Relief, tales of abuse as fishermen return

Thursday, 30 August 2012
Sen David
The Phnom Penh Post

A group of five fishermen who had endured more than a year in forced labour on a Thai fishing vessel returned to an emotional reunion with their families in Phnom Penh last night.

In a scene that has become all too familiar over the past year, a group of five fishermen who had endured more than a year in forced labour on a Thai fishing vessel returned to an emotional reunion with their families in Phnom Penh last night.

The men flew into the capital’s international airport from Indonesia, where the boat they worked on was found illegally fishing.

Sim Yeng, 32, from Kandal province, said he had gone to Thailand believing that a broker in his village had found him work at a high salary for one year.

Instead, he ended up working for nothing on a fishing boat.

Spate of abuses continues

Trafficked fishermen return to Cambodia yesterday from Malaysia after being forced to work in slave-like conditions on Thai fishing boats. Pha Lina

Friday, 09 March 2012
Sen David
The Phnom Penh Post

Nearly two dozen fishermen were re­patriated to the Kingdom yesterday after being trafficked aboard Thai fishing boats where they endured forced labour and rampant abuse.

The 11 men bring to 30 the number of fishermen repatriated from Malaysia and Indonesia this year. They were visibly shaken as they recalled grim tales of abuse and exploitation.

Sem Sophon, 23, said that a broker he had used to find work in Thailand had sold him to a fishing boat. He was told he would make 4,500 baht (approximately US$150), but instead received no pay.

“We had to work so much, but we didn’t even get one riel,” Sem Sophon said.

100 Escape From Traffickers

At least 100 Cambodians have been rescued from Thai fishing boats in Indonesia over the last year. Cambodian fishermen repatriated from Indonesia (File photo: The Phnom Penh Post)

NGOs are concerned by the growing numbers of Cambodians enslaved on Thai fishing boats.

2012-02-09

Radio Free Asia

“Corruption at all levels continued to impede progress in combating trafficking and fostering an enabling environment for trafficking” - 2011 US Trafficking in Persons report on Cambodia

At least 100 Cambodians have escaped from forced labor conditions on Thai fishing boats over the past year, according to rights groups, highlighting an increasing and dangerous trend in human trafficking in the Southeast Asian region.

All of them were found in Indonesia, where the boats linked to Thai human trafficking syndicates usually anchor at a fishing port on eastern Ambon island.

Ninety-three of the Cambodians have been repatriated home.

Mom Sok Char of Cambodia-based nongovernmental organization Legal Support for Children and Women (LSCW) said that his organization had received a number of telephone calls over the last year from Cambodian nationals seeking help in Indonesia after escaping from the fishing vessels.

Cambodians in bid to escape Thai boats

Tuesday, 31 January 2012
May Titthara
The Phnom Penh Post

A desperate group of Cambodian men have made calls to their families from Indonesia asking for help to escape from forced labour aboard exploitative Thai fishing boats.

The families of 14 men from Trea commune in Kampong Thom province’s Stoung district filed a complaint to rights group Licadho yesterday pleading for help to repatriate their loved ones.

Gnan Van, 33, said yesterday that her husband Yean Phean called her while docking at an Indonesian island on Sunday pleading for help to escape a fishing boat owner who made him work “night and day” and paid no salary.

More fishermen repatriated

Thirty Cambodian men arrive at Phnom Penh Airport yesterday after being rescued by Indonesian officials while working on Thai fishing boats. (Photo by: Mai Vireak)

Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Mom Kunthear with additional reporting by Mary Kozlovski
The Phnom Penh Post

Another 30 Cambodian men among 65 rescued in Indonesia after being trafficked into work on fishing boats in Thailand were repatriated to the Kingdom yesterday, following the return of 30 such workers last week.

The remaining five workers are set to be repatriated next month, Chiv Phally, deputy director of the anti-human trafficking and juvenile protection department at the Ministry of Interior, said yesterday.

