LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Abuse of Thai workers on Israeli farms points to need for better protection
The Israeli daily paper Haaretz carried a story on December 10 about nine Thai workers who were rescued in late November from two geese farms in southern Israel, where they were found working under appalling conditions. The rescue was carried out by the Immigration Police and agricultural inspectors.
The workers arrived in Israel in September and October, and stated that they were forced to work from 18 to 23 hours a day, seven days a week, force-feeding geese. They spoke about extreme fatigue and living next to dying geese in filthy pens. As one Thai worker noted in sworn deposition: "There were days that I worked 22 or 23 hours without a break... I had to force-feed the geese every four hours and then watch them, so if they died, we'd immediately pluck their feathers and clean them so we could sell the liver". When the workers complained to the company that brought them to Israel, they said they were threatened with deportation to Thailand. The workers told police they would be sent home with no way to repay the US$9,000 (Bt320,000) each paid to a middleman in order to come to Israel. The workers later turned to Kav La'Oved (a non-profit organisation for the protection of workers' rights in Israel), which alerted the authorities. The Israeli police are now examining whether the conditions of the workers meets the definition of a new law in Israel prohibiting commerce in human beings for the purposes of slavery and forced labour. These Thai workers will probably be the very first test case of the law, which mandates sentences for bosses of up to 20 years. Thai workers should be wary of arranging work on Israeli farms. Thai labour organisations should step up efforts to advise Thai workers venturing abroad about the dangers of exploitation - in this case, something bordering on forced labour. The Israeli Embassy in Thailand should watchdog Israeli firms recruiting Thai workers to ensure that this kind of gross labour abuse cannot occur. My fellow Israeli citizens deplore these actions by unscrupulous bosses in maltreating their Thai employees. Bill Templer Phitsanulok ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Treat migrant workers as important contributors
Re: "Thailand's cynical ploy on Burmese migrant workers", Opinion, December 11. Consider the negative impact and socio-economic ramifications if migrant workers from Burma, Laos and Cambodia were no longer available for lowly jobs in the Thai construction, rubber tapping, fishing and commercial service industries. Most of these underpaid but hardworking manual labourers fill the gap by performing jobs which more highly educated Thais are unwilling to do. More than 80 per cent of the approximately 670,000 migrant workers in Thailand that are labelled illegal are of Burmese origin. Of this number, nearly 70 per cent are ethnic minorities, such as the Mon, Karen, Kachin and Shan, not recognised as legitimate citizens and suffering uncivil wrongs on both sides of the border. If sent back for nationality verification before returning to work legally in Thailand, as plotted by the former Thai government in collusion with the Burmese junta, these hapless pawns will almost certainly face inhumane treatment, persecution, detention or execution. We must not forget that thousands of migrant construction workers and fishermen in Phang Nga province lost everything as a result of the tsunami - their means of livelihood, their loved ones and any legal recourse to compensation for their misfortune, even though many were here legally. For fear of forced repatriation, those that survived did not come forward to claim the bodies of family and friends. It's time to acknowledge the problem and provide assistance and legal recourse for these shamefully abused minorities who only hope for a better life and greater opportunities, especially for their children. Even though they were born in Thailand, many of the vulnerable youngsters are deprived of education because they lack the required official documents. Every child deserves to be treated with dignity and respect and can make an impact on the world if given a fair chance. It would benefit the long-term interests of Thailand if school entrance provisions were rewritten to recognise that each and every child is uniquely special and has a significant role to play. Furthermore, community bilingual learning centres should be funded and instituted by the Ministry of Education within, not outside of, the system. Dr Chanchai Prasertson Bangkok ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UN must intervene to stop extradition of Hmong
