Bangkok Post
COMMENTARY

Migrant workers in for a rough time
By: Sanitsuda Ekachai
Published: 8/01/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News
The Abhisit government's decision not to register new migrant workers is a mistake that only serves abusive employers and corrupt police.


It also shows that the present government's awareness of human rights and understanding of the migrant labour problems is close to zero.

Remember the mass suffocation tragedy last April when 54 Burmese migrant workers suffocated to death in a crammed cold-storage truck while being smuggled into Thailand? This would not have happened if we had a registration system that worked.

But instead of making it simpler, cheaper and easier for the workers to receive health and other welfare benefits to encourage more registration, successive governments have stuck with the punishing system to discourage newcomers.

Since paying high registration fees does not guarantee any protection from police extortion and labour abuse, the majority of migrant workers prefer to remain underground, thus keeping the human trafficking rackets alive and well with support from corrupt police.

The poor registration system also explains why the number of documented migrant workers has been falling over the years. In 2004, there were more than one million migrant workers seeking registration. Last year, the number of registered workers dropped to 500,000 while it is estimated that there are more than two million migrant workers in the country.

It is bad enough to leave the faulty system as it is. But to stop registering new migrant workers altogether? This will only worsen the situation of human trafficking and labour abuse. Too bad the Abhisit government cannot see that.

False fear is again to blame.

According to a high-ranking labour official, Cabinet decided against the registration of new migrant workers out of fear that they would steal Thai jobs amid the sagging economy and soaring unemployment.

This is a big misunderstanding, said Sompong Srakaew, an advocate of migrant labour rights. Most migrant workers are actually doing the difficult, dirty and dangerous work shunned by Thais. Last year, for example, when Samut Sakhon province advertised for 150,000 jobs in fishery-related jobs, only about 120 Thai nationals applied, he said. The jobs were taken up by migrant workers, mostly the ethnic Mon who had fled harsh poverty and persecution from Burma.

The Cyclone Nargis tragedy will definitely increase cross-border migration, given the vast destruction of Burma's rice bowl, the Irrawaddy Delta, and the junta's paltry efforts to assist its own citizens.

The lack of legal status will heighten their fear of deportation, forcing them to put up with slave-like working conditions and police extortion. When they fall ill they will have no choice but to endure, or to turn to quacks. For migrant women, rape is one of their greatest risks, particularly those working as household help. Most victims, however, will be too fearful to press charges and risk further abuse at the police station, thus allowing the abusers to enjoy impunity. Meanwhile, the underground migrant children, robbed of the right to an education, will grow up to become another generation of modern slaves to serve Thailand's insatiable hunger for cheap labour.

Sadly, they cannot expect much sympathy or assistance. Most Thais, having been brainwashed by our ultra-nationalistic history, view migrant workers as potential criminals and Burma as Thailand's traditional enemy.

All this does Thailand no good. Economically, failing labour standards means the export orders will go elsewhere. Morally, turning a blind eye to migrant workers' suffering exposes our own heartlessness. Meanwhile resentment, alienation, lack of education and life opportunities will make migrant youths a social time-bomb.

Only the employers and the police are happy to cash in on the illegality of the migrant workforce.

Registration is the first step to undo these labour knots. By refusing to register new migrant workers, the Democrat-led government has failed miserably to honour labour rights and humanity.

Sanitsuda Ekachai is Assistant Editor(Outlook), Bangkok Post.
email: sanitsudae@bangkokpost.co.th

By Asadullah

Wednesday, January 07, 2009 (Thai local time)

Karachi

The National Alien Registration Authority (NARA) has so far registered about 140,000 aliens or illegal migrants from 78 countries including a handful of Americans and Europeans, throughout the country but without offering any permanent solution to the second generation of migrants with regard to their naturalisation.

Since its inception, NARA has been registering aliens throughout the country while functioning under the interior ministry. “Unless we resolve some of our outstanding citizenship issues, we will be compounding the problem of hosting million of aliens,” concedes an interior ministry official, wishing not to be named. With stringent citizenship laws, Pakistan has been in a state of citizenship denial to people who can best be described as stateless in the midst of large groups of aliens streaming in Karachi alone, after the country’s partition in 1971.