“It was so great for me to see my country again after I left here two years ago,” 33-year-old Mouy Hoeun said upon his arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport yesterday.

Thailand is a regional hub for human misery

July 1, 2011
The Nation
Editorial

The authorities must do more to stop human trafficking and the mistreatment of labourers in fishing and other low-paid industries

Thailand is the regional hub for human trafficking. It is a source and transit venue because of its central location in continental Southeast Asia and because it is surrounded by neighbouring countries with a lower level of economic development. For decades, migrant workers from these countries have risked their lives to get to Thailand in search of better living conditions and wages. However, of late, the human trafficking problem in this part of the world has changed. We are now seeing forced labour being smuggled in from countries as far away as Fiji and Uzbekistan.

The worst aspects of modern human trafficking can be found in the Thai fishing fleet, where conditions can easily be described as modern slavery. Thai trawler-owners are generally inhumane and should be put on trial for the illegal practices they regularly get away with.

A new focus on human misery

18/06/2011
Bangkok Post
EDITORIAL

Mention human trafficking and most people will immediately think of the horrors of the sex trade. That is understandable because the exploitation of women and children are rarely out of the headlines, making this an issue of deep concern. But a recent surge in slavery cases involving men as the prime victims, has highlighted the need for anti-trafficking agencies to smash criminal gangs illegally exploiting cheap labour.

The fact that young men are trafficked into slavery in the fishing industry and condemned to spend months at sea in appalling conditions, is not new. This has been well documented by the International Labour Organisation, and Mahidol and Chulalongkorn universities. It is the increased scale of this exploitation that is causing alarm. And although police intensified their operations against traffickers in Suphan Buri and Ayutthaya this week and made arrests, some criminal gang members slipped through the net.

Five 'enslaved' Cambodian fishermen rescued after jumping overboard

Fri, 05 Feb 2010
DPA

Phnom Penh - Five Cambodian fishermen were rescued near East Timor after jumping overboard to escape reportedly slave-like conditions on board a Thai fishing vessel, local media said Friday. Chan Soveth, an investigator for Adhoc, a human rights group in Cambodia, said the incident took place in open water on January 21 after a fellow Cambodian died and his body was thrown overboard.

"When they saw the fisherman's dead body thrown into the sea, they were frightened, and that's why they jumped into the sea to flee," he told the Phnom Penh Post newspaper.

John McGeoghan, project coordinator at the International Organization for Migration in Phnom Penh, said it appeared the men had been trafficked.

"Preliminary interviews with them suggest that they were promised construction jobs in Thailand," he told the newspaper. "Others were promised jobs carrying fish on shore from the boats in Thailand."

McGeoghan added that the men were then told they would be at sea for just a few months before learning later that they would stay on board for four years.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is working with authorities in East Timor to have the five men, ages 26 to 35, sent home.

They were pulled from the water by East Timorese fishermen.

Thousands of Cambodians head to neighbouring Thailand each year looking for work in a variety of industries. An unknown number end up working on Thai fishing boats, often in appalling conditions with little or no pay.

Khmer Intelligence News - 23 December 2009

KHMER INTELLIGENCE NEWS
23 December 2009

CPP rescuing Canadia Bank and Foreign Trade Bank (2)

The ruling CPP is spending an increasing amount of money to prevent Canadia Bank and its subsidiary Foreign Trade Bank from collapsing under a mountain of bad debts resulting from the property market crisis. Hun Sen’s wife and children are major shareholders of the two banks. Accounting tricks (window-dressing) have so far helped hide the banks’ real situation. Earlier this month, the International Monetary Fund said Cambodia must undertake "critical actions" to strengthen its battered banking system, including better supervision by the central bank and faster implementation of measures to boost banks' minimum capital requirements.

