Trafficking report: The facts versus the fury

[webfact]

EDITORIAL
Trafficking report: The facts versus the fury
The Nation

Even die-hard supporters of the government must acknowledge that Thailand hasn't done enough

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was dignified in his response to the annual US Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report last week when he said Thailand needed to solve its own problems rather than blaming the United States for keeping the country relegated to Tier 3, its most damning rating.

Cheerleaders for the government are disappointed with the report for its apparent failure to reflect Thai authorities' crackdown on the trade, which has led to the discovery of a mass grave at an abandoned camp in Songkhla province and the arrest of a high-ranking military officer on charges of aiding the traffickers. But these government supporters should recognise that the information upon which the report was based collected between April 2014 and March this year - before the round-up of people-trafficking syndicates

Information from that period showed that the number of trafficking investigations and prosecutions had actually declined dramatically since last year.

According to the TIP report, the Thai government conducted 280 trafficking investigations (compared with 674 in 2013), prosecuted 155 traffickers (483 in 2013) and convicted 151 (225 in 2013). Despite the prevalence of forced labour in Thailand, the government reported only 58 investigations (154 in 2013) into suspected cases and prosecuted only 27 traffickers for forced labour, down from 109 in 2013. Twenty traffickers received prison sentences greater than seven years, and the majority of convicted offenders received sentences of more than two years' imprisonment. The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) reported that 107 investigations into money laundering linked with suspected people trafficking are under way. In one case the AMLO seized Bt30 million in suspected traffickers' profits.

People-trafficking is a chronic problem in Thailand and its solution will not come overnight. It will take time, but the Thai authorities should have no excuse for lowering their guard. With or without the TIP report, Thailand needs to work hard to curb this crime against humanity.

There are Thais who blame poor relations between Thailand and the United States for the Tier 3 rating. The US State Department has been accused of placing trade benefits ahead of the battle against trafficking in deciding to upgrade Malaysia to Tier 2 on the Watch List. But this is hardly an excuse for Thailand to ease up on efforts to solve the problem. The TIP report also offered the government valuable tips in combating the illicit trade.

Stamping out the complicity of state officials is the key. The TIP report said corruption within Thai officialdom continues to undermine anti-trafficking efforts. Corrupt officials are accepting payments from smugglers moving migrants between Thailand and neighbouring countries, according to the report.

Media reports have backed up that allegation.

Yet, rather than investigate the claims, the authorities and the Royal Thai Navy are cracking down on the "messengers", suing two Phuket-based journalists for defamation after they published part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning Reuters report on trafficking here. Prayut and his government need to take a fresh look at the facts if they are serious about tackling this problem.

"The prosecution of journalists and advocates for exposing traffickers, and statements discouraging media reporting on trafficking crimes, undermined some efforts to identify and assist victims and apprehend traffickers," the US report says.

The Navy and other authorities should heed the calls from the international community and rights groups, drop the charges against the journalists and turn their focus on catching and prosecuting corrupt officials who are abetting the illicit trade.

The government's supporters also need to learn from the report. Instead of whipping up anti-American sentiment, they could make better use of their time by seeking to raise social awareness of the miseries of human trafficking and the fight to eradicate it from Thai shores.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Trafficking-report-The-facts-versus-the-fury-30265844.html


-- The Nation 2015-08-04

[BigBadGeordie]

I think this should be required reading for a lot of TVF members.

Even just the strap-line would suffice!

"Even die-hard supporters of the government must acknowledge that Thailand hasn't done enough."

And the last paragraph in the OP Is an absolute gem.

[ChrisY1]

Corrupt officials.......and their protection contnues unabated as governments, police and the military turn a blind eye.....which in turn allows the trade in humans to go on.

The international community wants to see this trade stopped in Thailand......they don't accept or believe the propaganda from the government!

[bamnutsak]

Even die-hard supporters of the government must acknowledge that Thailand hasn't done enough

Field Marshall Prayut said as much, several times, during his weekly TV show this past Friday. His forthrightness in acknowledging that Thailand has done little to address the issue was refreshing as it meant a huge loss of face for him and the country.

Perhaps this is the first step?

[Bob12345]

I think this should be required reading for a lot of TVF members.

Even just the strap-line would suffice!

"Even die-hard supporters of the government must acknowledge that Thailand hasn't done enough."

And the last paragraph in the OP Is an absolute gem.

But Taksin .....

Ashamed to admit that relatives from my wife's side (your average Thais) even started supporting an "anti-America" campaign by committing to stop buying and using USA products (all USA brands, from laundry detergent to fast food chains). Painful part was that they expressed their support for this movement by posting it on Facebook...

[upena]

Thai Government fails to understand that human trafficking is in more than just the fishing industry

[Tatsujin]

The only sentence that is important here and that the Thai's need to get through their < deleted > heads is this one:

"Stamping out the complicity of state officials is the key."

The same concept applies to most of Thailand's problems.

[jaywalker]

For once I agree with my government. I suppose *sigh* somebody needs to police the untouchables in Thailand. Outright war doesn't work in Asia unless you nuke a couple cities, so this diplomatic pressure seems to be the best route.

I recall seeing on CNN when the tsunami hit Indonesia, some poor Indonesian guy screaming "Where is America? Are they going to help us?" The US had a carrier task force replete with hospital ships steaming at flank speed to Indonesia as soon as it had happened.

