PM Prayut not fazed over TIP

[webfact]

PM not fazed over TIP
By Wasamon Audjarint,
Pratch Rujivanarom
The Nation

 

 

Fight against trafficking already on govt agenda; no date yet for US visit

 

PRIME Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha stressed yesterday that Thailand is committed to fighting human trafficking, as the US State Department released its 2017 Trafficking in Persons report late last night (Bangkok time).

 

While the schedule for Prayut’s visit to the US is not yet fixed, government officials are preparing the premier’s agenda for his talks with President Donald Trump, including a list of military hardware. 

 

Speaking hours before the Trafficking In Persons (TIP) report was released, Prayut said he did not mind how Thailand was graded by the US in the report as it was now part of the national agenda to tackle these concerns.

 

In September 2015 – the same year that camps involving many boatpeople, plus a report on slave labour in the food sector emerged, Prayut’s government vowed to put human trafficking at the front of its agenda.

 

But the government’s subsequent actions to tackle modern slave trading have seen the country elevated from the lowest Tier-3 level in 2015 to the Tier 2 Watchlist last year, signifying the country’s improved efforts to eradicate the problem.

 

In January, the Foreign Ministry submitted a report to the State Department on Thailand’s 2016 performance in battling modern-day slavery, for the TIP report. 

 

Citing several improved figures, the Ministry emphasised five strategic dimensions or “five Ps” – policy, prosecution, protection, prevention and partnership – that Thailand has relied on to tackle human trafficking.

 

Earlier this month, Government House also hosted an event for National Anti-Human Trafficking Day, where Prayut said his administration had so far uncovered and investigated 333 cases, 75 per cent of which involved prostitution.

 

Pol Lt Col Komwit Pattanarat, acting director of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI)’s Anti-Human Trafficking Centre, said officials worked hard to tackle human trafficking and would arrest more offenders, including masterminds and corrupt officers.

 

“In 2016, we dealt with 333 human trafficking cases, seized more than Bt700 million from offenders and arrested many officers who are involved with human trafficking. 

 

“This indicated our stronger effort to tackle human trafficking,” Komwit said.

 

“Not only [do we seek] prosecutions against traffickers, the authorities also focus on law drafting and amendments to provide new legal tools to tackle human trafficking, such as the newly proposed Human Trafficking Act and the Criminal Code on the punishments in human trafficking cases.”

 

‘Only focusing on old cases’

 

Labour Rights Promotion Network Foundation director Sompong Srakaew said the government had done good work to solve the chronic problem, but they still had not performed well enough.

 

“The authorities only focused on the old cases of human trafficking and did not pay much attention to the new issues, such as trafficking in women and children to be sex workers. Moreover, the government was often strict on defensive measures and did not prioritise offensive measures,” Sompong said.

 

He said that although authorities had stepped up law enforcement, only small-time traffickers were arrested and most cases involving masterminds slipped from prosecution. The government did not work in cooperation with NGOs and these two arms often worked separately.

 

Meanwhile, Prayut said his official visit to the White House should be announced within 10 days of the visit.

 

The date, initially listed at around late July, is uncertain as Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said Trump would have to attend the G-20 summit, while Prayut is busy with many domestic affairs next month. The G-20 summit will take place in Hamburg, Germany from July 7 to 8.

 

Relations between Thailand and the US have improved since Trump took office this year and dropped US criticism of the Thai junta’s suppression of democracy and human rights. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30319291

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-06-28

 

[phantomfiddler]

Trafficking in people is a truly terrible thing, but surely cannot be affected by ruling on a 6pm opening time on Soi 6, which is truly going to have a huge effect on all of the business owners there.

[NextStationBangkok]

 

All they have to check is single woman going out of Thailand often on short visas.

 

Anyhow they have ID card registered. They can easily catch the suspected cases at the border.

 

As of i know many Masseuse willingly want to fly to Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore etc for short term employment(on Tourist visa) and come back with handful of money.

[FunkyDunky58]

Wait a minute, how long has this clown been in office? And its NOW on the governments agenda? Stellar performance sir! Your incompetence knows no bounds. Of course he'll launch some other 'crackdown' just before his jaunt to the US so he can tell them what a great job he's doing. 

[blazes]

officials worked hard to tackle human trafficking and would arrest more offenders, including masterminds and corrupt officers.

 

Masterminds?  Or mindermasts?

[Lupatria]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

...and arrested many officers who are involved with human trafficking. 

By now the well of "inactive posts" must be so deep that it reaches the center of the planet.

