By LAWI WENG
The Irrawady
Thai authorities say that despite protests by human rights groups they are proceeding with plans to deport up to 1.4 million migrants who fail to complete national verification procedures by the end of February. About 80 percent of the migrants threatened with repatriation are Burmese.
Jackie Pollock, a founder of the Migrant Assistance Program (MAP), a Chiang Mai-based NGO, said, “They [the Thai authorities] told us they will go ahead with the process of deporting migrants.”
The Thai language newspaper Thai Rath on Thursday quoted Jirisak Sukhonchaat, director general of the Thai government's employment department, as saying that Dep Prime Minister Maj-Gen Sanan Kajornprasart, in his capacity as chairman of the alien workers management committee, had appointed officials to arrest and deport migrant workers who failed to complete national verification formalities by the end of February.
In January, the Thai Cabinet passed a resolution allowing for a two-year extension of work permits for about 1.4 million migrants provided they completed the national verification formalities, which involve processing by their home countries.
Migrants seeking to work legally in Thailand must submit detailed biographical information to the Burmese authorities in order to complete the nationality verification procedure. Many fear for their safety and of repercussions against family members in Burma if they turn up at the military government offices to complete the paperwork.
The Cambodian and Lao governments have sent their officials to Thailand to complete the process in previous years. However, the Burmese government wants all migrant workers to go to three border points within Burma––Myawaddy, Tachilek and Kawthaung––to complete nationality verification registration.
Rights groups have called on the Burmese government to send their officials to verify their people's nationalities in Thailand in order to encourage Burmese migrant workers to register. The groups say that because of a lack of information and awareness about the national verification process, many migrant workers have chosen to avoid the process.
The UN expert on the human rights of migrants, Jorge A Bustamante, said that while the Thai government resolution on migrant workers was to be welcomed, he was concerned that “irregular migrants” were not covered by the measure.
“This scheme does not offer options for protecting the human rights of migrants who have not availed themselves, or will not avail themselves, of this process.”
Bustamente said: “Among the groups who may potentially be deported there may be some who may be in need of international protection and should not be returned to the country of origin.”
The UN official said he was disappointed that the Thai government had not responded to his appeals for “restraint.”
Bustamente, a special rapporteur of the UN Human Rights Council, warned: “If pursued, the threats of mass expulsion will result in unprecedented human suffering and will definitely breach fundamental human rights obligations.”
In Bangkok, Andy Hall, director of the Migrant Justice Programme, said deportation was “not realistic...the economy needs the workers.”
But Jirisak Sukhonchaat said: “We must have these workers 'above ground.' They must work according to the law.” He said a decision would be taken later in the case of migrants who had problems proving their nationality, such as Rohingyas.
About 50 rights groups in Thailand appealed to the Thai government last month to allow migrants more time to complete the required formalities.
After January's Thai Cabinet decision, about 1,000 migrants a day returned to Burma through the border crossing at the Three Pagodas Pass, dropping to about 700 in February, according to one local source.
Nai Jhon Thet, a 45 year-old Mon migrant, said he was returning to Burma because he doesn't trust the authorities there to work correctly on nationality verification.
“We can't trust them because they never keep their promises,” he said. “They say they aren't extorting money from our families, but we don't know about the future.”
Talks on the issue between Thai and Burmese representative in Bagan last week were “fruitful,” according to a report in Tuesday's issue of the state-run The New Light of Myanmar.
Of an estimated 2 to 3 million Burmese migrants in Thailand, only 1,310,686 have registered as migrant workers.
Many of the migrants are from ethnic minority groups, such as Mon, Karen and Shan, who have fled Burmese army oppression and human rights abuses.
The rights groups say very limited public awareness has been raised about the national verification process and its benefits, both for migrant workers and employers.
Jackie Pollock, a founder of the Migrant Assistance Program (MAP), a Chiang Mai-based NGO, said, “They [the Thai authorities] told us they will go ahead with the process of deporting migrants.”