Business as usual for Thai fishermen in Cambodia (2)

In spite of the increasing tension between Cambodia and Thailand, Thai trawlers continue to fish in Cambodia’s territorial waters as usual after corrupt Cambodian local authorities in Koh Kong province resumed issuing licenses to fishing boats from the neighboring country earlier this month. The resilience of the fishing, smuggling and gambling (casinos along the border) businesses show that Cambodia’s feudalistic patronage-based political system cannot afford to sever multi-faceted trade relations with Thailand.

Sam Rainsy to go to Hanoi (2)

In a statement issued earlier this week, opposition leader Sam Rainsy said he would not show up at any Cambodian court to face “criminal” charges for uprooting tentative markers at the border with Vietnam because “it’s useless and meaningless to defend yourself before a servant. You’d better address the master.” However, he said he would accept to be tried before a Vietnamese court in Hanoi because “my trial is a political one first ordered by Vietnam’s government.” He would then “denounce the unfair 1985 border treaty signed by a puppet regime” and would “invoke the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements on Cambodia and its provisions on Cambodia’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Read full statement in English at http://tinyurl.com/y99gv8w

80 percent of the population live below adjusted poverty line (2)

Statistics on poverty in Cambodia are misleading. Excerpt from World Bank report “Cambodia: Halving Poverty By 2015?” published in 2006 : “The latest survey shows that now 35 percent of Cambodians live below the national poverty line, down from an estimated 47 percent a decade earlier.” But the World Bank’s methodology in defining poverty line obviously clashes with realities of poverty in Cambodia. Costs of living have dramatically increased over the last few years and several public services have been recently privatized. Many farmers have lost their land. Today, virtually nobody can survive on only 50 US cents (2,090 Riels) a day, which is at best a starvation line. In the Philippines and most developing countries in Asia and Africa, poverty line is estimated at 2 US$ a day. With a similar yardstick, at least 80 percent of Cambodia’s population of 14 million would be rightly considered as poor or extremely poor.

Former Resident Representative fired from ADB (2)

Mr. Urooj Malik, a former Resident Representative in Cambodia, has been recently fired from the Asian Development Bank following allegations of corruption. Mr. Malik’s case is reminiscent of that of Mr. Bonaventure Mbida-Essama, a former Chief of World Bank Cambodia Resident Office, who has since left the World Bank. In a lawless country like Cambodia, the local authorities are very good at tempting and corrupting representatives from international financial institutions and other aid agencies.

[End]

200 Thai trawlers to seek Cambodian fishing licenses

TRAT, Dec 2 (TNA) – Operators of some 200 Thai trawlers on Thursday will seek licences to fish in Cambodian waters at a temporary office opposite Cambodia's Koh Kong Resort, said Thitikorn Lohakup, chairman of the Trat Fisheries Association.

Cambodian fisheries concession applications procedures will resume beginning Thursday following finalisation of regulations by the Koh Kong authorities, who agreed Tuesday to allow Thai fishermen to seek and renew their licences.

Mr Thitikorn said that the newly-appointed Koh Kong governor set up a committee to be responsible for issuing and renewing the licences. The committee will review relevant details and categorise the type of trawlers as well as the fishing equipment they use.

The chief of the Trat fisheries association added that this period is appropriate for fishing. If the procedure is completed quickly, it will be beneficial to Thai fishermen.

Last week, Cambodian Defence Minister Gen Tea Banh gave assurances that Cambodia has not closed its waters near Koh Kong as earlier reported. He explained that fisheries concession procedures were being amended and that it would not affect the livelihoods of either Thais or Cambodians.

Thais allowed to resume fishing in Cambodian waters

TRAT, Dec 1 (TNA) – Local authorities resumed issuing licenses to Thai trawlers to fish in Cambodian water on Wednesday, said Thitikorn Lohakup, chairman of the Trat fisheries association.

Mr Thitikorn said he was informed by a Koh Kong official that a meeting of the Koh Kong authorities finalised fisheries regulations on Tuesday and agreed to allow Thai fishermen to seek licenses to fish in Cambodian waters at a temporary office opposite the Koh Kong Resort from Thursday onwards.

