By Moeung Tum
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
One Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) Member of Parliament is concerned about the safety and welfare of Cambodian workers in Thailand.
Keo Remy, Phnom Penh SRP MP, had asked the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to officially negotiate with the Thai government to ensure the legal treatment of Cambodian workers in Thailand.
In a letter received by RFA dated 14 Nov, Keo Remy recalled that the Cambodian government had decided to form a foreign affairs working group under an order signed by prime minister Hun Sen on 10 Jan 2005, in order to register and issue identiy cards to Cambodian workers who are currently illegally working in Thailand.
However, among the 181,587 Cambodian workers in Thailand, only 75,804 of them have been registered, and out of the last number, only 34,113 workers received identity cards [to legalize their status in Thailand].
Therefore, Keo Remy said that there are still about 100,000 Cambodian workers who are illegally living and working in Thailand. These workers are treated as slave-workers, and they are indebted more and more to their bosses, as well as being pushed into more hardships and pressures should they want to return back to Cambodia.
Keo Remy told RFA: “I have received report from a representative in Thailand that the more than 100,000 [Cambodian] workers are treated as slaves because they do not have legal residency in Thailand. Under this condition, they are forced to do whatever their bosses want. A number of others are working as slaves at sea, they are not allowed to land. I also received report indicating that some of them have been hit and dumped at sea if they commit any error.”
Keo Remy said that the [Cambodian] ministry of foreign affairs had sent a working group to issue legal papers to Cambodian workers [in Thailand], however, their bosses prevent them from registering while others were arrested during their trip to go register.
Keo Remy is asking the prime minister to intervene and resolve this issue for Cambodian workers: “Lastly, I am making a plea through RFA that the resolution to the problem of Cambodian workers illegally entering [Thailand for work] can only be stopped if there is reform on land issues, if corruption is eliminated, and we must cooperate to improve infrastructures in order to reduce utilities cost in order to attract investors to come to Cambodia. This will bring in more jobs for Cambodians and stop the need to travel to find work in Thailand because nobody wants to die [while working in Thailand]. I am also reminding that the number of Cambodians reaching the age of 18 years is already more than 8 million.”
Keo Remy, Phnom Penh SRP MP, had asked the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to officially negotiate with the Thai government to ensure the legal treatment of Cambodian workers in Thailand.
In a letter received by RFA dated 14 Nov, Keo Remy recalled that the Cambodian government had decided to form a foreign affairs working group under an order signed by prime minister Hun Sen on 10 Jan 2005, in order to register and issue identiy cards to Cambodian workers who are currently illegally working in Thailand.
However, among the 181,587 Cambodian workers in Thailand, only 75,804 of them have been registered, and out of the last number, only 34,113 workers received identity cards [to legalize their status in Thailand].
Therefore, Keo Remy said that there are still about 100,000 Cambodian workers who are illegally living and working in Thailand. These workers are treated as slave-workers, and they are indebted more and more to their bosses, as well as being pushed into more hardships and pressures should they want to return back to Cambodia.
Keo Remy told RFA: “I have received report from a representative in Thailand that the more than 100,000 [Cambodian] workers are treated as slaves because they do not have legal residency in Thailand. Under this condition, they are forced to do whatever their bosses want. A number of others are working as slaves at sea, they are not allowed to land. I also received report indicating that some of them have been hit and dumped at sea if they commit any error.”
Keo Remy said that the [Cambodian] ministry of foreign affairs had sent a working group to issue legal papers to Cambodian workers [in Thailand], however, their bosses prevent them from registering while others were arrested during their trip to go register.
Keo Remy is asking the prime minister to intervene and resolve this issue for Cambodian workers: “Lastly, I am making a plea through RFA that the resolution to the problem of Cambodian workers illegally entering [Thailand for work] can only be stopped if there is reform on land issues, if corruption is eliminated, and we must cooperate to improve infrastructures in order to reduce utilities cost in order to attract investors to come to Cambodia. This will bring in more jobs for Cambodians and stop the need to travel to find work in Thailand because nobody wants to die [while working in Thailand]. I am also reminding that the number of Cambodians reaching the age of 18 years is already more than 8 million.”
1 comment:
Thank you so much Mr. PM Keo Remy for your concern! Cambodian workers in Thailand are paying with their life just to put food on the table for their family and life shouldn't be like this!
Does Cambodian people even have a choice? AH HUN SEN needs to answer this question for all Cambodian people working in Thailand!
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