The Thai language newspaper Thai Rath on Thursday quoted Jirisak Sukhonchaat, director general of the Thai government's employment department, as saying that Dep Prime Minister Maj-Gen Sanan Kajornprasart, in his capacity as chairman of the alien workers management committee, had appointed officials to arrest and deport migrant workers who failed to complete national verification formalities by the end of February.
In January, the Thai Cabinet passed a resolution allowing for a two-year extension of work permits for about 1.4 million migrants provided they completed the national verification formalities, which involve processing by their home countries.
Migrants seeking to work legally in Thailand must submit detailed biographical information to the Burmese authorities in order to complete the nationality verification procedure. Many fear for their safety and of repercussions against family members in Burma if they turn up at the military government offices to complete the paperwork.
The Cambodian and Lao governments have sent their officials to Thailand to complete the process in previous years. However, the Burmese government wants all migrant workers to go to three border points within Burma––Myawaddy, Tachilek and Kawthaung––to complete nationality verification registration.
Rights groups have called on the Burmese government to send their officials to verify their people's nationalities in Thailand in order to encourage Burmese migrant workers to register. The groups say that because of a lack of information and awareness about the national verification process, many migrant workers have chosen to avoid the process.
The UN expert on the human rights of migrants, Jorge A Bustamante, said that while the Thai government resolution on migrant workers was to be welcomed, he was concerned that “irregular migrants” were not covered by the measure.
“This scheme does not offer options for protecting the human rights of migrants who have not availed themselves, or will not avail themselves, of this process.”
Bustamente said: “Among the groups who may potentially be deported there may be some who may be in need of international protection and should not be returned to the country of origin.”
The UN official said he was disappointed that the Thai government had not responded to his appeals for “restraint.”
Bustamente, a special rapporteur of the UN Human Rights Council, warned: “If pursued, the threats of mass expulsion will result in unprecedented human suffering and will definitely breach fundamental human rights obligations.”
In Bangkok, Andy Hall, director of the Migrant Justice Programme, said deportation was “not realistic...the economy needs the workers.”
But Jirisak Sukhonchaat said: “We must have these workers 'above ground.' They must work according to the law.” He said a decision would be taken later in the case of migrants who had problems proving their nationality, such as Rohingyas.
About 50 rights groups in Thailand appealed to the Thai government last month to allow migrants more time to complete the required formalities.
After January's Thai Cabinet decision, about 1,000 migrants a day returned to Burma through the border crossing at the Three Pagodas Pass, dropping to about 700 in February, according to one local source.
Nai Jhon Thet, a 45 year-old Mon migrant, said he was returning to Burma because he doesn't trust the authorities there to work correctly on nationality verification.
“We can't trust them because they never keep their promises,” he said. “They say they aren't extorting money from our families, but we don't know about the future.”
Talks on the issue between Thai and Burmese representative in Bagan last week were “fruitful,” according to a report in Tuesday's issue of the state-run The New Light of Myanmar.
Of an estimated 2 to 3 million Burmese migrants in Thailand, only 1,310,686 have registered as migrant workers.
Many of the migrants are from ethnic minority groups, such as Mon, Karen and Shan, who have fled Burmese army oppression and human rights abuses.
The rights groups say very limited public awareness has been raised about the national verification process and its benefits, both for migrant workers and employers.
7 comments:
Stupid Thais-thief try to get rid of anybody now, because they scared someday these people will strike against them, after they(Thais) robbed and stold from their neighbors...Thais-thief had robbed, stold from Burmese, Lao, Cambodia...
Thailand is Thief nations!!
Thais learned some lessons from Khmers, they will never encroaching into cambodia again...never! it's good to teach them a lesson!
We can do the same with the yuon!!!
Gen. Chea Dara shouldn't allow Thais soldiers came in Veil Intry for jointed lunch...with Khmer soldiers there, it's very dangerous!! what ta hell he's thinking..??
Cambodian government should do the same with Vietnameses in Cambodia.
cambodia should learn from thailand on immigration law, really. i think what the thai gov't is doing is right, and cambodia could use the same law to rid of illegal youn in the country, etc...
Thailand is the RACIST country on Earth!
Post a Comment