A large chunk of the so-called illegal migrants are of Bangladeshi, Burmese and Afghan origin. “You need to resolve the issue of Bengali-speaking and ethnic Burmese migrants on humanitarian grounds rather than branding them as aliens along with the migrant Afghan population,” believes Human Rights lawyer, Zia Awan. “Government lacks credibility on the registration (of aliens) front because the details of the mechanism are not tuned up to meet the demand.”

The authorities woke up in 2000 to establish NARA, parallel to National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) meant for Pakistani citizens. Every migrant can now get an alien card, which is subject to yearly renewal. A good number of latest migrants settled in Karachi have acquired the card but not a majority of the older, more settled migrants. The database of NARA suggests about five per cent deletion of the aliens’ record, either because of their ultimate repatriation to their native countries or they’re dead. “Registration with NARA allows aliens to have their stay lawful with all rights except to vote,” said Gul Muhammad Rind, director general of NARA.

“Data related to registered aliens, who don’t renew their registration for any reason, gets deleted after an unspecified time on the assumption that the holder has either left the country or passed away,” an interior ministry official explained. “We know it is not the right way of dealing with the data but this is how it is being run.”

But certainly there is no coordination between the interior ministry and NARA regarding ‘fleeing or dying’ section of illegal migrants, to keep the records straight. The NARA has registered around 140,000 aliens including six Americans, five French, two Germans and one Venezuelan, granting them legal status to seek employment and open up a bank account. But Zia Awan, who is the president of the Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA), a private group, pointed out that NARA cannot offer anything more than mere registration without considering the period of stay and circumstances in which an alien had landed in Pakistan and particularly Karachi. He said their naturalisation, without any legislation, is next to impossible.

Awan also believes that the ‘good’ idea of registering aliens through NARA suffered a credibility crisis when the government bracketed all aliens as one entity subjected to uniformed treatment. He sees across the board registration of migrants as aliens a flawed policy. This holds true as several older generation of migrants have old and new identity cards. “Karachi alone has Bengali-speaking migrants, who predate the creation of Bangladesh. Similarly we have Burmese who have been given citizenship during Zia’s regime,” Awan maintains. “We can’t treat these two groups of migrants, who are raising their second generation in Karachi, the same way we treat Afghans and Iranians.”

Seeing migrants being wary of the government’s intentions, a very vocal Awan reiterates that the issue of illegal migrants or aliens needs to be settled on humanitarian grounds rather than with an iron-hand. This negates the core value of a state honouring its commitment and owning its citizens. “We don’t offer naturalisation on account of birth.” On the other hand, Rind confirmed that the authority tasked to register aliens since its inception on the lines of NADRA in 2000 has come a long way now to collaborate with Karachi police. While illegal migrants can’t be expelled, he added, they can at least be documented.” “We’re working with the Karachi police to link up our camp offices with selected police stations in the city, where aliens are concentrated in great numbers,” the Karachi-based chief of NARA maintained. “We also have plans to open up our branch offices in Islamabad and Lahore to expedite the aliens’ registration process.”

Responding to the queries regarding NARA’s slow registration drive, the NARA chief complained that political parties have been discouraging minority alien population opting for their registration with NARA. “Often the unemployed aliens get into the hands of political parties, which really pamper them. They do this to stay off the official records.”

source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=156011

By The Nation. Opinion

January 5, 2009 11:02 am (Thai local time)

AFTER EIGHT YEARS, it will not be easy to undo the Thai foreign policy towards Burma initiated by the Thaksin-led government and its nominees. A complete overhaul of the Burma policy is out of the question. However, some major shifts by the current government could be forthcoming that would firm up bilateral ties and strengthen Bangkok's voice on Burma within Asean. Additional principled guidelines, drawing from the Asean Charter, are imperative aimed at supporting the international community's effort to promote an open society there.
Gone quickly would be the preponderance of one-man decisions on key policies, especially those dealing with cross-border security, investment and trade cooperation.

In the past few years, Thailand has been rather compromising in its security considerations in exchange for economic benefits, which often went to individuals rather than the country as a whole. In particular, from 2001 to 2006, the Thai side allowed the Burmese side greater leeway along the 2004-km border such as issues related to Burmese migrant workers, illegal cross-border activities and harassment of minorities and Burmese exiles.

Picking up the pieces of Burmese policy where the Democrat-led government left off in early 2001, this time around the Thai foreign policy will be decided in a transparent way without any hanky panky as in the past. Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said succinctly that from now on, Thailand will deal with Burma in a straightforward manner without any dubious deals or transactions based on "four-eye meetings", which was the trademark of Thaksin's personalised diplomacy.

