Illegal Cambodian workers in ThailandFriday, 15 May 2009
Written by Cheang Sokha
The Phnom Penh Post
As many as 500 Cambodian labourers being returned each day through the Poipet border crossing alone, police say
POLICE at the Thai border say they are seeing greater numbers of Cambodian migrant workers being repatriated by Thai police.
Hun Hean, the police chief for Banteay Meanchey province, told the Post that 200 to 500 illegal migrants are being returned through Poipet's border gate by Thailand each day.
That follows the news that Thai police in Sa Keo province bordering Banteay Meanchey arrested more than 130 Cambodian illegal migrant workers on Tuesday.
Hun Hean said that previously his officers used to see between 100 and 200 Cambodian workers returned daily.
"We have seen the number of migrant workers going to Thailand has increased," Hun Hean said. "But these illegal workers are arrested by the Thai police when they cross through these gates looking for work."
Hun Hean said many residents living along the border in provinces such as Battambang, Oddar Meanchey, Pailin and Banteay Meanchey head to Thailand looking for short- and long-term work.
"Most of them go with ring-leaders," he said, adding that some of those arrested are injured by Thai soldiers and their money confiscated.
Last September Prime Minister Hun Sen appealed to illegal Cambodian workers in Thailand to come home, saying they would earn more money and would avoid the risk of being mistreated by Thai employers.
"I see that currently labour wages in Cambodia are higher than those in Thailand," Hun Sen said at that time.
"If they work in their own country they will not be looked down on by [Thai] employers or guilty of working illegally."
Thai problem
Hem Bunny, the director of the Employee and Manpower Department at the Ministry of Labour, said it is legal for Cambodians to work as day labourers in Thailand.
However, he said many Thai employers wanted illegal workers.
"This problem is caused by the Thai employers themselves - they want to use illegal workers because it costs them less money," Hem Bunny said.
"That is why the seasonal workers head to Thailand."
Hem Bunny estimates that 70,000 Cambodian workers who went illegally to Thailand are still working there.
But he said 40,000 of those have since been granted work permits, which ensures they get equal pay and are protected under Thai labour laws.
He said his department had pre-registered and sent 3,662 workers legally to South Korea in the past two years, 15,444 to Malaysia in the past decade, 8,930 to Thailand since 2006 and 42 to Japan since 2007.
POLICE at the Thai border say they are seeing greater numbers of Cambodian migrant workers being repatriated by Thai police.
Hun Hean, the police chief for Banteay Meanchey province, told the Post that 200 to 500 illegal migrants are being returned through Poipet's border gate by Thailand each day.
That follows the news that Thai police in Sa Keo province bordering Banteay Meanchey arrested more than 130 Cambodian illegal migrant workers on Tuesday.
Hun Hean said that previously his officers used to see between 100 and 200 Cambodian workers returned daily.
"We have seen the number of migrant workers going to Thailand has increased," Hun Hean said. "But these illegal workers are arrested by the Thai police when they cross through these gates looking for work."
Hun Hean said many residents living along the border in provinces such as Battambang, Oddar Meanchey, Pailin and Banteay Meanchey head to Thailand looking for short- and long-term work.
"Most of them go with ring-leaders," he said, adding that some of those arrested are injured by Thai soldiers and their money confiscated.
Last September Prime Minister Hun Sen appealed to illegal Cambodian workers in Thailand to come home, saying they would earn more money and would avoid the risk of being mistreated by Thai employers.
"I see that currently labour wages in Cambodia are higher than those in Thailand," Hun Sen said at that time.
"If they work in their own country they will not be looked down on by [Thai] employers or guilty of working illegally."
Thai problem
Hem Bunny, the director of the Employee and Manpower Department at the Ministry of Labour, said it is legal for Cambodians to work as day labourers in Thailand.
However, he said many Thai employers wanted illegal workers.
"This problem is caused by the Thai employers themselves - they want to use illegal workers because it costs them less money," Hem Bunny said.
"That is why the seasonal workers head to Thailand."
Hem Bunny estimates that 70,000 Cambodian workers who went illegally to Thailand are still working there.
But he said 40,000 of those have since been granted work permits, which ensures they get equal pay and are protected under Thai labour laws.
He said his department had pre-registered and sent 3,662 workers legally to South Korea in the past two years, 15,444 to Malaysia in the past decade, 8,930 to Thailand since 2006 and 42 to Japan since 2007.
18 comments:
Because of Ah Hun Xen doesn't understand what is the econmic crise!!Hun Xen cannot do anything for the people!!!
The people are very and very poor!!!!
We need the job and the money for the life!!!!
Wove do they look foreigne to us too! Hun Xen's in law? Hok Landy 's relative?
Ah kwack do not now people have no radio to listen to him! To know they get better pay in Cambodia !!!!LOL!!!!!!
A ma satupid PhD! choy euy!
10:59 PM
I hope you can tell me, why the US authority das a border-wall between USA and Mexico ? You might better have a constructive critic, in case you like your country.
There are a lot of brave and good Cambodians which work in Thailand.
It is the Thai Government which start to make problems to them.
Anybody who want make Hun Sen responsible for this is really very, very stupid!
I am a foreigners and it is a shame for me to see some Cambodians living in USA make so much stupid comments.
Cambodia need a strong leader!!!
Cambodia do not need a leader which is busy with his girl friend in France.
Sam Rainsy is a nice, well educated man, however he is missing Charisma and strong leadership.
I know him personally and know what I am talking about!!!!
I ask the US Cambodians not to write so stupid. Foreigners will look down in you when you do it.
