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News on Migrants & Refugees- 16 March, 2010 (English & Burmese)
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HEADLINES
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NEWS ON MIGRANTSThailand Crackdown on Migrant Workers who Missed DeadlinePolitical turmoil halts nationality verification in ThailandMyanmar workers laid off without valid notice
Myanmar workers: Passports returned minus February pay
More Migrant Workers Heading HomeNEWS ON REFUGEESMalaysia 'detains 93 Myanmar boat people'Update: TBBC & UNHCR Border Map & Populations (January 2010)
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Thailand Crackdown on Migrant Workers who Missed DeadlineBy SAW YAN NAING Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Thai authorities have begun to round up migrant workers who failed to file fornational verification papers by the March 2 deadline.Under Thai labor regulations, migrant workers must have their nationalities confirmedby their own government authorities before being issued permits to work in Thailand.
Burmese migrants have to apply personally to one of three offices within Burma, butmany are fearful of crossing the border to do so.Labor rights groups in Thailand say a crackdown on migrant workers has begun inthree areas where thousands of Burmese are employed—Buri Ram Province innortheastern Thailand, Mahachai in Samut Sakhon Province and Mae Sot in Tak Province.Myint Wai, a senior member of of Bangkok-based Thai Action Committee forDemocracy in Burma, said migrants had also been arrested in raids in Bangkok.Thai authorities had given migrant workers until March 2 to undertake the nationalverification process, warning that those who failed to do so would be deported.In Buri Ram, the local employment office told the
National News Bureau of Thailand
more than 150 migrants had failed to file for national verification papers and faceddeportation. A total of 544 migrants had complied with the regulations.In Mahachai, Ko Tu, a Burmese migrant who works with the Human Rights andDevelopment Foundation's migrant justice program, said some arrests anddeportations had been reported.In the Thai-Burmese border town of Mae Sot, Kyaw Zin, of the Mae Sot-based YaungChi Oo Workers Association, said about 200 Burmese migrants had been arrestedduring a raid at a local market.Employers who hire migrants who have failed to meet the March 2 deadline also facelegal action and fines of up to 100,000 baht (US $3,100).http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=18003
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Political turmoil halts nationality verification in ThailandSaturday, 13 March 2010 15:05 Usa Pichai
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – The beginnings of political turmoil in Thailand has broughta halt to the process of nationality verification for migrant workers from neighbouringcountries.Thai labour authorities have told officials across the country to stop the nationalityverification process for migrant workers to prevent confusion in the present situation.Thanit Numnoi, Director of the Office Of Foreign Workers Administration,Thailand’s Ministry of Labour, in a ‘most urgent’ letter on 12 March, ordered allprovincial employment officers to halt the nationality verification process for migrantworkers Burma from yesterday until further notice because of the political situation.“There is concern that migrants travelling to border provinces for nationalityverification could be adversely affected by the political situation and strengthenauthority control/inspection of groups travelling to the protests,” noted the letter.
The Thai government has stepped up restrictions on the movement of migrant workersfrom neighbouring countries, like Lao, Burma and Cambodia apprehending they may join the ensuing major political demonstration in the country by the Red Shirts.On Tuesday, Phaitoon Kaewthong, the Thai Labour Minister said that the Departmentof Employment had already issued a letter to all employers who hire migrant workersthat it is prohibiting movement of migrant workers. If there is movement of migrantsthey shall be considered “illegal” as they have to request for permission to traveloutside their registered provinces, according to a report by Thailand’s PublicRelations Department.If migrant workers join the rallies, employers must take responsibility. Besides,migrant workers will automatically lose their right to stay in Thailand.However, the Minister has not yet received any reports from provincial authoritiesthat migrant workers will join the rally.“The penalty for bringing migrant workers is if that there is any movement of migrantworkers that is not notified beforehand, there is a penalty both for employers andworkers. Workers will cease to be employees and in addition will be subjected tofines of 20,000 [606 USD] to 100,000 baht [3,030 USD] and imprisonment of fiveyears. As for employers, if their workers lose their right to work and continue working,they shall be subject to fines of 10,000 [303 USD] to 100,000 baht [3,030 USD] peremployee they hire,” he said.Members of the Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship (DAAD), or the Red-Shirts,who support former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, plan to assemble atseveral locations around Bangkok from March 12 to 14 to protest against thegovernment of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. So as to assemble a million peopleto take part in the anti-government rally later this month, the Red Shirts are trying tomobilize people across the country.On Friday thousands of Red Shirts from the North and the Northeast have started theirmarch, expecting to reach Bangkok by Sunday, amidst tight security.Labour Ministry statistics reveal that there are about 500,000 workers, who have notregistered with the Thai authorities this year of a total 1.3 million last year.http://www.mizzima.com/news/regional/3663-political-turmoil-halts-nationality-verification-in-thailand-.html
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Myanmar workers laid off without valid notice
YAP AIK MENG, SHAHRIM TAMRIN, Monday, March 15th, 2010KUALA LUMPUR
: In Myanmar, US$850 (about RM2,900) is enough to sustain aperson comfortably for a year, and that's what Zar Ni Swe from Yangon paid to anagent to get a job as a waitress in a restaurant in Malaysia.
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