Prior to the return of the Democrat-led government, Thai-Burmese relations were very superficially closed, representing no real national agenda. Thai leaders were myopic, deluded in thinking that defending the Burmese regime within Asean and the international community would help them win favours from the junta leaders and subsequently secure the country's future energy and natural resources need. Indeed, the energy dependence on Burma was exaggerated to justify Thailand's closer ties with Burma, including its passivity.

Throughout the year 1999-2000, before Thaksin came to power, the Burmese people's struggle for democracy and open society was at its peak with all the support of the international community. Asean was far more united as far as peer pressure on Burma was concerned. Thailand dutifully played the leading role on Burma throughout by bringing in the international community. Former foreign minister Surin Pitsuwan, currently the Asean secretary-general, pushed Asean to engage in enhanced dialogue with Burma as well as emerging transnational issues affecting the region.

However, soon after the arrival of the Thaksin-led government in early 2001, Thai policy towards Burma turned upside down. After a few weeks of border tension and tough talks on Burma's role on cross-border illegal drugs trade, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra unexpectedly softened his Burmese policy, much to the chagrin of the international community. Since then, Thailand's credibility on Burma has disappeared.

During the Cambodian conflict, Thailand's role in Asean as a frontline state was well recognised as it was pursued based on the region's interest, not tempered with vested personal interests. Asean helped to internationalise the conflict playing out at the UN continuously for nearly a decade, which gave Asean an international voice, before the Paris peace agreement in 1989. In Burma's case, it was the opposite. Thailand failed miserably to assert itself in the Asean overall approaches albeit it was the most affected by the Burmese growing oppression. Bangkok's willingness to play second fiddle to Burma further divided Asean and stymied broader cooperation with international community.

Subsequent revelations by Surakiart Sathiratai, foreign minister in the Thaksin government, showed that investment and commercial deals with Burma at that time were not honest as they were coaxed with conflict of interest.

The scandal over the Export and Import Bank of Thailand's Bt4-billion loan to the junta was just one example. Like rubbing more salt into the wounds, former prime ministers Samak Sundravej and Somchai Wongsawat made ridiculous remarks defending Burma.

Samak was the most embarrassing as he praised the military junta leaders as peace-loving leaders and boasted about their closed friendship. Under the Surayud Chulanont government (2006-7), Thailand maintained a strict policy of no new contacts or improvement of existing ties.

Burma could have made a transition to democracy if the Thai governments in question had not indulged in personalising, nationalising and making the Burmese problem bilateral. The leader's personal and group interests linked to Burma weakened not only Thai credibility, it also belittled Bangkok's voice within Asean. That helps explain why in the absence of a Thai role, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia have become more pro-active in shaping the grouping's views and positions on Burma.

Coming to power at this juncture poses serious challenges to both Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Foreign Minister Kasit on Burmese policy. They have to revitalise and synergise the role of Thailand, Asean and the international community to move the situation in Burma forward.

At present, the Asean Charter, imperfect as it is, will serve as a useful tool to encourage reluctant Asean countries to get more involved on issues of human rights and democracy. The rumblings over the charter's ratification in Indonesia and Philippines were indicative of the strong desire for such endeavour.

As the Asean chair, Thai leaders will adopt a comprehensive strategy on Burma that put together various parts and needs from within region. Furthermore, this strategy must also work in tandem with the current international efforts, especially through the offices of the United Nations and related agencies and its special envoy.

After all, the Burmese quagmire is not the problem of any particular country or regional community.

It must be kept at the multilateral level so that all stakeholders can work together to end the current impasse and sufferings.

January 5, 2009 11:02 am (Thai local time)
www.nationmultimedia.com

By SAW YAN NAING

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

A 56-year-old ethnic Shan migrant worker, Sam Htun, is typical of many Burmese who live in Thailand, grateful for the opportunity to work for a decent income.

“I feel my life in Thailand is more secure than in Burma,” he says. “In Thailand, it is easier to make a living.”

Sam Htun earns about 4,500 baht (about US $130) a month. In Burma, he earned 10,000 to 20,000 kyat (about $8 to16) per month. He never had enough money to get by, he said.

