2,000 Thai fishery workers still on Indonesian seas

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4,000 fishery workers still on I'nesian seas
Wiraj Sripong
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- As many as 4,000 fishery workers, of whom 2,000 are Thais, continue to work in Indonesian seas while fewer than 200 have been rescued by the authorities over the past weeks, panellists said yesterday.

The were speaking at a seminar on human trafficking held by the Thai Journalists Association.

The violations of labour rights that occurred on the Indonesian islands of Ambon and Benjina were just part of a bigger problem, they said.

Many Thai, Myanmar and Laotian fishermen still suffered terrible work conditions, according to Sompong Srakaew of the Labour Rights Promotion Network Foundation.

Many Thais were awaiting help from Thai authorities, said Sompong.

Not all of them are illegal, but most suffered the same ordeal, he said. Many illegal workers fled and opted to work without legal papers on the Indonesian mainland, he said.

The government should continue to help them, he said, but added that the recent move by Thai authorities to rescue them had improved the situation to a certain extent.

On issues related to trafficking, Thai officials need better understanding on law enforcement as they meted out bad treatment, notably to children of the trafficked parents, panellists said in the same seminar.

A better remedy system for victims, faster implementation of regulations and a better system of traceability are needed, they said.

The problem of bad treatment of children started when police inspected the houses of Myanmar migrants in the area near Talad Thai in Pathum Thani province on April 17. Officials tried to deport them, despite the government's policy to extend the deadline for migrant workers to register for permission to stay and work in Thailand until June.

Roisai Wongsuban of the Migrant Working Group said 51 Myanmar workers who were pushed to the border possessed legal documents that permitted them to stay and work in the Kingdom.

As for their children, 41 of them were born in Thailand and should normally have the right to reside in this country.

Human-rights expert Surapong Kongchantuk said inspecting and arresting children worsened the current situation as children become victims. Thailand must protect these children, rather than arresting them, he said, and noted that the establishment of a childcare centre would help improve the situation.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/4000-fishery-workers-still-on-Inesian-seas-30258649.html


-- The Nation 2015-04-24

[Suffinator]

Many Thai, Myanmar and Laotian fishermen still suffered terrible work conditions, according to Sompong Srakaew of the Labour Rights Promotion Network Foundation.

But do the military and elitists really care whilst living in their guild cage where their very own vast fortunes have been built upon the misery, suffering and even death of others ... we all know the answer to that one.

How low can you sink as a human being when to profit from the misery, suffering and even deaths of children. I'm not a believer in religion but there's a big part of me that hopes that hell really exists and that there is a special place waiting for all those who have profited from what is the most heinous of crimes.

[scorecard]

Why no continued action by the Thai authorities to get this fixed totally?

Does the general have to yell even louder at the senior officials to 'get it fixed now!' Replace them immediately with senior military

officials who have intelligence and a 'can do' attitude and we've seen recently these guys do exist. And give them whatever powers they need.

Why no continued comment / actions by the seafood packaging and marketing companies who stand to lose markets in the EU and in US worth billions of Baht?