We ask Thailand to show compassion to humans without documents

By Htoo Chit, Executive Director of the Foundation for Education and Development (FED), formerly Grassroots HRE

Life as a migrant isn’t easy for Burmese people in Thailand, but a new law just made it that more difficult.  On June 2nd, 2010 the Prime Minister of Thailand, Abhisit Vejjajiva, established the Special Centre to Suppress, Arrest and Prosecute Alien Workers Who Are Working Underground.

“Migrants have long experience of mass raids which do not screen migrants’ status. It is highly likely that some migrants holding only appointment cards for nationality verification will also be arrested, together with undocumented migrants, and this will undermine the confidence of all migrants to proceed with regularization.  Furthermore, ordering the arrest of the 300,000 migrants who were eligible to enter into the nationality verification process but did not follow through does not address the shortcomings of the process, it only causes more confusion, distrust and resentment.” Mae Kong Migration Network (MMN) which is regional advocacy group, statement on 22 June, said.

So why aren’t migrants registering?  Many migrants do not register with the Thai government due to high cost and fear of reprisals of giving their address in Burma. Some Thai employers also don't want to allow their Burmese workers to register to avoid any taxes prevent any recourse for abuses on their workers.  Many of the migrants are not registered in Thailand, which means they are vulnerable to exploitation. Common human rights violations facing Burmese migrant workers is labor rights abuse such as uncompensated overtime, low salary, no life insurance or compensation, sexual harassment and torture. In response, we have been mobilizing migrants to apply for temporary passports. Still, many migrants live in fear.  “We understand the legal status would be protected for our rights but are we afraid to practice the national ratification because we don’t trust the government and we are concerned our family to be harassed in Burma.”  Nai Soe, Burmese’ a rubber plantation worker said.

If there is so much abuse in Thailand, who do these people leave Burma? Under Burma’s military dictatorship, the people of Burma have suffered a great deal. The dictatorship has ruined the country and the economy. As a result of bad economic planning, many poor Burmese people have fled to neighboring countries to get jobs. Many of the Burmese people end up fleeing into Thailand to seek jobs.  In addition, many Burmese people flee into Thailand because the Burma Army attacks many of its citizens and uses forced labor on many infrastructure projects. The Burma Army is still using forced labor, especially in rural areas where the Burmese military regime, the State Peace and Development Committee (SPDC), has increased the presence of their forces and built military bases. The SPDC army has confiscated many acres of land in order to grow paddy and vegetables for Army’s rations.  In areas under SPDC control, even in places where there is no resistance threat, the local people are regularly summoned to do one or more days of forced labor at military camps and farms. Whenever a new battalion moves into an area, the nearby villages are forced to provide most of the building materials such as wood and bamboo for the camps.

As a result of the military attacks and forced labor, thousands of Burmese refugees cross the Thai-Burma border to seek safety and jobs in Thailand. Thailand is one of the most developed country in the region so many Burmese migrants flee to Thailand for safety and to look for jobs. Most Burmese migrants face lots of difficulties in Thailand. They face the “3D’s”: Dangerous, Difficult and Dirty work. We estimate that there are 4 million undocumented and documented Burmese migrants working in Thailand in 3D’s jobs.

“We are working the jobs in Thailand shunned by the Thai workers; we did not steal their jobs. I strongly believe that over 90 % of fishery workers are Burmese. I think that they (Thai workers) don’t want to work as our Burmese fellows because we have to work for long distance with very limited safety and living conditions” Mg Lay said, who is working in the fishing industry for over a decade and is supervisor of the fishing boats.

Some Thais are compassionate to the plight of their neighbors.  “We have chance to eat fresh sea food and export it to others countries because of Burmese migrant workers” said Ms. Kwe, a Thai human rights activist. Thai employers and authorities also admitted that the Thai economy has been growing because of migrant workers and some of them are starting to support fair treatment of Burmese migrant.

So this is where we are left, with a poor oppressed community seeking a better life and contributing to the economy while their host country makes life even more difficult.  Thailand has a long cultural tradition of compassion, so we ask that this new law be rescinded and we look for ways to work peacefully together.