He now sends about 17,000 kyat (about $13) every month to his family in Taunggyi in Shan State in eastern Burma. He said he left Burma because he felt oppressed by Burmese authorities and because of the poor economy. 

He is one of the hundreds of Shan migrant workers who stay at Kakanok 2, a Burmese migrant worker camp in San Kamphaeng in Chiang Mai Province. 

The Kakanok 2 camp houses about 200 Burmese migrant workers, mostly ethnic Shan, who have legal work permits. 

Most work in construction and have lived in Chaing Mai from three to eight years. A close knit community, they attend training workshops and hold ethnic celebrations on holidays and other occasions. 

Much of the training is provided by a nongovernmental organization, the Human Rights and Development Foundation, which specializes on migrant labor rights.
 
The migrant workers have created their own worker rights group, the Migrant Workers Federation. On International Migrant Workers Day, December 18, they held a simple ceremony attended by about 200 migrants, guests and a few journalists.

When the ceremony started about 7 p.m, workers, children and elders gathered in a hall, looking happy and excited.   

During the evening, there were question and answer games that served to educate workers about labor rights. For a correct answer, prizes were awarded.

“The ceremony is good because it educates migrant workers about their rights,” said migrant worker Sam Htun. 

The chairman of the Migrant Workers Federation, Sai Kad, who organized the ceremony, said, “I’m glad when I see a lot of migrant workers come together and enjoy the evening. It makes me want to fight more for the rights of migrant workers.” 
 
He said too many migrant workers still experience poor working conditions, and they didn’t know how to complain and demand compensation from employers if they are injured or denied wages. 

“Before, they didn’t even know they were abused,” he said. “But they know now.”

A 26-year-old migrant worker, Sai Hla Woon, said, “I’m glad I came to this program. I learned something. We can rely on ourselves and help each other.” 

“If I am mistreated now, I will go to the labor protection and welfare office,” he said.

source: http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=14862

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 00:14:07 GMT

Some 300 Burmese and Bangladeshi illegal migrants are missing in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of India's Andaman and Nicobar islands.

More than 400 people had been on a boat trying to reach Malaysia. The migrants went missing after they jumped from a drifting boat and tried to swim ashore.

Around 300 of them reportedly jumped into the sea hoping to swim across to the shore.

More than 100 people have been rescued so far. Indian coast guards said a group of 88 people were rescued from a small boat near Andaman Island, and another 11 men were found on nearby Sandy Point island.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands lie about 1,200 km (750 miles) off India's east coast.

Survivors said that they left for Malaysia in six motorized boats about 45 days ago, but were all put on one boat during the journey. A survivor told officials there had been 412 men, mostly from Bangladesh, aged between 18 and 60, on the boat, which had little food or water and only a plastic sheet for a sail.

Seven on board the boat had died at sea and their bodies were dumped overboard.

One survivor, identified as Mohammad Ismail Arafat, said he and others had paid a Bangladeshi agent for promised jobs.
"We were left to the mercy of God ... after drifting for 10-15 days when finally we saw a lighthouse, many jumped into the water," an Indian coast guard statement quoted him as saying.
Coast guard vessels were still combing the area and police are searching nearby islands for survivors.

JR/MMA

source: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=79811&sectionid=351020406

Sunday, 07 December 2008 10:58

Turkish coast guard teams rescued 24 of 27 illegal migrants aboard the boat and pulled bodies of four illegal migrants who were on their way to the Greek island of Lesbos, officials said.
Four illegal migrants drowned in the Aegean Sea when a rubber boat carrying dozens of illegal migrants capsized on Saturday.

One of the illegal migrants, mostly Palestinian and Burmese, was taken to a hospital in the western province of Balikesir. The illegal migrant was in serious condition, officials said.

source: http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=32841

By KYI WAI

Thursday, November 20, 2008

RANGOON — Burmese workers are rapidly losing the last economic lifeline available to them—employment in the more vibrant economies of other Asian countries.

As the deepening recession takes hold in the world’s fastest-growing region, many companies are cutting jobs and reducing work hours in a bid to survive the crisis. For many Burmese employed in countries such as China, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, this means fewer job prospects and, in many cases, a one-way ticket back to Burma.

“Some general laborers have already returned from Malaysia, the most popular destination for Burmese working abroad,” said the director of an overseas employment agency in Rangoon.

“In many sectors, from commodities to furniture and electronics manufacturing, companies are laying off workers and cutting back on overtime pay,” he added.

