Thailand hopes US will satisfy its anti-human trafficking effort

[cracker1]

Destroy Corruption and you will fix the Trafficking .............and many of the other internal problems facing this country,

[Bakeman]

I love Thailand but its traditional values will not let it move into the 21st century.

[GAZZPA]

US gives positive feedback on Thailand’s anti human trafficking measures

BANGKOK, 14 January 2014 (NNT) – The United States Department of Labour has praised Thailand on its anti human trafficking measures and urged Thailand to conduct a research and prosecute child labour, said Thai Minister of Labour.

The Minister of Labour Gen. Surasak Karnjanarat has revealed that the United States Department of Labour provided positive feedback to Thailand’s child labour countermeasures.

He has said that Thailand still has to conduct the research and increase the number of staff directly responsible for tackling this issue, which the US will help coordinate these operations with the authorities of Thailand.

The Minister of Labour elaborated that since Thailand was downgraded to Tier 3 on the US Department of State's Human Trafficking list, the Ministry of Labour have been working to solve this issue. Currently, persons under the age of 15 are prohibited from working in agriculture, while persons under the age of 18 are prohibited from working in the fisheries industry.

The Ministry of Labour's research on how many child labours are still in the industry is still inconclusive and will need to register all fishery boats in compliance with the cabinet’s resolution, said the Minister.

The Minister of Labour has also pointed the reason why Thailand still hasn’t been lifted from the Tier 3 list is that the US has mentioned that there are high-ranking Thai officials involved in the human trafficking who still have not yet been prosecuted.

For this matter, the Minister of Labour has said that he has launched a working group with the task of following up on the misconducts of government officials in order to prosecute those involved.

-- NNT 2015-01-14

Who at the US department of labour quoted this? Why are they note named? I dont believe a single word of this one sided account.

[Pib]

Oh, I expect the U.S. Dept of Labor probably did give some positive feedback in whatever correspondence they were provided by Thailand. Govt-to-govt feedback/discussions almost always try to put some "happy words" here and there, but I expect the Dept of Labor also included some "however" words that the Thai govt conveniently left out of their press release. Just for example, "However" words like in this 2013 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor.

http://www.dol.gov/ilab/reports/child-labor/thailand.htm

Thailand

2013 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor

Moderate Advancement
In 2013, Thailand made a moderate advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. Despite political unrest during the year and the Government entering caretaker status in November 2013, the Government took several actions to address child labor. In collaboration with the private sector, the Government focused on prevention efforts to combat labor abuses, including child labor, in the fishing sector. Fishing coordination centers were created in seven provinces to increase protection for workers, including strengthening monitoring through inspections and registering of workers. In addition, the Government enacted the Transnational Organized Crime Act and ratified the UN Trafficking in Persons Protocol in order to strengthen institutional frameworks on transnational organized crimes that can include the worst forms of child labor and human trafficking. The Government improved its data collection systems for reporting on identification and investigations of trafficking cases, and reported on the number of child victims involved in these cases. However, children in Thailand continue to engage in child labor in agriculture, including in the shrimp and seafood processing sector, and in the worst forms of child labor in commercial sexual exploitation. Thailand remains weak in its enforcement efforts, particularly in the home-based business sectors. The Government also lacks current nationwide data on child labor.

[KIWIBATCH]

........Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai said the government had been tackling human trafficking during the past six months by revising relevant legislations and conducting the TIP Report. A new law on labor protection in the fishery sector was passed on 30 December 2014 and the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act was enforced with an emphasis on protection of informers and officers.

The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) recently approved revisions to a law on fishery labor protection. The law sets maximum fine of 30 million baht for offenders.

As for registration of illegal migrants, the deputy minister said the government would finish identifying their citizenship by 31 March this year. The registration is hoped to help reduce human trafficking risks in the country...........

Passing news laws doesn't mean a damn thing in Thailand....if BS was dynamite this minister would have blown this place apart...put your phones down and do some real work......get off your <deleted>..and get out "in the field".....check every single fishing boat.......brothel........factory.......nail/fine and jail the captains...mamasans...factory owners if you locate just one trafficked person......

How hard is it...???

[rickirs]

"US has mentioned that there are high-ranking Thai officials involved in the human trafficking who still have not yet been prosecuted."

This is the first I've seen this allegation from the US if the statement is believed. The statement does not say "former high-ranking Thai officials." The term "high-ranking" is oddly coincidental if one is referring to someone with military rank. Thinking back to the Thai Navy's defamation lawsuit against Reuters and two Thailand-based Reuter reporters alleging Navy involvement in human trafficking, the USA may have some intelligence confirming the allegations.

The statement says "are" which implies "presently." There are members of the NLA that might be considered "high ranking Thai officials" such as

- Gen. Aksara Kerdphol, Chief of Staff, Royal Thai Army

- Lt. Gen. Theerachai Nakwanich, Commander of the 1st Army Region

- Lt. Gen. Preecha Chan-ocha, Commander of the 3rd Army Region

- Maj. Gen. Kukiat Sinakha, Commander of the 2nd Infantry Division of the Queen's Guard

- Gen. Songkitti Jaggabatara, former Chief of Defence Forces, Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters,

- Adm. Surasak Runreongrom, former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Navy

- Lt. Gen. Kanit Sapitak, former Commander of the 1st Army Region and former adviser of Ministry of Defence

- Gen. Somjet Boonthanom, former appointed senator and former chief of the secretariat of the Council for National Security

Then of course there are the flag officers in the Executive branch.

Maybe its high-ranking Thai officials who don't understand that supporting human trafficking will not be tolerated. No matter Thailand's relationship with Western nations.

[spidermike007]

Besides, the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) recently approved revisions to a law on fishery labor protection. The law sets maximum fine of 30 million baht for offenders.

What we all want to know is how many of the offenders have been fined to date? What was the maximum fine imposed? Was the fine paid? Who was fined? Which company? Were the owners charged with any crimes?

Passing laws is a step in the right direction. Making sure the laws get implemented, fined are levied, charges are brought, the culprits go to trial, and the culprits are sentenced, and put in prison, is what separates the men from the boys. So, the question is, are the current leaders men, or boys?

Edited January 15, 2015 by spidermike007

[Pib]

There an article on this evening's Bangkok Post website titled "Opposition To Prisoners on Fishing Boats" talking about how a letter with 45 signatories comprised of non-govt organizations and trade unions including labor federations from the U.S., UK, and Australia was provided to PM Prayut today recommending the govt scrap its pilot project to use prisoners on fishing boat to relieve a labor shortage. The letter letter apparently said Thailand keeps talking its working to end forced labor and human trafficking but the pilot project wanting to use prisoners will make things worse.

So sad...Thailand talks a big words about the progress in making in passing and enforcing forced labor and human trafficking laws, but at the same time is trying to implement the use of prisoners on fishing boats. Seems to be almost like shanghaiing or press ganging from the olden days, but I'm sure the Thai govt will say the prisoners volunteered.

Shanghaiing

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shanghaiing refers to the practice of kidnapping people to serve as sailors by coercive techniques such as trickery,intimidation, or violence. Those engaged in this form of kidnapping were known as crimps. The related term press gangrefers specifically to impressment practices in Great Britain's Royal Navy.

Edited January 15, 2015 by Pib