[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

Channel News Asia-Illegal workers t



Subject: Channel News Asia-Illegal workers thrive along border towns in Thailand

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_0024_01BF4F3A.0B6C2F00
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Saturday, December 25 10:06 PM SGT=20
Illegal workers thrive along border towns in Thailand
Despite the Thai government's attempt to remove all illegal workers in =
the kingdom two months ago, it's back to business as usual for illegal =
workers in some border towns.=20
The Labour Ministry's new emplasis on dealing with national security =
threats and criminal elements has given the illegal workers a breather.=20

Border towns like Mae Sot, which was deserted in late October, are once =
again filled with illegal workers.=20

They were pushed across the border by immigration police during the Thai =
government's campaign against illegal workers.=20

But they are back now and and it is business as usual for factory owners =
who admit the workers have sneaked in despite the government's attempt =
to get rid of them.=20

      Chatchai Earsakul, Minister for Labour and Social Welfare, said:
      "Foreign workers are allowed to work in Thailand in 18 different =
sectors and in 39 provinces. And as long as they have been registered, =
they can come back and work in the country. As for those who are not =
registered, they are still illegal and the Myanmar government should =
take steps to provide them with jobs as we want to encourage more Thais =
to come and take up these professions."=20


Although relations between Myanmar and Thailand have improved recently =
with all border checkpoints open once again, the issue of illegal =
Myanmar workers has not been broached by either side.=20

Observers said the illegal workers were needed in Thailand because the =
Labour Ministry has not been able to attract Thais to some industries.=20

As such, they said the government's drive against illegal workers failed =
to deal with the real situation.=20

Moreover, they believe corrupt officials are the ones who benefit as =
businessmen at the borders pay huge bribes to get the workers back into =
the country.=20

      Somchai Homlaor, Executive Director at Forum Asia, said:
      "So far as the hand of the law cannot be enforced and the =
employers have to pay some extra money for the local officers, how can =
they improve the working conditions of the workers in the factory, =
because the cost will be very high?"=20


And so, although the workers may have found a way back into Thailand - =
it is not all good news for them. They are often exploited.=20

They work 18 hours a day for a pay that could be as low as one dollar a =
day.=20

With the situation remaining very much unchanged, local authorities are =
now facing increasing pressure to step up measures not only to keep =
illegal workers out but also to deal with errant employers.=20

Experts said talks must begin with Myanmar authorities to deal with the =
problem.=20

The situation on the border areas have returned to normal as the =
government in Bangkok turns its attention to more pressing needs at =
hand.=20

But experts warn that the treatment and status of foreign workers in =
Thailand have yet to be resolved till the government holds tripartite =
talks with Non-government Organisation groups and border groups in the =
area.


------=_NextPart_000_0024_01BF4F3A.0B6C2F00
Content-Type: text/html;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
<META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Saturday, December 25</B> 10:06 PM =
SGT=20
<H2><FONT size=3D4>Illegal workers thrive along border towns in=20
Thailand</FONT></H2>Despite the Thai government's attempt to remove all =
illegal=20
workers in the kingdom two months ago, it's back to business as usual =
for=20
illegal workers in some border towns.=20
<P>The Labour Ministry's new emplasis on dealing with national security =
threats=20
and criminal elements has given the illegal workers a breather.=20
<P>Border towns like Mae Sot, which was deserted in late October, are =
once again=20
filled with illegal workers.=20
<P>They were pushed across the border by immigration police during the =
Thai=20
government's campaign against illegal workers.=20
<P>But they are back now and and it is business as usual for factory =
owners who=20
admit the workers have sneaked in despite the government's attempt to =
get rid of=20
them.=20
<P>
<TABLE bgColor=3D#99ccff border=3D0 cellPadding=3D3 cellSpacing=3D0 =
width=3D"100%">
  <TBODY>
  <TR>
    <TD><FONT face=3Dhelvetica, size=3D3 arial, sanserif><B>Chatchai =
Earsakul,=20
      Minister for Labour and Social Welfare, said:</B><BR>"Foreign =
workers are=20
      allowed to work in Thailand in 18 different sectors and in 39 =
provinces.=20
      And as long as they have been registered, they can come back and =
work in=20
      the country. As for those who are not registered, they are still =
illegal=20
      and the Myanmar government should take steps to provide them with =
jobs as=20
      we want to encourage more Thais to come and take up these=20
      professions."</FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P>Although relations between Myanmar and Thailand have improved =
recently with=20
all border checkpoints open once again, the issue of illegal Myanmar =
workers has=20
not been broached by either side.=20
<P>Observers said the illegal workers were needed in Thailand because =
the Labour=20
Ministry has not been able to attract Thais to some industries.=20
<P>As such, they said the government's drive against illegal workers =
failed to=20
deal with the real situation.=20
<P>Moreover, they believe corrupt officials are the ones who benefit as=20
businessmen at the borders pay huge bribes to get the workers back into =
the=20
country.=20
<P>
<TABLE bgColor=3D#99ccff border=3D0 cellPadding=3D3 cellSpacing=3D0 =
width=3D"100%">
  <TBODY>
  <TR>
    <TD><FONT face=3Dhelvetica, size=3D3 arial, sanserif><B>Somchai =
Homlaor,=20
      Executive Director at Forum Asia, said:</B><BR>"So far as the hand =
of the=20
      law cannot be enforced and the employers have to pay some extra =
money for=20
      the local officers, how can they improve the working conditions of =
the=20
      workers in the factory, because the cost will be very=20
  high?"</FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P>And so, although the workers may have found a way back into Thailand =
- it is=20
not all good news for them. They are often exploited.=20
<P>They work 18 hours a day for a pay that could be as low as one dollar =
a day.=20
<P>With the situation remaining very much unchanged, local authorities =
are now=20
facing increasing pressure to step up measures not only to keep illegal =
workers=20
out but also to deal with errant employers.=20
<P>Experts said talks must begin with Myanmar authorities to deal with =
the=20
problem.=20
<P>The situation on the border areas have returned to normal as the =
government=20
in Bangkok turns its attention to more pressing needs at hand.=20
<P>But experts warn that the treatment and status of foreign workers in =
Thailand=20
have yet to be resolved till the government holds tripartite talks with=20
Non-government Organisation groups and border groups in the=20
area.</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_0024_01BF4F3A.0B6C2F00--