Cambodia's Defence Minister Gen. Tea Banh last week asserted that Cambodia has not closed its waters near Koh Kong as earlier reported. He said that fisheries concession procedures were being amended and that it would not affect the livelihood of the both peoples.

"I reaffirm that we will try to avoid doing things which (negatively) affect the daily life and the living of peoples to prevent any dispute," the Cambodian defence minister said. "There has been some adjustment of concession regulations recently, and if the licence has expired, fishermen can ask for renewal of their licence without any problem."

Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban on Tuesday reaffirmed that the Thai government will not close the Thai-Cambodian border as it has concern for the well-being of the population living along the border.

Mr Suthep reminded the public that the diplomatic row between Thailand and Cambodia flared up right after the visit to Phnom Penh of former Thai premier Gen. Chavalit Yongchaiyudh and the appointment of ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra as economic adviser to the Cambodian government.

Prime Minister Abhisit has continued to assert that political and diplomatic retaliation is separate matters, and the commitments made by the two countries which are beneficial to their citizens, particularly aid projects, will not be revoked, Mr Suthep said.

Cambodian defence minister: No closure of Cambodian waters

CHONBURI, Nov 27 (TNA) - Cambodia's Defence Minister Gen Tea Banh on Friday asserted that Cambodia has not closed its waters near Koh Kong as earlier reported, saying that the fisheries concession is now being amended and that it will not affect the livelihood of the peoples.

Gen Tea Banh commented as he held a news conference with Thai Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan regarding the conclusion of the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) meeting in the Thai coastal province of Chonburi.

The Cambodian general said he wants to clarify the matter in the Thai language as it is about the livelihood in the matter of water boundaries.

He insisted Cambodia has not closed its waters, but there is now an amendment of the fisheries concession, saying everything will be done without causing any trouble to the Thai trawlers.

"I reaffirm that we will try to avoid doing things which (negatively) affect the daily life and the living of peoples to prevent any dispute," said Cambodian defence minister. "There has been some adjustment of concession regulations recently, and if the licence has expired, fishermen can ask for renewal of their licence without any problem."

Gen Tea Banh said that nothing can deter peoples from making their living and that Cambodia is trying to pushing the matter. However, he could not specify when the adjustment process would be completed.

Regarding the result of the border panel meeting, the Thai Defence Minister said that the two countries have agreed that their deployed armed forces along the borders will use peaceful means to resolve conflicts regardless of whether they are waters or land boundaries, while encouraging coordination between the authorities of both countries at every level.

Gen Prawit said the militaries of both nations will also facilitate the travel of Thai and Cambodian citizens in and out both kingdoms, allowing them to trade and meet at their convenience.

"The armed forces of the two countries also agreed to maintain good relations between them and between the citizens of the two countries," said Gen Prawit, "while respecting international law practices amd agreements with good understanding, sincerity and equality."

The Thai and Cambodian armies will support every level of international relationship mechanism to maintain their ties with the supreme goal, the safety of the citizens, and sustainable peace along the Thai-Cambodian borders.

Thai Foreign Minister: No Cambodian Waters Closure

25 November 2009
Thai-ASEAN News Network

The Foreign Affairs Minister insisted that Cambodia is not sealing off its territorial waters to Thai fishing boats, as claimed by the Pheu Thai party.

Thai and Cambodian Defense Ministries are set to discuss the issue in the next few days.

Foreign Affairs Minister Kasit Piromya has dismissed a claim that Cambodia is sealing off its territorial waters against Thai fishing boats.

He added that Thailand's Defense Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan will discuss the issue with his Cambodian counterpart General Tea Banh in Pattaya.

As for a problem with Thai boats being unable to enter Cambodian seas, Kasit explained that this is because Thai businessmen's fishing licenses have not been renewed, and Cambodia has recently revamped administration along its 4 coastal provinces.

