking for actual improvements not just promises to do something. They gave Thailand an extra 3 years in level 2- because of promises made and in the end not delivered. This is the real world not the fantasy land that Thai elite seem to exist in.

This new TIP report will also impact on the FTA the Thais are trying to negotiate with the EU. The EU do take notice of things like the TIP report. Here is a report from Siam Commercial Bank about the results of a round failed FTA negotiations; The future of Thai exports after the halt in European Union cooperation.

[Alwyn]

""If the trawler leaves [the port] with 10 workers and returns with eight, then they will have to explain what happened to the other two. Were they thrown overboard or tortured?" Varaporn told the 13th National Symposium of Justice Administration at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre"

Q. So what happened to the two people who are not here?

Choice 1. We tortured them and threw them overboard

Choice 1. They jumped boat when we near Cambodia/Malaysia

[ggt]

Has Thailand tried paying off the folks who investigate human trafficking...it seems to work in all other areas of commerce and business...