[anon4637435435]

oh common.... Put your money where your mouth is!. Oh your mouth aint that big. Sorry. That excludes you from any and all responsibility.

[spidermike007]

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had said earlier that it did not matter what Thailand’s rating was, but his government would continue combating human trafficking as it was on the national agenda.

 

Meanwhile Thai Foreign Ministry on Tuesday slammed the report for not “doing justice” by keeping Thailand in the Tier 2 Watch List for another year.

 

The PM is pretending that this does not matter, when for weeks, the foreign minister has been talking about the expected improvement in status. This is Cheeto style alternative facts. Of course it matters. It means alot to him, and to this administration. The fact that they stayed in the same position means exactly what it means. Some improvement has been made, but the problem is nowhere near eradicated, and many, many thousands of people still suffer from this horrific practice. Unless, and until CURRENT government officials, army officials, and police officials are arrested, tried, and sentenced to meaningful terms in prison, this problem will go on forever. It does not happen in a vacuum. The responsible parties are not only not being pursued, they are being protected. The US did a very good thing here, by not upgrading Thailand's status. Though I am no fan of Cheeto, I give his administration credit for this.

 

As stated in Khao Sod news:

 

It faulted the government for not stepping up its efforts, however. It said Bangkok “did not aggressively prosecute and convict officials complicit in trafficking crimes, and official complicity continued to impede anti-trafficking efforts. Officials identified fewer victims compared to the previous reporting period, and although forced labor investigations slightly increased, the number of labor trafficking investigations was low compared to the scale of the problem.”

The first among its recommendations was that Thailand “proactively investigate and prosecute officials allegedly complicit in trafficking, and convict and punish those found guilty” with meaningful sentences.

 

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2017/06/27/thailand-prosecute-officials-us-says-trafficking-report/

 

 

As Eric Loh correctly stated above:

 

This is the description of US State Department of Tier 2 Watch List that clearly expose the failure of the junta government to tackle the human trafficking problems. "Victims of severe forms of trafficking in the ranked country is very significant or significantly increasing and there is a failure to provide evidence of increase efforts to combat it".  

 

 

[fullcave]

2 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

Trafficking in people is a truly terrible thing, but surely cannot be affected by ruling on a 6pm opening time on Soi 6, which is truly going to have a huge effect on all of the business owners there.

But self-appointed nanny doesn't like it. 

[hotchilli]

The real problem is as we all know that "influential people, government officials & police are usually involved in the practices.
Either directly owning/running the establishments which use the girls or they are taking bribes to let them continue.

Until these people are irradiated then nothing will change.. fining the "managers" does nothing while the real culprits always get away scott-free!

[TheFishman1]

Joke TIT

[peterb17]

2 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:Trafficking in people is a truly terrible thing, but surely cannot be affected by ruling on a 6pm opening time on Soi 6, which is truly going to have a huge effect on all of the business owners there.

 

I'm always intrigued- why should anybody really care about the business owners in Soi 6 - let's face it- they are basically running brothels and selling sex. Is it likely that some of the sex workers there have been sold / pressured into prostitution - perhaps. 

 

Back to the OP- maybe the most damning point of the report is that high ranking officials are escaping prosecution - sadly that is typical of the Kingdom . 

[Monkeyrobot]

2 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

Trafficking in people is a truly terrible thing, but surely cannot be affected by ruling on a 6pm opening time on Soi 6, which is truly going to have a huge effect on all of the business owners there.

You. Call them business owners? I can think of another word for them like Pimps maybe more suitable . 

[mikiea]

2 hours ago, blazes said:

officials worked hard to tackle human trafficking and would arrest more offenders, including masterminds and corrupt officers.

 

Masterminds?  Or mindermasts?

wow .....there is nothing left to be said .....your own people ?

[thhMan]

The boy who cried wolf...

 

Any report that comes out, is just someone shouting "Wolf"

 

Some countries have Fake News

 

IMHO, Thailand has Fake Government, Fake Police, Fake Emotions, Fake Empathy and the list gets bigger with every stupid thing this place does

 

Edited June 28, 2017 by thhMan

[Italian guy]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

the new issues, such as trafficking in women and children to be sex workers

Would you seriously call it a new issue?

[Italian guy]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Relations between Thailand and the US have improved since Trump took office

Nothing to be proud of, really!

[sawadee1947]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

‘Only focusing on old cases’

God sake, he cannot foresee the future......not even with section 44

[holy cow cm]

Good luck to the PM. Trade with US and zero duties depends on this meeting. GSP..

[sambum]

I thought from the headline that the PM was being harassed by a lady called "Tip"! Had to check to see if it was the same one who harassed my pal!