He believes it will take some time to resolve the issue.

He added that Thai boats are not the only vessels barred from entering Cambodian waters: other countries' boats are experiencing the same problem.

Kasit reprimanded the Pheu Thai Party for circulating the claim.

He also stated that he believes the pro-Thaksin party just wanted to instigate turmoil.

Concerning the Thai engineer imprisoned in Phnom Penh for allegedly spying on Thaksin's flight details, Kasit said that Thai authorities are trying to help the man. He said a team of lawyers are now in Cambodia and the result will be known soon.

Thai trawlers stranded in net of despair

Calls for concession talks with Cambodia

25/11/2009
Bangkok Post

Fishing industry delegates are seeking help from the Thai and Cambodian armies to urge Koh Kong authorities to speed up concession contracts to Thai trawlers.

The plea comes after reports that four Thai trawlers had been seized by Cambodian authorities and more than 1,000 remained anchored, crippling the industry.

Trat Fisheries Association chairman Thitikorn Lohakupt said his association and representatives from the Fisheries Association of Thailand will submit a letter to the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) which will meet in Pattaya tomorrow.

Thai operators wanted Cambodia to urgently renew the concession contracts, he said.

Mr Thitikorn said he suspected the termination of the concessions was politically motivated as the two countries were now engaged in a diplomatic row.

The Cambodian province of Koh Kong has scrapped all fishing concessions after Bun Lert took over the governorship from Yuth Pouthang on Nov 12.

It is closing its waters until the new concessions are completed.

The decision forces more than 1,000 boats in Chon Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat which rely on fishing in the Cambodian territory to stay anchored. Some trawlers had to fish in Thai waters, but their incomes sharply dropped to 30,000 from 50,000 baht a day. A Thai fishing boat had to pay 60,000 baht for the concession which has been terminated by the new Koh Kong governor.

Kittichai Surasit, a trawler owner at Laem Ngob district in Trat expected to pay 20,000 baht more for each boat in a new contract.

The Fisheries Association in Trat was checking reports about the seizure of the four Thai trawlers by Cambodian authorities.

Virat Vitthayakorn, a marketing operator at Bangkok Trat Hospital in Trat, said Cambodian deputy navy chief Tia Soka had told him that the Cambodian navy based in Koh Kong had seized the ships because they were caught fishing in Cambodian waters without paying concession fees.

The owner of the four trawlers, who lives in Samut Sakhon, had sought Mr Virat's help to arrange talks with Rear Adm Tia Soka for the release of the trawlers, Mr Virat said.

He had been unable to contact Cambodian authorities.

Defence Ministry spokesman Thanathip Sawangsaeng said Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and his Cambodian counterpart Tea Banh will jointly chair the two-day GBC meeting.

The spat between the two countries is expected to be raised for discussion during the meeting.

Col Thanathip said the meeting would be a communication channel for the Thai and Cambodian armies to jointly find ways to ease border tension and mend ties between the two countries.

He said the presence of troops along the border would be discussed during the meeting.

He added the military forces of the two countries would jointly patrol the border and live in harmony.

'I'm not a spy, flight details were public'[: Alleged Thai spy]

Sivarak

November 25, 2009
The Nation

The Foreign Ministry released a hand-written letter yesterday from Siwarak Chutipong detailing his account of the allegations that landed him in jail in Cambodia.

The letter, dated Monday (Nov 23), said the information about fugitive ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's flight schedule he had sent to a Thai diplomat was not out of the ordinary and could be accessed by the public.

"I have worked in Cambodia for eight years and have done nothing wrong. I have never been involved in politics and have no ill intention against Cambodia, otherwise I would not have worked here for this long," Siwarak said in the letter.

He said he had no idea what had happened, and that there might have been some misunderstandings between the two governments.

"I know that Thai people are concerned about me and I appreciate that, but I don't want my case to ignite any conflicts between Thai and Cambodian people," he said. "My problem can be solved peacefully."