For several weeks already, international media and human rights organisations, particularly Amnesty International, have alerted the international community to a massive programme to extradite Lao Hmong refugees in Thailand back to the Lao People's Democratic Republic. These people chose to flee the Lao dictatorship, like nearly 600,000 of their compatriots since 1975. We are extremely concerned at this decision by the Thai authorities and call for a halt to the extradition until these women, men and children are investigated by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Since 1975, declarations, promises and engagements given by the Lao PDR leaders regarding freedom and human rights have never been respected. For so many years, the leaders of the one-party state have constantly denied the existence of "gulags", where thousands of Lao died under inhuman treatment. They reject all violations of the Lao people's human rights, and continue their repression campaign against the ethnic and religious minorities. There have been several extraditions of Lao Hmong since last year, and we are still without news of the fate of the 27 young teenagers quietly expelled to Laos last December. A quickly expedited extradition, conducted without the control and approval of the UNHCR, is only a procedure to hand these thousands of civilians over to a violent and dictatorial regime. After having carried out a campaign of bloody repression against the Lao Hmong in the jungle, how can promises from the same leaders be trusted? How can we be sure that these extradited people will be well treated? How can one believe the claims of the Lao PDR leaders that these people left Laos only because they were victims of "human trafficking", when it is well known that nothing can be done without the agreement or the complicity of the state's secret police? Faced with this human tragedy, we appeal to Thai authorities to immediately suspend the extradition plan, and call on the UN secretary-general and UNHRC to intervene urgently to prevent these extraditions and inquire about the fate of the people who have already been sent back to Laos against their will. Lao Movement for Human Rights Torcy, France ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dialogue is a better route to peace in the South
Re: "Showing weakness serves to encourage South insurgents", Letters, December 9. Alf Haupt's letter suggested that the current government is responsible for the severe deterioration in the security situation and further condemned the Army as being totally ineffective, but praised Thaksin for his uncompromising policy towards the problems in the South. This opinion is flawed in fact and highly dangerous. The problems in the South are complex and long-standing and were grossly exacerbated by the arbitrary, immoral and unlawful policy pursued by Thaksin. To undo that damage will take time and courage, and the present prime minister has gone some way towards that. But as a letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission ("Human rights watchdog sees no improvement in Thailand this year", December 10) suggested, while Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont has apologised for the previous government's policy and reversed some policy matters, he has not gone far enough to defuse the crisis in the South. This advice is well worth heeding. There is still great resentment in the South and unless and until that is assuaged, the crisis will not abate. This is indeed a time for strong action, but the blunt, violent type proposed by Haupt would be seriously harmful. Instead, strong nerves and a bold innovative approach are necessary. Those fighting in the South, rightly or wrongly, believe themselves to have been wronged. They will not change that opinion if further repressive measures are introduced. They need to be engaged in dialogue and a solution found. Winston Churchill said "to jaw-jaw is better than to war-war", speaking in 1954 about negotiations to end the Korean War. The British government concluded the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 to end years of insurgency in Northern Ireland. There comes a time when dialogue is the best solution and compromise a crucial part. Surely, as a Buddhist nation, finding a middle path in the South should not be beyond Thailand's present experienced government. Army chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, current head of the Council for National Security, wanted to open discussions on the South some time ago but was prohibited by Thaksin. I can think of no better man to now undertake this task. This would be a greater challenge than leading the coup, and much riskier, but the benefit for the Kingdom if successful would be of equal if not greater value. Dr John Symons Bangkok ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Both good and bad points in foreign property ownership
Re: "You can't take it with you, so relax Thai property laws", Letters, December 11. Supporters for foreign property ownership repeatedly cite two factors: that the added demand is good for our economy, and the asset cannot be taken out of the country. Another reason sometimes cited is that most other countries allow Thais to buy property. On the side of prohibition, one argument is that the added demand from wealthy foreigners could price locals out of the property market. The examples often cited are Hong Kong and Singapore, where the young population can hardly dream of owning property on the ground. Similarly, the pricey land in the hilly areas of Samui and Phuket is said to be owned by foreigners through devious means and one hill could eventually end being owned by aliens. Nearer home,, with the allowance for 40-per-cent foreign ownership in each building, some luxurious condominiums along Sathorn and Sukhumvit have now become too pricey for most Thais. Songdej Praditsmanont Bangkok Send us your views in an instant E-mail your opinion, with 'Letters to the Editor' in the subject box, to: letters@nationgroup.com
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