Regional News

International Rights Groups Back Labor Activist Andy Hall ahead of Thailand Trial

Labor rights activist Andy Hall, center, with members of the Migrant Worker Rights Network. Pic: AP.

BANGKOK – Members of the international human rights community have affirmed their support for labor activist Andy Hall, who will face trial in Thailand next month. Nearly 100 organizations submitted a joint letter to the Thai Pineapple Industry Association (TPIA) last week, insisting that criminal and civil suits brought against Hall by the Natural Fruit company be dropped.

The signing groups called for harsh punishment of Natural Fruit, saying the TPIA should remove Natural Fruit CEO Wirat Piyapornpaiboon from the TPIA presidency and should revoke Natural Fruit’s membership if it does not drop the charges.

The letter signals mounting international concern about Hall’s case. Hall, a longtime labor rights activist, faces several suits related to research he conducted on worker conditions at several factories in Thailand. Hall was one of several people working on a report on cheap labor for Finnwatch, a Finnish NGO.

Because he announced the findings publicly in Bangkok, Natural Fruit, one of the companies criticized in Finnwatch’s report Cheap has a high price, claimed Hall defamed the company. Hall will face Natural Fruit in court Sept. 2-10 on criminal defamation charges for an interview he gave about the report to Al Jazeera while he was in Burma. A second trial addressing the charges brought against him under the Computer Crimes Act will begin Sept. 15.

Activists around the world see Hall’s case as deeply troubling and believe it will set a precedent for Thailand and the region, whichever way it goes.

“The show of solidarity is very telling of how important it is on an international level,” said Bobbie Sta. Maria, a Southeast Asia researcher and representative for the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. “Some very important rights are at stake in this case.”

Hall’s case indicates deeper issues in the reporting system, Sta. Maria said. The fact that companies can bring their considerable resources to bear when silencing activists is troubling, certainly. But most people don’t realize how difficult the reporting process is. Just getting information on what is happening inside the factory can be risky.

“I think consumers need to know about the conditions of the workers making the products they need to buy and I think they need to be aware that it can be made impossible to get that information,” Sta. Maria said.

Sonja Vartiala, executive director at Finnwatch, said the organization wants to see international governments take serious action against companies that abuse workers rights. The problem goes beyond consumer education, she said.

“We want to have a law that says European companies have to do the due diligence process before they buy things from risk countries,” Vartiala said. “We don’t think this is just for consumers to decide.”

If convicted, Hall could face seven years in prison and $10m in damages. The activist told Asian Correspondent earlier this summer that no matter what happens, he is committed to working on workers’ rights in Thailand. But a conviction could have a dramatic impact on the work Hall and many others are doing.

“It sets a very bad precedent. I would say even now, it’s already starting to create a chilling effect for other human rights defenders, especially in Thailand,” Sta. Maria said. “The kind of work they do is very important to exposing human rights violations. [The case] affects the amount of information that comes out about the situation of migrant workers … If this kind of oppression succeeds, people will think twice about doing this kind of work and being public about it.”

Migrant workers “are already being intimidated to be subservient to their employers,” said Abby McGill, campaigns director at International Labor Rights Forum. “Anything you do to further that isolation or that fear in those communities is wrong.”

Vartiala said the precedent being set with the case should concern companies that try to be aware of factory conditions where their goods are produced.

“There is no respect for NGOs and researchers who are trying to change problems in the supply chain,” she said. “It’s worrying for retailers who are doing audits all the time. It’s worrying for both the industry and civil society.”

Despite the grim reality of the risk he faces, Hall remains optimistic about the trial and committed to his work.

“I’m feeling very confident that we have a good case,” he said. “I have a good team of lawyers that will defend the principals at stake.” He and his legal team have been working on his testimony and preparing witnesses ahead of the trials.

“We will be proving both that the research was true and it was done properly,” he said. “It was proper research and it’s fair and we will also be making a very strong case that I had no intention to defame the company and that what I did was in the public interest.”

Many see this as an important moment for Thailand to take a firm stand on the side of human rights, especially after the country was downgraded to Tier 3 on the U.S.’ most recent Trafficking in Persons (TiP) report.

Hall himself said his case and the outpouring of attention and support will go a long way in “raising the profile of these cases across the globe, not just in Thailand.”

“This is an issue for all industries in Thailand to show the international community that they’re really serious about standing up for works rights,” he said.

“This is a situation that can be solved,” McGill said. “If migrant workers had more rights, if they had more options for reporting when they’re being abused, we wouldn’t see the intense kinds of systematic abuse were seeing in Thailand.”

