Many of the Burmese Migrant Workers who entered Thailand with various statuses are working in very low overall working conditions in term of Health, Education and Human Rights.

Hundreds of thousands of Migrant Worker in southern Thailand are also suffering daily from local authorities’ restrictions, maltreatment and discrimination from local Thai community. One of them is sexual and physical violence against women, even in front of their husbands.

Ma Thint Tint Htun (18 years old construction worker) told us how her Thai colleagues attempted to rape her by pointing a knife against her neck.

The young lady said: “On 18 this month, me and my husband went to sleep in an unfinished building because we had some guest in my apartment. At nine o’clock at night, three Thai men, drunk, entered the room. They pointed a knife against my neck and tried to rape me. They beat my husband with club. Kicked him and punched him,”

“Neighbors came out from their rooms when they heard screams. The three Thai men escaped.

Both my hands got injured. One of my little fingers broke. I got two stitches in my head,” said Ko Phyo, husband of Ma Thint Tint Htun.

Their Thai employer told them not to inform the police.

On 22 this month, at night time three migrant workers working to build a tourist bungalow were eating at a restaurant. All of a sudden, seven Thai men came in to attack them. One of them was stabbed from behind with a knife.

One of the victims said: “We just came back from work and were having dinner. Then, they came in and attacked us. That evening, there was a festival in that place and there were many people in the restaurant.”

“The point of the knife tore an opening my side about two inches wide. They just came and in stabbed me without saying anything. They ran away after that. We never saw them before,” Said Maung Win, 20 years old victim.

“One of my friends got his muscle on his arm torn off. He was taken to Takuapa hospital but the hospital did not accept him because he was so seriously injured. He was referred to Phang Nga hospital,” he continued.

This kind of Incident has been happening to Burmese Migrant Worker frequently. Some Local Thai people Use to commit this kind of crime after using illicit drugs. Also, some worker don’t have worker ID and are afraid to report police when they are maltreated or to go to the hospital for the injuries.

“In this case, it may be that the victim was mistakenly targeted or this could be voluntary attack on Burmese Migrant,” said San Hla, Migrant Development Program coordinator of Grassroots HRE, an organization assisting Burmese Migrant Worker.

GHRE is also experiencing some increasing difficulties of late. Assisting Migrant Worker legally whose rights are abused and providing health care for the workers is more complicated this year because of the decrees restricting on Migrant workers alike of using mobile phone and motor bikes.