He also thanked the Thai government for providing assistance.

Siwarak's letter was delivered to the Foreign Ministry by his lawyer Kao Soupha on Monday, though the ministry only publicised it yesterday after the lawyer told reporters Siwarak had confessed to giving Thaksin's flight information to a Thai diplomat, who was later expelled.

In the letter, Siwarak said he was not a spy and hoped the Cambodian court would be just and release him so he could be with his family.

"I work to help develop Cambodia. I never expected such a bad thing to happen to me," he said.

Siwarak was arrested on November 12 when Thaksin was in Phnom Penh to deliver a lecture on economic matters to Cambodian economists and businesspeople. His visit fuelled tensions between Thailand and Cambodia.

In another development, a fishery boat owner in Trat province said provincial authorities in Koh Kong Cambodia had hiked fishery concession fees from Bt60,000 per boat per expedition to Bt80,000. The fisherman, Kitti Surarith, said Cambodian waters had been sealed off until the new fees could be put into effect.

Navy slams Chavalit for 'distorting, politicising' spat

24/11/2009
Wassana Nanuam and Aekarach Sattaburuth
Bangkok Post

The navy has slammed Puea Thai Party chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh for trying to "distort and politicise" the spat between Thailand and Cambodia.

The criticism by navy spokesman Prachachart Srisawat followed Gen Chavalit's statement that Cambodia had closed its waterways at the Cambodian province of Koh Kong , opposite Trat.

The navy and the government said Gen Chavalit's account was false. Gen Chavalit said he did not know why Cambodia closed the waterways but it was probably because there was conflict in the area or an illegal action had been committed.

But the navy spokesman said Cambodia was reviewing and regulating fishing concessions for Thai fishermen after the newly-appointed Koh Kong governor had scrapped the concession system initiated by his predecessor, Yuth Pouthang.

The move forced about 120 Thai fishing trawlers to stay anchored in port in Trat.

However, Capt Prachachart said Cambodia's regulating and reviewing of the new concession system was expected to be finished in a few days and the Thai trawlers could then resume operations.

The navy spokesman did not name the new Koh Kong governor. The Phnom Penh Post said on its website that Yuth Pouthang, who had been in the post for more than 10 years, was replaced by Bun Lert on Nov 12.

Acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn confirmed checks had found Cambodia did not close the waterways.

He insisted the situation at Koh Kong had nothing to do with the Thai-Cambodian row.

The source said Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen wanted to adjust political game plans at Koh Kong, a bustling Cambodian border town.

The source said Hun Sen felt the former Koh Kong governor had been in the post for too long and had developed too close relations with Thais, particularly Democrat MPs in the area.

The source said Hun Sen also wanted the new governor to regulate Koh Kong to facilitate an investment plan by ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his business partners from the Middle East in order to develop Koh Kong into an entertainment complex.

Thailand denies access to Cambodian waters closed

BANGKOK, Nov 23 (TNA) - Thai government on Monday said Cambodia has not blocked the entry of Thai fishing boats into its territorial waters, as earlier claimed by opposition Puea Thai Party chairman Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh.

Gen Chavalit, a former Thai premier, earlier said about one thousand of Thai trawlers and fishing boats were not allowed to enter the Cambodian waters to make their living after the Cambodian government ordered the closure of its territorial waters.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Monday denied Gen Chavalit's remarks, saying that the matter is untrue as concerned authorities has not verified that the news is true.

Panitan Wattanaykorn, acting government spokesman said he has verified the matter with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) and the Royal Thai Navy and has been reaffirmed that the waters were not closed as reported.

He reasoned that the Thai trawlers cannot enter Cambodian waters because their licences had expired and it will take time to renew the licence as the governor of Cambodia's Kong Island has just been changed.

"The prime minister has instructed concerned agencies to coordinate and facilitate the Thai fishing boats," said Mr Panitan. "I reaffirmed that the blocking of Thai trawlers into Cambodian waters has nothing to do with recent diplomatic spat of the two kingdoms as Thai boats with licences are still allowed to enter the areas."

