By Ky Soklim
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Vong Soth, the minister of Labor, said that he was saddened by the death of four Cambodian workers in Thailand. The death was reported by news media in Bangkok on 19 May. The four men worked for the construction of a tower in the capital, they were using a construction elevator to reach the 12th floor when the cable broke. They all died on the spot.
“The Thai company must now compensate the family of the victims. This is what the law between the two countries prescribed for this type of accident,” Vong Soth explained while adding that this type of company should take better care of their workers.
Ya Navuth, the executive director of CARAM (Coordination of Action Research on AIDS and Mobility), said that Cambodian citizens working in Thailand are mainly employed in the fishing industry, in factories, construction, and rubber plantations. According to Ya Navuth, close to 200,000 Cambodians are daily employed in Thailand, and the majority of them are illegal workers. Illegal workers are not properly treated by their employers, Ya Navuth indicated. Poverty, especially along the border provinces, would be the origin of this massive departure (of Cambodian workers). The number of men leaving Cambodia to try their chance abroad is getting larger and larger.
“The Thai company must now compensate the family of the victims. This is what the law between the two countries prescribed for this type of accident,” Vong Soth explained while adding that this type of company should take better care of their workers.
Ya Navuth, the executive director of CARAM (Coordination of Action Research on AIDS and Mobility), said that Cambodian citizens working in Thailand are mainly employed in the fishing industry, in factories, construction, and rubber plantations. According to Ya Navuth, close to 200,000 Cambodians are daily employed in Thailand, and the majority of them are illegal workers. Illegal workers are not properly treated by their employers, Ya Navuth indicated. Poverty, especially along the border provinces, would be the origin of this massive departure (of Cambodian workers). The number of men leaving Cambodia to try their chance abroad is getting larger and larger.
