Fishing boat slaves rescued in Phuket

[snoop1130]

Fishing boat slaves rescued in Phuket
Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- Phuket and Bangkok officials raided a dormitory in Koh Sireh yesterday to rescue 32 illegal Myanmar workers being held captive and forced to work without pay.

Officials were alerted to the dormitory after a worker, named only as Nai, escaped from the fishing boat they were forced to work on and swam ashore to call relatives in Myanmar.

“Mr Nai’s relatives contacted the Myanmar Embassy and Labor Rights Promotion Network Foundation,” said Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent Khunnadet Nanongkhai. “When we were alerted to the situation, we joined forces with the Anti-Human Trafficking Division and the Royal Thai Police to search the dormitory.”

Full Story: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Fishing-boat-slaves-rescued-Phuket/63010?desktopversion#ad-image-0

-- Phuket Gazette 2016-01-29

[LeungKen]

2 Posts removed.

Please post in a civil manner or warnings will be issued.

[Thian]

Was anybody arrested?

[lazygourmet]

Was anybody arrested?

It looks like the Burmese were arrested.

For illegal entry and working without permit, I presume...

[Shot]

^^^Click the link and read the whole story.

[steelepulse]

Amazing, so two Burmese suspects get aressted. Guaranteed they aren't the ones behind this, nor would the people behind this allow Burmese to operate on their turf without most of the proceeds going to the people behind this, who I din't think are actually Burmese.

[grumbleweed]

How the hell does "Held captive and forced to work without pay" equate to "illegal workers"?

Please tell me something has been lost in translation

And after reading the whole story, it would be interesting to hear what exactly is meant by "empty handed"

The discovery of the 32 men comes months after island officials declared that their two-month crackdown on human smuggling and human trafficking came up empty handed - See more at: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Fishing-boat-slaves-rescued-Phuket/63010?desktopversion#ad-image-0

Edited January 30, 2016 by LeungKen

[alfalfa19]

nice to see the progress in abolishing slavery on thai fishing vessels.

[hanuman2543]

That particular boat must have been under the attention radar of the teams sent here by the EU and the US and despite all the "efforts" the Thai officials are undertaking to stop the slavery here. Keep up the good "work".

[Yann55]

Why do these guys have to squat ?

Is it not enough for them to have been enslaved, maltreated and ruthlessly exploited by Thai ruffians for months and sometimes years, the moment they are 'liberated' they have to be treated like animals and humiliated by the authorities of the country of their former masters ?

What happened to Buddhist compassion ? respect ? kindness ?

Today the Thai police catches ONE boat, and not because they looked for it, found it and chased it but because one slave managed to escape and alert his country along with a NGO. How many others are still operating ? How many thousands of slaves are still at sea right now ?

And the EU just gave another 6 months to Thailand after deciding they were "satisfied with the way Thai authorities are addressing the problem ..." Shame on you EU.

Edited January 30, 2016 by Yann55

[1duckyboy]

The escaped worker was wise to contact relatives in Myanmar as the BIB may have returned him to the dormitory or charged him with unlawful work or entry. Yes, reading this crap every day has made a cynic of me, or not.

[SOTIRIOS]

....we keep hearing how 'the problem has been fixed'....

...hope they nab the 'end user'.....

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

No Thai people arrested so no justice will be done here

[JAG]

1: The EU pulled an absolute corker didn't they?

2: Look on the bright side - there's 32 people they can pin things on. I expect the local "crime clear up figures" will go through the roof!

Edited January 30, 2016 by JAG

[Ulic]

Not sure how 32 able fisherman can be held captive by a man and woman but there it is.

I just hope justice is served and the EU looks back at there assessment of the progress

that has been made or not made.

[sapson]

Obviously another photo op, get the Burmese to kneel down in rows just in case they might be confused with the upstanding Thai law enforcement.

They are at best sometimes complete to@@ers.

[Oziex1]

A few stories of cracking down on slavery in the fishing industry, well timed with the focus on by the EU.

This offensive propaganda says it all, no change.