For more on Hall’s case, visit his site.

By Casey Hynes

Follow Casey Hynes on Twitter https://twitter.com/ceasaigh or www.caseyhynes.com/

Regional News

Thai Immigration Police Detain Over 26,000 Illegal Migrant Workers

Thailand’s Immigration Police have detained approximately 26,000 illegal migrant workers from Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia during an eight-day operation in Bangkok and surrounding regions, according to a Royal Thai Police spokesperson.

Mr Adisorn Keudmeuangkhon of the Bangkok-based Migrant Working Group said the drive was in response to an increasing number of concerns about an influx of illegal migrant labor.

“Some Thai people see that many illegal workers are competing for their job positions in the past few months,” he told me. “That’s why the ministry has to take tougher action.”

Civil strife in Myanmar and the recent implementation of a military conscription have driven thousands of Burmese into Thailand, while severe inflation and limited job opportunities in Laos have also encouraged an influx of workers from that country.

Between June 5 and 12, officials detained and checked 20,111 Myanmar laborers, 1,659 Laotian migrant workers, and 3,971 Cambodian workers, according to the Ministry of Labor.

It marked the start of a 120-day campaign to audit workplaces and arrest unlawful migrant workers, according to the government.

Migrant Workers to be Deported

According to Keudmeuangkhon, undocumented workers face fines ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 Thai baht (US $136 to $1,365), deportation, and a two-year prohibition on re-entering Thailand.

Authorities did not intend to file criminal charges, he claimed.

Authorities raided 1,774 workplaces, according to Moe Gyo, chairman of the Joint Action Committee on Burmese Affairs, which advocates for Myanmar labor rights.

He stated that since the military junta activated conscription, there has been an upsurge in the number of arrests of Myanmar citizens in Thailand who do not have a work permit identity card.

All men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 must serve in the military for at least two years. The first group of 5,000 conscripts summoned by Myanmar’s junta will start duty at the end of this month, military sources told AFP on Monday.

According to Keudmeuangkhon, the bulk of Lao migrant workers in Thailand work as fresh market shopkeepers, restaurant servers, and mall salespeople.

Most people visit Thailand as part of ASEAN’s visa-free policy for tourists, but they stay longer than the 30-day restriction once they find job.

“Employers like to hire Lao migrant workers in the service sector because they can speak fluent Thai,” he told me.

Immigration Police Detain Illegal Migrant Workers

The Thai Cabinet may approve an enhanced program for Thai employers to register their unauthorized foreign workers in July or August. Keudmeuangkhon explained.

Last month, the Thai Ministry of Labor’s Foreign Workers Administration office announced that 268,465 Lao migrant workers were officially working in Thailand.

Baykham Kattiya, Lao Minister of Labor, told Radio Free Asia earlier this month that there are 415,956 migrant workers in other nations, the majority of whom work in Thailand.

According to her, the Lao government believes that over 203,000 persons working outside of the nation lack proper work documents.

However, a Lao official familiar with the labor industry informed Radio Free Asia, a BenarNews-affiliated news station, on June 20 that the number of illegal Lao migrant workers in Thailand and abroad is likely significantly greater.

“They go to other countries as illegal migrant workers through different types of methods – as tourists or students,” said the politician. “Thus, it is hard for the immigration police to collect data on these people.”

Government Officials Responsible for Smuggling in Migrant Workers

Government Officials Responsible for Smuggling in Migrant Workers

News

High School Student Dies After Being Electrocuted By School Water Dispenser

14-year-old boy was electrocuted by a water dispenser: File Image

Thailand’s Office of Basic Education Commission has initiated an investigation into the electrocution of a 14-year-old student by a water dispenser in a high school. The event happened at noon on Friday, during the high school’s sports day. The victim was a Grade 8 student.

According to local media in Trang Province, the incident occurred when a teacher instructed the pupil to turn off a water dispenser amid a heavy rain.

According to a witness, the child collapsed while strolling with his friend near a water station. The friend claimed he attempted to assist but was also shocked by electricity.

According to reports, the friend then recovered, left the site, and requested assistance from teachers. A teacher ran to the scene and used a towel to pull the boy away by the ankle. He was taken to the hospital, but it was too late, they claimed.

The event sparked criticism from parents and netizens over school safety, as well as the slow response to aid the young youngster.

Mr. Chainarong Changrua, head of Trang-Krabi’s Secondary Educational Service Area Office, told local media on Sunday that forensic officers from Trang Provincial Police had visited the area. They discovered the blown breaker switch behind the water dispenser, he explained.

