US: Forced labor continues on Thai fishing vessels

[webfact]

US: Forced labor continues on Thai fishing vessels

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. State Department said Wednesday that forced labor on Thai fishing vessels has continued in the past year despite legal reforms and arrests following an Associated Press investigation into the country's seafood industry.

The department made the assessment in its annual global review of human rights practices, released in Washington by Secretary of State John Kerry. The report covers the 2015 calendar year.

The report finds that the Thai government has reaffirmed its "zero tolerance" policy for human trafficking and updated many laws that enhance regulatory powers and increase punishment for violations. An amended anti-trafficking law provides protection to whistleblowers and gives authorities the power to halt operations temporarily or suspend licenses of businesses and vehicles involved in human trafficking.

But the report says, "the lack of clarity in law and practice on what constitutes forced labor or debt bondage undermined the government's efforts to identify labor trafficking victims and prosecute forced labor."

Reports of abusive work environments, including forced labor, continued in many sectors, including Thai-flagged seagoing trawlers and labor-intensive industries such as food and seafood processing facilities, according to the department. Up to 90 percent of workers in the seafood processing industry were migrant workers, it says.

The department cites the AP investigative series on slavery in the seafood industry that resulted in the rescue of 2,000 men, a dozen arrests, millions of dollars' worth of seizures, closure of some shrimp-peeling sheds, and proposals for new national laws.

The men, mostly from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, were recruited in Thailand and brought to Indonesia using fake travel documents where they were subjected to brutal labor abuses. Some had been enslaved for years or decades.

Later in the year, the department will issue a separate report that focuses on human trafficking and exploitative labor and ranks governments on their performance in combating those abuses. Thailand, along with Iran, Syria and Zimbabwe, was last year among 23 countries receiving the lowest ranking in the annual U.S. assessment.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-04-14

[dcnx]

The endless denials are about to begin.

I'm happy the USA is keeping this in the light. I only wish they would hit Thailand with serious sanctions.

[selftaopath]

The endless denials are about to begin.

I'm happy the USA is keeping this in the light. I only wish they would hit Thailand with serious sanctions.

Denial seem to be a character trait here. It's also strengthened by this un-truthful "saving face" defense mechanism. It takes being psychologically strong to admit errors etc. Denial and deceit will continue and defended. What else can be expect in a land where self esteem issues are so fragile?

[shirtless]

Nothing but a PR campaign, but it fools most

[docshock13]

No surprise there. What we saw was a knee-jerk reaction from the Thai gov't with hastily cobbled together laws, a few raids to demonstrate a commitment to enforcement to the media and after the press was gone, it was back to business as usual. The only thing that may have changed was that the brown envelopes now have to be thicker. Nice little earner for those in power.

[slapout]

It seems the first step to any problem is to select individuals to form a committee to review the reported problem, study

same and eventually submit a paper which is turned into to some group who has no authority to take any action to correct

the situation. On top of that the committee fears being sued if they mention names of people, or companies who are connected

to any illegal or imoral acts, so the documents they turn in to the entity they report to are next to worthless, in a legal sense.

I have never seen a answer to the question, if the committee members are paid civil employees and their salaries cover their additional hetic work

schedule or if they are paid a second salary for this " busy work ". The art of deception as practiced here, has been brought to a preformance level comparable to the best magician shows.

[kannot]

The great proud Thai nation at its best!

[jerojero]

Ooohhhh.....the PM won't be happy with this international news! Sorry sir, but the truth hurts.

[davejonesbkk]

You have to wonder what the EU actually did when they came over then? I mean you have the guy that was leading the investigation last year fleeing the country with his family and claiming asylum in Australia and then talking about how deep the corruption is and here the US are saying that its still going on but the EU said everything was fine just a couple of months ago.

IMHO this is another example of how the EU is about nothing but money.

[klauskunkel]

"the lack of clarity in law

The lack of clarity in all important laws is designed so that these laws can be interpreted in any way deemed necessary.

[yellowboat]

Did the Thai reporter to broke the story get any awards ?

The junta does not seem to be effectively dealing with anything other than beach chairs and bicycle lanes.

[alant]

The US State department's report means jack, it is a non event. No one here give a flying **** as it is simply some politician making a name for themselves (or maintaining a name).

Unless real action is taken by the US and EU the rulers here can, quite rightly, interpret this as a stamp of approval to continue as they are.

I conclude that affordable prawn sandwiches are more important to the US and EU.

[MZurf]

Thirteen posts and not a single "the US should mind it's own business because bla, bla, bla.." comment yet??? Come one guys, out with it!!

[rethaier]

When did the word "slavery" become "forced labour"? Is that the PC term?