មានដឹងថាពួកសៀមវាចិត្តអាក្រក់ដល់ពលរដ្ធ
ខ្មែរទេ?ហេតុអ្វីបានជាចង់ទៅទៀត?មិនដែលគិតថាខ្មែរធ្វើជាចៅហ្វាយល្អទេគឺមានតែ
បរទេសទេដែលធ្វើចៅហ្វាយល្អដួច្នេះហើយបានជា
សម្រុកចូលទៅបរទេសរូចដល់គេរករឿងទើបថា
ពួកសៀមវាខួច។ដួចខ្មែរនៅសហរដ្ធឥញ្ជឹងបើមាន
បងប្អូនខ្មែរណាមួយបានធ្វើជាចៅហ្វាយពុំមាន
អ្នកណាមួយសប្បាយចិត្តទេទាល់តែសាស្រ្តសប្បែកសឬក៏សប្បែកខ្មៅទើបសប្បាយចិត្តលលុះដល់
និយាយស្តាប់គ្នាលែងបានទើបបែមករកខ្មែរវិញ។
នេះជាទង្វើររបស់កូនខ្មែរមួយចំនួននៅបរទេស។
រដ្ធាភិបាលធ្វើឲ្យពលរដ្ធខ្មែរបានសុខថាគេមិនត្រឹម
ត្រូវទេ។ដួច្នេះហើយបានជាដីខ្មែរធំបន់ណាណីមក
នៅត្រឹមទួចមួយគឺមកពីខ្មែរខ្លះវង្វេងម៉ែឪ។
Firstly, my hat go off to all the Khmer compatriots, scholars, intellectuals, and the Khmers around the world in and outside the Khmer Empire nation, who's tirelesly to helps fought for Khmer Krom to reach our independent in the near future.
Secondly, this coming June the fourth Khmer Krom and Khmer around the world will commemorated and observed the lost of Kampuchea Krom 60th aniversaries. To all Khmer around the world, please help participates in this events by seeking the information from Khmer Krom representative everywhere in your community.
Thirdly, my respectfully goes to the team of KI-Media. So far your team had done a tremendous job for the Khmer benefits and keep up the good works.
Fourthly, to all Khmer abroad please bring back The Fourth Factions or Paris Peace Accord unity strategy models.In the early ninety the only Youn pullout from Cambodia because we Khmers had united. Back then king Seyhanouk had all the power, popularity and was incharged. Every body respected him from Khmer perspective and the international community perspective. If I were him I would use this power and popularity to declare to the world community that the Khmer people still under the supression, aggression of Youn and Seam. In doing so, his reputations and credibility will be installed next to the Great Khmer King Jayavarman VII.
In the case of Kampuchea Krom, if we use this exact models we Khmer will once again liberated Kampuchea Krom from the Youn iron grips.And possibly Khmer Krom can declare their independent or reannexed to Cambodia who knows.
Respectively your,
Khmer Empire
11:39Pm,You fucking shit, can you fucking put your head together, not to make your mother ashame on youexcept she a whore!
When the country getting too poor who you crack head going to blam? Your mother?
And I not tlking about ah Hun Xen rule by stinky mouth! and its family are invilved in corruption, land grabing, and all of the crime in Cambodia!
Not only Cambodia know about it, International organization like Un know it too!
Go do some reading fool! Before lightning strike the evil like you and ah Hun Xen and tugs!
Do ma ah PhD from Hanoi mothefucker!
How samall is your empire dude?
the thai have no sympathy for helpless people. it seems like it's all about thailand. this is not a way to mend fences and make friends with cambodia. and this is not like it just occurs, the refugee phenomenon from cambodia was always going on since the KR took over cambodia in 1975, and for thailand to all of a sudden make a big deal out of it is something fishy going within the thai gov't system. what goes around comes around eventually; it's called karma; thailand will face karma sooner or later if they keep on abusing human rights like this.
We can blame Thais for having no sumpathy in such, but we don't realize Thais don't trust people enter Thailand from Cambodia. Thais believe that these people are Vietnamese spies just like Monks at Preah Vihear.
I meant "no sympathy as such"
11:19 PM,
You meant these poor people look Vietnamese? Look is deceiving. A lot of Khmers look so Viets and a lot of Viets in South Vietnam look so Khmers, a lot of Thais look so Viets too and many look so yeahh.
These people are Cambodians regardless what you think they are.
Did you see Ta Son San or his son Son Sonbert?
Are you going to tell us Son Soubert if Viet?
Stop thinking like ah Pot which caused million lives.
It's outrageous to see how thais treat khmer people. These khmer people were going about their normal life, working in thailand to make money to support their family. This was not the first time they went into thailand to work, so why the hell were they arrested?
We have so many illegal immigrants in cambodia, such as viets, chams and chinese. They too are trying to survive; most of them are vendors in the markets. But the cambodian gov't allows them to live in cambodia.
i wish Khmer historians react to the article listed in bangkok post. please follow the link: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/16824/what-s-in-a-name
i wish all of you stop insulting your own blood. take a look and see what u can do for your country. all the best.
These poor Khmer people need help from us all as a community.
I burst into tear to see this.
How can we send help to them? Depends on Ah Hun Kvack he won't see it.
Yes I agree that we must stop accusing our own people as Yuon this or that. How many million more we have to kill our own people because of wrongfully accused?
We all we got, we get to take care our own poor people.
How can we help them?
KI, Can you get access to some body inside Cambodia or NGO to help them?
Damn it ah Hun Kvack he stil blames them.
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