The breaker was burned out, thus the authorities assumed the disaster was caused by a short circuit that allowed energy to spill to a neighboring power pole. The student also appeared wet and was not wearing shoes when electrocuted.

According to the Office of Basic Education Commission, a probe team will complete its investigation this week.

The student’s father, Mr Pornchai Thepsuwan, 53, claimed he was saddened when he saw his son’s body. The boy (Wayu), was the youngest of two boys, he explained. He stated that following the tragedy, the school director and staff gave financial assistance to the families.

Mr Pornchai also said he would not seek charges against the institution because he believed it was an accident.

Electrical accidents in Thailand

Electrocution instances in Thailand have increased alarmingly in recent years. Many mishaps occur as a result of improper wiring and inadequate maintenance of electrical systems.

Public locations, such as schools and markets, frequently lack adequate safety precautions, putting individuals in danger. In rural areas, antiquated infrastructure exacerbates the situation, resulting in more frequent and serious events.

Although several high-profile cases have brought these challenges to light, genuine progress has been gradual. Furthermore, the rainy season heightens the likelihood of electrical accidents, as water and exposed wires do not mix well.

The government has made steps to strengthen safety standards, but enforcement is patchy. More education on electrical safety could help to reduce these accidents.

Unfortunately, better infrastructure and tougher rules may have prevented many of these incidents. The loss and injuries caused by electrocution are avoidable, emphasizing the need for immediate action.

Over 200 High School Students Facing Sedition Charges in Thailand

Over 200 High School Students Facing Sedition Charges in Thailand

News

Thailand’s Tourist Police Crackdown on Tourist Scammers in Pattaya

Tourist Police Pattaya: File Image

Thailand’s Tourist Police said it is collaborating with embassies from five countries to combat tourist scams and ten criminal gangs in Pattaya. The Tourist Police Bureau, convened a meeting on Thursday Pol Lt Gen Saksira Phuek-am told a press briefing.

Pol Lt Gen Saksira Phuek-am, the Tourist Police bureau commissioner said the participants included ambassadors from South Korea, Ukraine, Russia, India, and Switzerland.

He told the briefing the he had ordered a crackdown on tourist frauds, such as fraudulent or low-quality tour operators and unfair sales of goods and services. Stepped-up operations began on June 19 and will continue until June 25.

He stated that the agency was working with numerous organisations to increase tourists’ confidence in visiting Pattaya.

Gen Saksira spent time on the famed Walking Street speaking with officers on duty and assigned them to seek for members of ten criminal groups known to operate in Pattaya.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin will visit Chon Buri on Saturday to assess the tourism situation. He intends to visit the site of a future Formula One racecourse near Khao Phra Tamnak in Bang Lamung District.

Prime Minister Srettha recently met with Formula One organisers in Italy to examine the potential of including Thailand on the race schedule in the future.

On Sunday, the Prime Minister will pay a visit to Rayong’s U-tapao airport to discuss development on the airport’s land, with the goal of encouraging investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor.

Police Chief Reinstated

In other police news, Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol has been reinstated as national police chief following the conclusion of an investigation into a highly publicised quarrel, according to Wissanu Krea-ngam, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s counsellor.

Mr Wissanu released the investigation’s findings on Thursday, after the prime minister formed a fact-finding committee chaired by Chatchai Promlert to investigate into the quarrel between Pol Gen Torsak and his deputy, Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn.

The four-month study revealed conflicts and disorder at all levels of the Royal Thai Police, but it was unclear whether these issues arose from a single cause or several causes, according to Mr Wissanu.

The findings revealed that both Pol Gen Torsak and Pol Gen Surachate were involved, with each team contributing to the tensions, he noted.

Mr Wissanu indicated that Pol Gen Surachate was reinstated as deputy national police head on 18 April following his relocation to the Prime Minister’s Office on 20 March. A disciplinary committee was formed to investigate Pol Gen Surachate, and he was ordered temporarily suspended from the police force.

Because there were no further difficulties to explore, it was decided to restore Pol Gen Torsak. He plans to retire on September 30.

On March 20, Mr Srettha abruptly transferred both top police officers to the Prime Minister’s Office in an effort to address the growing schism within the police service.

Kitrat Panphet, Deputy National Police Chief, was subsequently named Acting Police Chief. According to sources, Pol Gen Surachate could face money laundering charges related to online gaming networks.

Source: Bangkok Post