[Lee4Life]

Thirteen posts and not a single "the US should mind it's own business because bla, bla, bla.." comment yet??? Come one guys, out with it!

It's Songkran, they haven't woken up yet.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Lee4Life

[wabothai]

Sanctions, though a powerful tool, will backfire, and if you know thai(ness), it will lead to something WE should't be looking forward to.

[MZurf]

Thirteen posts and not a single "the US should mind it's own business because bla, bla, bla.." comment yet??? Come one guys, out with it!!

o.k., the US should mind it's own business because bla, bla, bla !

Finally! Thank you.

[MZurf]

When did the word "slavery" become "forced labour"? Is that the PC term?

Yes, it's like when torture becomes enhanced interrogation.

[peterrabbit]

What happened to the Police General, who was leading the investigation and had his life threatened, and had to seek political asylum in Australia, when it was deemed that he was going too far in tracing the 'influential figures' and masterminds behind the crime?

[geriatrickid]

The endless denials are about to begin.

I'm happy the USA is keeping this in the light. I only wish they would hit Thailand with serious sanctions.

It's coming.

[geriatrickid]

Sanctions, though a powerful tool, will backfire, and if you know thai(ness), it will lead to something WE should't be looking forward to.

How so? It will be the EU that takes the lead on sanctions anyway. Once it occurs, the USA, Canada, Australia will follow and Thailand will have lost its most profitable markets.

[JAG]

Did the Thai reporter to broke the story get any awards ?

The junta does not seem to be effectively dealing with anything other than beach chairs and bicycle lanes.

Lottery tickets, credit where it is due, lottery tickets.

[SOTIRIOS]

...forced labor = prisoners or slaves.....

...never got a follow-up on the 2 dozen or so fishermen that 'went overboard' on their way to port....to get paid.......

....worse than barbaric.....

[docshock13]

Did the Thai reporter to broke the story get any awards ?

The junta does not seem to be effectively dealing with anything other than beach chairs and bicycle lanes.

Lottery tickets, credit where it is due, lottery tickets.

And detaining political opponents for voicing their opinions. Don't forget that. But other than that, you are right. What have the junta ever done for us?

[Baerboxer]

You have to wonder what the EU actually did when they came over then? I mean you have the guy that was leading the investigation last year fleeing the country with his family and claiming asylum in Australia and then talking about how deep the corruption is and here the US are saying that its still going on but the EU said everything was fine just a couple of months ago.

IMHO this is another example of how the EU is about nothing but money.

Or an example of how the US use such issues to "punish" some whilst ignoring others, like Malaysia, for instance.

And of course they never ever mention their good friend India where slave labor, bonded labor, and rabid corruption are rife and where human rights for females and lower caste peoples are are a joke.

Not excusing Thailand but the US isn't exactly "honest Joe".

[Baerboxer]

When did the word "slavery" become "forced labour"? Is that the PC term?

Yes, it's like when torture becomes enhanced interrogation.

Like waterboarding, detention without trial, and various mental tortures instigated on people illegally kidnapped and transported to foreign countries?

When law enforcement, whatever the agencies call themselves, acts illegally, you no longer have law enforcement.

[Balance]

The endless denials are about to begin.

I'm happy the USA is keeping this in the light. I only wish they would hit Thailand with serious sanctions.

The recent signing of the Amendment to the 1930 Tariff Law states clearly that the Customs department is required to issue a ban on products produced with slave or forced labor.

"Enforcement of the new provisions resides with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) who will have the authority to reject or seize shipments where forced labor is suspected, as well as block further imports. While the CBP has enforcement authority, any person suspecting import of goods using forced labor can submit a formal petition to the CBP who will then initiate an investigation. The Act specifies that no later than 180 days after enactment and annually thereafter, the CBP Commissioner must submit a report on compliance, including number of instances merchandise was denied entry and a description of that merchandise, to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee."

The full briefing from Price/Waterhouse/Cooper is below.

https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industry/communications/publications/assets/pwc-3things-supply-chain-forced-labor.pdf

[elgordo38]

Watched the CEO from New Balance shoes on TV stating that he contacted the American government and offered to supply shoes for the army at cost price to keep his American workers on the job. It seems NB is one of the last holdouts to make their product in the USA. He has contacted the government many times for an answer and they keep saying "we will get back to you" PS they also tried to extract a promise from him that he would not bad mouth the TPP. The CEO stated that the TPP will be many times worse than NAFTA many more American jobs will disappear. There you have it governments working for the people.

[taony]

http://www.democracynow.org/2016/4/18/is_the_seafood_you_eat_caught