“This has put low-paid workers in a difficult position, giving them little choice but to pack up and return to Burma.”

The situation is much the same in Singapore, where the downturn has hit everything from manufacturing and retail jobs to the financial sector and the tourism and transport industries.

“I was working for a subcontractor, but I lost my job earlier this month,” said a Burmese man who worked at an air-conditioner factory. “I was paid 500 Singapore dollars (US $327) per month for 5 months. Now I cannot repay my debts.”

Most Burmese workers pay substantial sums to employment agencies for the privilege of having jobs that pay far more than they can earn at home. A general labor position, for instance, typically costs US $850-1,650 (depending on the job and the country). In many cases, workers borrow money or mortgage their homes to pay the agencies.
 
“I took out a 1.5 million kyat ($1,180) mortgage on my father’s house to pay for a job overseas,” said one man who had recently returned from Malaysia. “Now I have to do my best to find another job abroad so I can pay back the interest.” 

But that isn’t going to be easy. According to the director of one employment agency, there have been no new orders from overseas employers since October. Moreover, he added, many of those who were working a month ago have returned as a result of job cutbacks.

The loss of this income from abroad is expected to have a significant impact on Burma’s economy, which is barely able to support the country’s population.

“Families depending on overseas remittances will be in a very tough situation,” said a professor of economics. “They will have no way to pay back their debts. If unemployed workers can’t find new jobs, there will be problems in the economy.”
 
He added that the country’s military government has so far taken no actions to mitigate the effects of the global slowdown on the local economy. It was especially important, he said, to create new job opportunities.
 
There are estimated to be around three million Burmese working outside the country, around half of whom are legally employed. The rest are illegal migrants working mainly in Thailand and China.

http://www.irrawaddy.org/print_article.php?art_id=14667

By SAW YAN NAING

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Hundreds of Burmese migrant workers in Singapore have returned home due to the impact of the economic downturn, according to Burmese workers.  

A Burmese staffer at the Singapore airport said many migrant workers are returning to Burma because of the fall off in business, while others are not able to find a job, including engineers and technicians. 

Some employers also have reduced monthly salaries while others have given employees long-term leave. Some employers have warned they may have to close down their companies, said the source. 

On Monday, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said Singapore exports fell 15 percent to 13.4 billion Singapore dollars compared to the same period last year as consumer demand from European countries and the US forced cutbacks, said an Associated Press report.  

Exports fell 7.4 percent in October from the previous month, the report said.
The export down turn was led by non-electronic goods, which decreased 16 percent in October. Also, electronic goods, including disk drives, chips and telecommunications equipment, fell 15 percent, said the report.   

An analyst with Citigroup, Kit Wei Zheng, was quoted as saying, “We maintain our view that the global slowdown will continue to drag the Singapore economy into a recession in the next 6 to12 months.”  

Citigroup itself will likely cut an estimated 300 jobs in Singapore, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

The cut is a part of the layoff of 52,000 employees by early 2009 with the aim of helping the US bank’s global recovery plan, said the report. There are an estimated 9,000 Citigroup employees in Singapore.   

Burmese sources in Singapore said Burmese employees who work in bank companies and construction sites are the most affected by the current downturn.

Some Burmese job seekers have returned home without getting a job while others are holding on in Singapore in the hope of finding work. 

A Burmese engineer said, “It is impossible to get a job in Singapore now. I want to tell people in Burma not to come here at this time to try to find a job.” 

Despite the economic downturn, some Burmese migrants continue to arrive in search of work.

Moe Oo, a Burmese technician, said, “One of my friends borrowed money with double repayment, and another one pawned his home and garden to come here. Both of them haven’t found a job yet, and they’ll have to return Burma soon.”   

There are an estimated 40,000 Burmese migrant workers in Singapore.

http://www.irrawaddy.org/print_article.php?art_id=14657

by Cheery Zahau - Burma / India -

October 30, 2008

Burma has become well known to the world, not with good reason but for its worsening human rights violations perpetrated by the military junta ruling the country. According to Amnesty International, the regime now has more than 1,300 political prisoners, 175 of whom are women according to the Burmese Women Union Report. Last summer, the women of Burma showed their courage by resisting the junta’s many injustices during the Saffron Revolution. The regime responded violently to the protesting unarmed women citizens, nuns and monks. "more article read here"