Mr Panitan added that relations between Thailand and Cambodia have gradually improved. Indicating that Thailand’s assistant to the justice minister met with his Cambodian counterpart and received a warm welcome from the Cambodian deputy prime minister.

The spokesman, however, declined to comment on the latest news report that a daughter of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen planned to hold shares in Thai-owned Cambodia Traffic Air Services (CATS) after the Cambodian government temporarily took over management of the firm.

Dr Panitan said only that he was aware of the story from news reports, but that the Thai government has a clear stance not to comment on Cambodia's domestic affairs and has reiterated the stance with all spokespersons of the Thai ministries.

Diplomatic row between Thailand and Cambodia flared up when the Cambodian government appointed fugitive Thai former premier Thaksin Shinwatra as its economic adviser and personal adviser to Mr Hun Sen, while rejecting Thailand's extradition request regarding Mr Thaksin.

The ambassadors of the two countries were recalled, while Thailand terminated the joint memorandum of understanding (MoU) on maritime affairs which included shared access to undersea mineral resources.

Cambodia then arrested a Thai engineer working at CATS on spy charges after he was found releasing Mr Thaksin’s flight details and expelled the Thai first secretary to Phnom Penh.

Thai govt check report that Cambodia closed waters

Mon, November 23, 2009
The Nation

Thai government on Monday assigns authorities concerned to check Pheu Thai Party chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh's claim that Cambodia closed territorial waters for Thai fishing boats.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said he just learnt of Chavalit's claim.

"Authorities concerned are checking accuracy of the report," Suthep said.

Chavalit earlier told reporters that Cambodia's waters were sealed off for unknown reason.

"I just learnt that Cambodia decided to seal off its territorial waters for Thai fishing boats. About 1,000 Thai boats had fished in the Khmer waters," he said.

He was not sure the reason of the closing. "It may cause by some conflicts. We should not make a speculation on the matter," Chavalit said.

Chavalit said the government will have to check the accuracy of the report.

Thailand and Cambodia have been in conflicts for weeks after the latter's appointment of ex-Thai Thaksin Shinawatra as economic adviser to Khmer PM and his government.

During Thaksin's visit to Phnom Penh last week, Cambodia expelled Thai first secretary of the embassy and arrested a Thai engineer working in Phnom Penh on charge of spying.

Referring to arrest of a Thai engineer, Chavalit said we should support the government which has tried its best to secure freedom of the engineer.

He will wait for the government's decision before looking into the matter.

Chavalit's Monday statement on the matter was opposite to what he said last week. Chavalit had said he would fly to Phnom Penh to pick up the engineer as he was expected to be freed after ex-Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra stepped in by talking with Khmer PM Hun Sen.

Thais banned from Cambodian waters

23/11/2009
Bangkok Post

The Cambodian government has banned Thai fishermen from its territorial waters, opposition Puea Thai Party chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said on Monday.

Former prime minister Chavalit expressed concern over the Thai-Cambodian maritime dispute after more than 1,000 Thai trawlers could not enter Cambodia's territorial waters.

He called on the Thai government to end this problem quickly, as it has caused trouble for many fishermen.

"I don't know whether the problem has come about because of the Thai-Cambodian rift, and I don't want to make any predictions." Gen Chavalit said. "Former prime minister [Thaksin Shinawatra] and I are not the cause of the Thai-Cambodian row."

On the government's plan to help the detained Thai engineer in Cambodia, Gen Chavalit said he wanted to support the government and believed the government could resolve the situation.

"If the government fails to resolve it, I am ready to give a hand since I've made a promise with the engineer's mother that I will help him and ensure his safety."

On Nov 11, the Cambodian government arrested Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS) employee Siwarak Chutipong for allegedly stealing the flight information of Thaksin.

