28 January 2012—Khuk Khak, Phang Nga Province, Thailand

The Foundation for Education and Development (FED) reports that it is assisting a legless Burmese migrant worker to gain compensation for a job-related workplace accident nearly two years after the incident occurred.

Mr. San Maung is a thirty-two old Rakhaing (Arakan) native from the Pon-Na-Kyan township of Mya-Ka-Lay’s village in Rakhaing (Arakan) state of western Burma/Myanmar. He was working on a shrimp farming complex when he lost his legs to an industrial accident.

“I arrived in Thailand in 2008 and I worked at a construction site and a sawmill factory before I started working at the shrimp factory. I lost my left leg at 9AM on 5 June 2010 while I was cleaning the water. My right leg was also injured and I was treated at the hospital. Then, a week later, my right leg was amputated,” said Mr. San Maung.

Thailand is the world’s largest exporter of farmed shrimp. Thailand’s fish farming industry is an important part of the economy and thousands of migrant workers from neighboring countries work in this sector. Most Thai workers shun shrimp pond work because of the perilous working environment and its seasonal nature. Migrant workers from Burma (Myanmar) and Cambodia—many undocumented—provide Thai fish farming companies with cheap and compliant labor.

In general, the living conditions, health provisions, and work environments of migrants in Thailand are poor and exploitative. Fisheries workers may be even worse off comparatively. Shrimp farm workers labor in six hour cycles to feed the shrimp and clean the ponds. Thousands of Burmese migrants work on shrimp farms and they face accidents daily, especially as shrimp farms use motors with rotating propellers to recirculate the water.

Mr. Maung explained that, “I am an orphan and my family is poor. It is difficult to find jobs in Burma and I decided to come to Thailand to look for work. I would like to support the education of my nieces and nephews because my older brother is so poor and he cannot provide for his children.”

FED learned of Mr. Maung’s plight via a letter from Mr. Maung that made its way to the local community. “I was shocked when I heard his terrible story. We consulted with human rights lawyers as soon as we received his letter. We are still consulting with different advisors as to how to provide legal assistance to victims like Mr. Maung. We promised him that we are going to support him as much as we can,” Htoo Chit, executive director of FED, said.

Mr. Maung receives THB3000 (~USD100) as a monthly allowance since the accident. Even though he has the right to further compensation, he has not yet applied for it. He is uncertain of his rights and non-governmental organizations working on behalf of migrant’s interests in Thailand have been largely unresponsive. That’s why he did not claim compensation within three months of the accident.

Looking to the future, Mr. Maung explained that, “I did not want to go back to Burma after the accident because I didn’t want to burden my poor family. I would like some vocational training before I go back to my country. In Burma, I used to study television and air-conditioning repair.”

The Foundation for Education and Development or FED (formerly Grassroots HRE) works to promote education, human rights, and the development of safe working environments for Burmese migrant workers and their families in Thailand. FED programs currently focus on Burmese migrants in Phang Nga, south Thailand and Mae Sot. FED works closely with other regional and international organizations to achieve its goals. For more information, please visit www.ghre.org