'Long-lost' fishermen in teary reunions with their families

[Lite Beer]

'Long-lost' fishermen in teary reunions with their families
Pratch Rujivanarom
The Nation

Kanya Sarai cries in happiness as she is reunited with her son after nine years.

BANGKOK: -- "LONG-LOST" fishing workers and family members embraced in tearful reunions in Bangkok - some had not seen each other for up to 10 years - after another planeload of 68 fishermen flew back to their homeland directly from Indonesia on Thursday.

A Royal Thai Air Force C-130H military transport plane brought back Thai fishermen who had been stranded on Ambon Island in the east of the Indonesian archipelago. They flew back to Don Mueang Airport under a joint operation led by the Social Development and Human Security Ministry.

Natthanya Suksawaeng, sister of one of the "missing" fishermen, said she and her family had not heard any news from her brother since he joined the fishing fleet eight years ago.

"He had written a letter to inform the family that he would be part of a fishing vessel crew for a few months but we hadn't heard anything from him since then," Natthanya told. "My mother, I and all my family missed him so much."

She and her family waited for Daecha Mahan's arrival for four hours at the airport but the long wait had a happy ending. "I am so happy - I don't know how to express it," she said with tears in her eyes.

Her brother Daecha revealed that he had not expected to go abroad for so long.

"My friend persuaded me to work with him on a trawler for just a few months. He said we could earn a good deal of money from this job, so I decided to be a trawler crewman," he said. He said he worked very hard on the vessel but he at least had acceptable accommodation on board and food to eat. Kanya Sarai, the mother of another missing fisherman, also burst into tears after finally being reunited with her son.

"He was just 15 years old when he told me he would go fishing with the fishing vessel. He has gone for nine years," Kanya said. "I'm so glad the government brought my son back to me. It is like the government has brought my life back."

Her son Komsan Sakulchatthong, 24, said most people on board his vessel were willing to be fishermen but some had been lured and tricked into doing this work.

"I worked hard but the living conditions on board were not too bad. Some captains were cruel but they had a reason to be cruel," he said. After landing at the airport, all of the 68 fishermen were sent to Pathum Thani Provincial Protection and Occupational Development Centre in Thanyaburi district to help those who were victims of human trafficking to file a lawsuit against their employers.

The Social Development and Human Security Ministry also arranged accommodation for the men's families while they are in Bangkok. All of the workers were expected to return home yesterday. The men were the second batch to return to Thailand in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, close to 550 men from Myanmar and Cambodia - most of them 'slaves' caught in the fishing industry - remain on Benjina and Tual islands in eastern Indonesia awaiting transport to return home. The International Organisation of Migration has reportedly sent the head of their office in Jakarta to investigate their plight.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Long-lost-fishermen-in-teary-reunions-with-their-f-30257866.html

-- The Nation 2015-04-11

[kuiburi]

Great to be reunited with ur lovedones after all these years , tears in my eyes .

[yellowboat]

What a travesty. It will be interesting to see who actually gets prosecuted for these crimes.

[Bluespunk]

BP had a report on one of the returnees in yesterday's paper.

Went on the boats at 13 and been away for 6 years without ever coming home.

He's had to leave a wife and 2 kids behind in Indonesia.

[NangrongJ]

Now what about compensation?

[realenglish1]

This whole story sounds fishy No pun intended. During all that time He could not phone home

Even fishing boats have to come ashore sometimes

[FangFerang]

Okay, we have the great reconciliation. Where are the charges levied, and who is being taken to task about this atrocity? No one. Because the criminals are all friends of the General...no shit Sherlock. No djjamie or costas posts here -- they are afraid like little girls.

Edited April 11, 2015 by FangFerang

[robblok]

Okay, we have the great reconciliation. Where are the charges levied, and who is being taken to task about this atrocity? No one. Because the criminals are all friends of the General...no shit Sherlock. No djjamie or costas posts here -- they are afraid like little girls.

Bit of slander never hurt anyone ? No proof to back anything up .. not to mention the YL government did not do a thing for all those years.. but those red sunglasses fit well.

[issanaus]

Okay, we have the great reconciliation. Where are the charges levied, and who is being taken to task about this atrocity? No one. Because the criminals are all friends of the General...no shit Sherlock. No djjamie or costas posts here -- they are afraid like little girls.

No charges as yet, but as we both know there has to be a complaint and evidence.

from the OP

"After landing at the airport, all of the 68 fishermen were sent to Pathum Thani Provincial Protection and Occupational Development Centre in Thanyaburi district to help those who were victims of human trafficking to file a lawsuit against their employers."

Hopefully after that there will be charges - but anyway the International Office of Migration will be conducting interviews with the Cambodian and Burmese fishermen so I am sure that some thing will eventuate.

[yellowboat]

Okay, we have the great reconciliation. Where are the charges levied, and who is being taken to task about this atrocity? No one. Because the criminals are all friends of the General...no shit Sherlock. No djjamie or costas posts here -- they are afraid like little girls.

Bit of slander never hurt anyone ? No proof to back anything up .. not to mention the YL government did not do a thing for all those years.. but those red sunglasses fit well.

To be the fair, did the military ever listen to the Shinawatras ? The general's first reaction when the story broke was outrage to the lost of revenue, not the gross inhumanity inflicted on the innocent.. Then footage of a James Bond worthy criminal hide out on a remote island in Indonesia started appearing.

To believe the Shins had 100% control of the country, would be laughable, as they obviously do not as they have been deposed, twice. All are suspect and dubious. Only dumb bells would take sides in such an argument.

[Prbkk]

To engage in this forced labour, deceptive recruiting, 'shanghai-ing', whatever you call it ...is just about as low as anyone can go in the pursuit of a dollar. May the organisers rot in hell because they will never be pursued with any vigour by ANY Thai govt ( in the absence of boycotts, sanctions, embargoes).

[cookee68]

BP had a report on one of the returnees in yesterday's paper.

Went on the boats at 13 and been away for 6 years without ever coming home.

He's had to leave a wife and 2 kids behind in Indonesia.

so was he a slave a just over staying in that country.