Wed, November 7, 2007
Pennapa Hongthong
The Nation (Thailand)
Leading labour rights groups yesterday came down on the government for its policy of strictly controlling foreign workers after the Samut Sakhon governor sent a letter to all employers in his province directing them to forbid migrants from holding cultural events.
"The letter demonstrated the governor's lack of cultural sensitivity, which is needed when dealing with people from foreign countries," said Sompong Sakaew, director of the Labour Rights Promotion Network.
Governor Veerayuth Yea-mampar - in his circular of October 26 to the Employment Office, employers and factory owners - said they should strictly manage and monitor their workers from Burma, Laos and Cambodia and not allow them to organise cultural ceremonies at any event at all.
"These activities should not be supported because it will make the community feel that these people are the owners of the community, and that could create security problems. It is against the government's purpose for them to be just temporary workers," he said.
Sompong criticised the governor for his "racial prejudice".
"There's nothing wrong with foreign workers, just the government's policy trying to control them. We're pressing down on them by not allowing them to demonstrate their identity out of fear that they might dilute our culture. What's diluting and what's to be diluted?" he said.
Sompong wants the government to reconsider the policy. He said the government should think positively, in that allowing migrant workers to celebrate their culture would strengthen Thai culture due to the similarity and relationship of their traditions and beliefs in the region.
"There are many Thai Mon residents who observe their Mon culture in Thailand. What's the difference between cultural ceremonies put on by Thai Mon residents and those who are Mon workers?" he asked.
Veerayuth was not immediately available for comment.
Manoon Punyakiriyakorn, director-general of the Employ-ment Department, distanced himself from the controversy, saying it was the mandate of the governor to regulate alien workers in his province.
"The letter demonstrated the governor's lack of cultural sensitivity, which is needed when dealing with people from foreign countries," said Sompong Sakaew, director of the Labour Rights Promotion Network.
Governor Veerayuth Yea-mampar - in his circular of October 26 to the Employment Office, employers and factory owners - said they should strictly manage and monitor their workers from Burma, Laos and Cambodia and not allow them to organise cultural ceremonies at any event at all.
"These activities should not be supported because it will make the community feel that these people are the owners of the community, and that could create security problems. It is against the government's purpose for them to be just temporary workers," he said.
Sompong criticised the governor for his "racial prejudice".
"There's nothing wrong with foreign workers, just the government's policy trying to control them. We're pressing down on them by not allowing them to demonstrate their identity out of fear that they might dilute our culture. What's diluting and what's to be diluted?" he said.
Sompong wants the government to reconsider the policy. He said the government should think positively, in that allowing migrant workers to celebrate their culture would strengthen Thai culture due to the similarity and relationship of their traditions and beliefs in the region.
"There are many Thai Mon residents who observe their Mon culture in Thailand. What's the difference between cultural ceremonies put on by Thai Mon residents and those who are Mon workers?" he asked.
Veerayuth was not immediately available for comment.
Manoon Punyakiriyakorn, director-general of the Employ-ment Department, distanced himself from the controversy, saying it was the mandate of the governor to regulate alien workers in his province.
15 comments:
I wonder what these ignorance officials would react if USA government imposes the samething to millions of Thai immegrants living/working in United States?
It is a good thing.
Thank you Thai government.
We need to take back khmers people in order to rebuid our country.
Cambodia will be a good place to live with real democratie, justice and freedom.
Nope, Cambodia will stuck in poverty if we have too much democracy.
As for the festival, there is no need for it. The Thai has similar celebration already. Those lazy asses people must stop to trying to take too many holidays. If they want to work, work. Otherwise, they should just go back home. What they are doing is discouraging the Thai from opening door to people who desperately need works in the future. There for stop being such an immoral westerners.
Khmer people stucked right in the middle of two azzholez. Thai on the right, vietcong on the left.
Isreal is able to obtain military weapon or nuclear defense system. Why can't cambodia also from the treat of vietcong and thaicong?
Former king Sihanouk and the international community must call all cambodians in Thailand to come back home because we need them.
Zip it, 3:30. You are blind. Israel is rich and Cambodia is poor. Can't you tell the difference?
We know who this same Animal Viet troller @3:26AM and @6:49AM that pretending to be Khmer is. This animal Viet troller will be castrated and then euthanized when time comes.
Go home Viet troller!
Go home Vietcong!
I told you so! These fucken Thaicong are one racist mother fucker! Now the Thaicong are speaking their mind!
So all of you fucken CPP corrupted Cambodian leaders better take notice because the fucken Thaicong will never give a damn to any of you or your population and it is time to play hardball with the Thaicong!
AH HUN SEN dictator needs to step out the way and don't make Cambodia and Cambodian people lower than this! The former Khmer Rouge farmer pagoda boy will never outgrew his childhood past! Please be a sportsmanship and call a quit because you have done you best and your best is not good enough!
What? Hey if you are the Thai business owners, you wouldn't like it if too many people take too many holidays either. That mean you have to hire more people to fill in just to meet your scheduled delivery.
So, it will be OK for Moslems from Malaysia to hold cultural events in Thailand? And then kill the Thais in Southern provinces at the same time?
Singapore also observes cultural ceremonies and festivities of various ethnic minorities in their country. Is Singapore a third-world country now? If the ban is nationality-specific then you won't need to check the dictionary for the word "Racism".
10:33, I am lost. Help me understand what are you saying in your first paragraph.
As for your second paragraph, I say if the ceremony is distinctively difference, then it is okay, but if it is not, why celebrating the same ceremony 4-5 times.
Let be fair and the fucken Thaicong in Cambodia can't celebrate anything either!
Damn fucken Thaicong!
To 5:33 PM
We must show the world that Cambodians are civilized and are respecting all people rights and all lives in our country.
To 7:36PM
What! You want to be civilized with the Thaicong racist mother fucker? Your arse needs to be deported to Thailane!
5:33, there is no such thing as the Thai celebrate anything in Cambodia, but they will celebrate with us this November in our Om touk festival.
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