I forget how much relief we (the boogey-Man USA) sent to help in Phuket, but it was a lot.

[FloridaExport]

A well written and accurate article from the Nation. I'm very impressed.

[JAG]

Even die-hard supporters of the government must acknowledge that Thailand hasn't done enough

Field Marshall Prayut said as much, several times, during his weekly TV show this past Friday. His forthrightness in acknowledging that Thailand has done little to address the issue was refreshing as it meant a huge loss of face for him and the country.

Perhaps this is the first step?

You obviously like the bloke but there is no need to promote him!

[Linky]

Even die-hard supporters of the government must acknowledge that Thailand hasn't done enough

Field Marshall Prayut said as much, several times, during his weekly TV show this past Friday. His forthrightness in acknowledging that Thailand has done little to address the issue was refreshing as it meant a huge loss of face for him and the country.

Perhaps this is the first step?

Talking is ALL he does

[jaywalker]

A well written and accurate article from the Nation. I'm very impressed.

Hey FloridaExport,

I didn't even notice your forum name, just agreed with you & "Liked" your post & then noticed your handle.

Greetings from New Smyrna Beach! I guess us Florida boys think alike sometimes .

[bamnutsak]

You obviously like the bloke but there is no need to promote him!

I think he is already at the top of the almost all the org. chart(s), so he cannot be promoted any higher. But he does expect to get one of the seats at the big-boy table, in the future.

[DeaconJohn]

A well written and accurate article from the Nation. I'm very impressed.

Hey FloridaExport,

I didn't even notice your forum name, just agreed with you & "Liked" your post & then noticed your handle.

Greetings from New Smyrna Beach! I guess us Florida boys think alike sometimes .

+2... born in Sebring.

You don't have to be from the godforsaken Sunshine State to know a good article when you see one.

[dave_boo]

I think this should be required reading for a lot of TVF members.

Even just the strap-line would suffice!

"Even die-hard supporters of the government must acknowledge that Thailand hasn't done enough."

And the last paragraph in the OP Is an absolute gem.

But Taksin .....

Ashamed to admit that relatives from my wife's side (your average Thais) even started supporting an "anti-America" campaign by committing to stop buying and using USA products (all USA brands, from laundry detergent to fast food chains). Painful part was that they expressed their support for this movement by posting it on Facebook...

Hope that they don't have any computers as the processors at minimum are American. And hope that they don't get I'll as it is hard to find medicine that wasn't invented in the US. Or...well you get the idea.

My family is more pragmatic. But they are disillusioned by all the governments. Don't know if that is due to their social standing (lo-midso or hi-loso) but they definitely realise that those down in Bangers aren't working for the good of the country no matter the colour of the shirt.

As an aside, they laughed for a good bit when I said Thaskin was good at hiding because I looked for him during my 3 hour layover in Dubai and didn't see him...

[jaywalker]

A well written and accurate article from the Nation. I'm very impressed.

Hey FloridaExport,

I didn't even notice your forum name, just agreed with you & "Liked" your post & then noticed your handle.

Greetings from New Smyrna Beach! I guess us Florida boys think alike sometimes .

+2... born in Sebring.

You don't have to be from the godforsaken Sunshine State to know a good article when you see one.

+3 - Born at ORMC (Orlando Regional) in 1967.

Grew up in Lake County amongst the orange groves & cypress swamps. Lake County used to grow more oranges than the entire state of California.

Always nice to meet a Florida Expat. For sure you ain't a Yankee. They are a pain in the neck, but don't hold a candle to the Ruskies or Chinese in Pattaya.

The Brits call all of us Yanks, (God forgive them, for they know not what they do).

I went to work In Mississippi once upon a time. To them hicks anybody from outside Mississippi is a Yankee.

I got rather ruffled under the collar quick-fast. "Them's FIGHTIN' words there BOY! Don't call me a Yankee."

Edited August 4, 2015 by jaywalker

[mikebike]

I think this should be required reading for a lot of TVF members.

Even just the strap-line would suffice!

"Even die-hard supporters of the government must acknowledge that Thailand hasn't done enough."

And the last paragraph in the OP Is an absolute gem.

I would suggest they also require some reading on the TPP and why the US Trafficking in Persons Report was delayed 6 weeks and how Malaysia magically changed from Tier 3 to Tier 2 to facilitate the trade deal. Shows how arbitrary this Report is and how your position on it can change NOT by how you deal with trafficking in persons but by where you need to be for US foreign policy to work.

[FangFerang]

"forget Thai authorities' crackdown on the trade, which has led to the discovery of a mass grave at an abandoned camp in Songkhla province and the arrest" ???

Someone is mis-remembering recent history. The evidence that led to the death camps being found was disseminated by a Thai reporter (for the Nation, I believe) , who was threatened with defamation suits until they found them....weeks later...with most of the bodies recently removed....

Edited August 4, 2015 by FangFerang

[JAG]

You obviously like the bloke but there is no need to promote him!

I think he is already at the top of the almost all the org. chart(s), so he cannot be promoted any higher. But he does expect to get one of the seats at the big-boy table, in the future.

Without a doubt, I'm sure that this is one of the drivers behind the whole coup shenanigans.

Don't expect him to go anywhere until the vacancy occurs and his feet are firmly under that table.