Less than one month after an immigration
crackdown by the Thai military junta forced more than 200,000 illegal migrant
workers to flee across the border to Cambodia, the coup-makers are now turning
their attention to Burmese immigrants.
Refugee
advocates are raising concerns about the safety and welfare of 130,000 people
whom Thailand’s military government plans to send to send back to Burma.
Thailand
has long relied on migrant workers from its poorer neighbors to work in menial
jobs that many Thais will not do. Many argue that the Thai economy relies on
these workers, most of whom come from Burma and Cambodia, but recent bad press
on Thailand’s fishing industry and an embarrassing downgrade on a major human
trafficking ranking has prompted the junta to take action on illegal migrants.
Human
Rights Watch researcher Sunai Phasuk says the Thai junta should clarify its
plans to make sure the repatriation is not forced.
Junta
leader Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha said last week that Thailand and Burma will
facilitate their safe return.
A Thai bus and a
truck carrying Cambodian migrant workers leaving Thailand arrive at the border
in Poipet, Cambodia last month. Pic: AP.
While
most of the Cambodian migrants who fled Thailand last month left jobs behind,
many of the people affected in this latest move belong to ethnic minorities and
have been living in refugee camps in Thailand after fleeing fighting in eastern
Burma.
Sunai
said on Tuesday both nations should consult with the affected people and
international organizations with expertise in the issue before finalizing any
repatriation plans.
Much
like those who returned to Cambodia, many of these migrants will likely face
difficult condition in their home country. Asian Correspondent’s Michelle
Tolson traveled to PoiPet on the Thai-Cambodia border earlier this month where
she spoke to recently returned workers who faced uncertainty and exploitation
as they waited for the opportunity to enter Thailand again legally. Burma’s
migrants face a similar fate, if not worse.
Additional reporting from Associated Press
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