CAMBODIA: Men being exploited, trafficked too

Kou Channyyon was trafficked from Cambodia to Malaysia (Photo: Kounila Keo/IRIN)

The boats become virtual prisons on which the trafficking victims endure inhumane working conditions and physical abuse

PHNOM PENH, 15 September 2009 (IRIN) - Kou Channyyon's story is typical of many young Cambodian men.

Desperate for work, he was trafficked to Malaysia with the promise of earning more than US$200 a month in a coffee factory.

But after he arrived, his passport was confiscated, and he found himself working 13 hours a day, with barely enough money to cover his living costs.

Barred from leaving the factory premises, he did not know if he would ever be able to escape.

"It was exhausting ... I got very little sleep and was paid less than other workers," the 23-year-old farmer's son from southern Kandal Province, told IRIN.

According to the UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking (UNIAP), thousands of Cambodians are trafficked annually for the purpose of labour exploitation - a figure expected to increase given the global economic downturn.

"The risk factors for an increase are certainly there," Paul Buckley, field operations coordinator for UNIAP, told IRIN in Bangkok, citing job losses, diminished remittances, and rising debt as key indicators.

Cambodian exports have been badly shaken by the global financial crisis, resulting in thousands of workers losing their jobs.

"This makes for an easier environment for traffickers to work in," Buckley said, noting the need for more quantifiable data and research.

Earlier this year, the International Labour Organization (ILO) projected that job losses may surpass 45,000 this year, with a disproportionate burden falling on young workers, who already face few employment opportunities.

"Cambodia confronts a growing problem of providing decent work for this young population," said Ya Navuth, executive director of Coordination of Action Research and Mobility (CARAM), a local NGO working to reduce illegal immigration to other countries.

"I think the government has to solve the problems of labour exploitation or illegal immigration by increasing the domestic market for labour," Ya Navuth said.

Scant research on male victims

Trafficking victims have traditionally been identified by governments in Southeast Asia as women and children. There is scant research on the problem of male trafficking for labour exploitation, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

According to the Cambodian government, men seek longer term work mostly in Thailand in construction, factories, transport, fishing and fish processing.

"Males continue to be another vulnerable group besides women and children," UNIAP's national project coordinator in Cambodia, Lim Tith, told IRIN.

"They suffer abuse and labour exploitation [in a bid] to support their family back home," he said.

A 2008 UNIAP report said the main destination countries for Cambodian labour migrants are Thailand, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Thailand is the top destination country for victims of human trafficking from Cambodia.

Thai fishing boats

Some of the worst exploited are men and boys who end up on Thai long-haul fishing boats that ply the South China Sea for two years or more at a time, according to a UNIAP study in April 2009.

"The boats become virtual prisons on which the trafficking victims endure inhumane working conditions and physical abuse. Death at sea is frequently reported, sometimes at the hands of Thai boat captains," the study notes.

Until mid-2008, Thailand's anti-human trafficking legislation excluded men from being acknowledged as trafficking victims, which meant that they were counted as illegal migrants instead, and consequently deported.

Some 130,000 individuals are deported to Cambodia from Thailand each year, and evidence is readily available of cases of misidentification by Thai or Cambodian authorities of victims of trafficking departed from Thailand, said the 2008 UNIAP report.

"The fact that the problem remains hidden makes it harder for the NGOs and the government to work on it," Lim Tith said.

New law

Cambodia has undertaken a series of measures to curb trafficking, including a 2008 law that recognizes men as potential trafficking victims for the first time, and provides a better legal framework to prosecute traffickers.

But given the fallout from the global economic crisis, tackling illegal immigration and trafficking may prove difficult for the Cambodian government because of its small budgets and limited human resources, said Lim Tith.

"What's important now is that the government has a political will to solve the problems, although they have very limited options," said Lim Tith.

"With the global economic crisis still continuing or [having an] effect, more men will surely continue to seek jobs abroad and be exploited by the financial crisis," he said.