The Foundation for Education and Development (FED) is pleased to announce the opening of our Unified Learning Center on May 9th, 2012 in Khao Lak, Phang Nga Province. The school will provide education and basic health care services for the children and youth of the Burmese community located in Phang Nga Province.  According to Htoo Chit, Executive Director of FED, “Our school offers the children of Burmese migrant workers the opportunities to learn to read and write, to learn the Thai and English languages and ultimately assists them in their integration into Thai schools and society. As well, the school will house a health care clinic offering basic health care and child services - all of these services would not be available to them otherwise.

30 April 2012—Phuket--A scheduled Burmese (Myanmar) concert here has been cancelled by local Thai authorities. Preparations for the event, celebrating Mayday (International Labor Day), had been underway for the past two months. Popular Burmese performers such as Ar Zar Ni, Phyu Phyu Kyaw Thein, and Chan Chan were slated to perform at the event.
Bangkok’s The Nation newspaper reported that, “Authorities in Phuket say they will not allow concerts in the province for workers from Myanmar because of security concerns.  Phuket Governor Mr. Tri Akaradecha said he receives many requests to stage concerts for workers from Myanmar at various locations on the island but due to security concerns he has had to disallow the events. ‘The concerts would bring thousands of Myanmar workers together.  This could cause fights. We have to prevent them by not allowing the concerts’, Tri said.”

For Immediate Release: 5^th April 2012

ILO: Thailand’s Migrant Policy Continues to Defy International Law

For more information on this press release, please contact:

Mr. Sawit Kaewan (General Secretary, SERC): +66 (0) 863 361110 (Thai only)

Mr. Andy Hall (Advisor for International Affairs, SERC): +66 (0) 846 119209(English/Thai)

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has strongly criticized Thailand’s government for exploitation of migrant workers. Coming just weeks after the Government pledged to the UN Human Rights Council to priorities migrant rights protection, Thailand’s reputation for exploiting migrants remains in the spotlight.

22 March 2011—Nonthaburi Province—

Seventy-six Burmese workers employed in a Thailand snack factory were arrested today and will be deported to Burma. The action was taken by Thai authorities due to discrepancies between the addresses shown on the workers immigration documents and where they were currently living, as well as variations between their actual and recorded job titles.