However that not being the case, I read the post anyway and:-

 

"Prayut said he did not mind how Thailand was graded by the US in the report as it was now part of the national agenda to tackle these concerns."

 

Comes across as a bit of an arrogant statement to me!

Edited June 28, 2017 by sambum
Amended text

[Srikcir]

Thailand's change from Tier 3 to Tier 2 Watch List (which is a downgrade from Tier 2) was made in part I believe to motivate Thailand to join President Obama's Trans-Pacific Partnership that was to be an economic challenge to China's Silk Road Community. As Prayut did initiate sweeping laws, regulations and increased prosecutions addressing human trafficking, reclassifying Thailand from Tier 3 to Tier 2 Watch List was legitimate according to Tier guidance. 

 

Now President Trump has abandoned TPP and there's no need to bait Thailand to apply to TPP. Furthermore, the Watch List is essentially a "Wait and See" rating. Will Thailand really use its new laws and regulations provide substantial successful law enforcement and prosecutions to drive change in the behavior of Thai society with regard to human trafficking? So a future change from Watch List to Tier 2 is still open. Meanwhile Prayut has openly supported China's Silk Road Community in part with the Chinese dual rail project and MOU's for trade and security partnership.   

[YetAnother]

thai's military generals have said over and over that they dont care what anyone thinks; they are mai pen rai personified

[wakeupplease]

officials worked hard to tackle human trafficking and would arrest more offenders, including masterminds and corrupt officers.

 

All just surface cleaning to make the outside world think its being stopped but still in Tier 2 for another year, as lies are being played out as usual.

[gemguy]

Maybe 1 percent of the important people will be apprehend and or prosecuted.

The rest will be the small players in the scheme of things.

Anything done to curb or thwart the practice is positive but they will not even come close to eliminating it.

Meantime the Thais have to measure up to an American standard while maybe those USA officials need to be reminded it was just 4 to 5 months ago they were uncovering some of the largest ever human trafficking operations and pedophile rings based out of the USA involving all kinds of wealthy and important and influential people and government officials while the whole affair is bigger than they could have imagined.

Remember???

[JGV]

So a shopping list of military hardware id on PM Parayut's agenda - wow I guess the submarines aren't enough to safeguard Thai people against war with ur um Cambodia, Laos, Myanymar, Malaysia - ASEAN  Thai people make your own mind up

[Retiredandhappyhere]

"Prayut said he did not mind how Thailand was graded by the US in the report as it was now part of the national agenda to tackle these concerns."

 

This statement surely indicates that the PM made his statement AFTER he had seen the report, because, had the report upgraded Thailand, he would definitely NOT have said that he did not mind how Thailand was graded by the US.

 

An upgrade (predicted by one of his minions just last week) would have been lauded as a great achievement recognised by the whole world and as clear evidence that the current leader was justified in holding on to power for ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,ever.

 

By coming out with this report, the US clearly demonstrates that, once again,  it just does not understand Thailand and therefore joins practically the rest of the world in that regard.

[sawadeeken]

On 6/28/2017 at 5:21 AM, webfact said:

Meanwhile, Prayut said his official visit to the White House should be announced within 10 days of the visit.

 

The date, initially listed at around late July, is uncertain as Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said Trump would have to attend the G-20 summit, while Prayut is busy with many domestic affairs next month. The G-20 summit will take place in Hamburg, Germany from July 7 to 8.

 

Relations between Thailand and the US have improved since Trump took office this year and dropped US criticism of the Thai junta’s suppression of democracy and human rights. 

 

What is the US (my country) and Trump doing 'hosting' this guy????

He is not a 'democratically elected' HEAD OF STATE........... He is a Military Dictator.........

How can the US give him any recognition????

Another Quote from the OP:

While the schedule for Prayut’s visit to the US is not yet fixed, government officials are preparing the premier’s agenda for his talks with President Donald Trump, ""including a list of military hardware.""

And it sounds like her is looking for some 'Hand-Outs'..... Military Hardware......

[gemguy]

1 hour ago, sawadeeken said:

What is the US (my country) and Trump doing 'hosting' this guy????

He is not a 'democratically elected' HEAD OF STATE........... He is a Military Dictator.........

How can the US give him any recognition????

Another Quote from the OP:

While the schedule for Prayut’s visit to the US is not yet fixed, government officials are preparing the premier’s agenda for his talks with President Donald Trump, ""including a list of military hardware.""

And it sounds like her is looking for some 'Hand-Outs'..... Military Hardware......

If they slag the man then there are ramifications....