Aftermath of Thai Labor Riots: Investigations and

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 003856 SIPDIS DEPT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON DEPT FOR EAP/RSP/TC FROM AIT KAOHSIUNG BRANCH OFFICE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON TW SUBJECT: Aftermath of Thai Labor Riots: Investigations and Practical Response Ref: Taipei 03525 ¶1. Summary. In the aftermath of the labor riots involving Thai workers on Kaohsiung city's Mass Rapid Transit (KMRT) system (reftel),various civil and criminal investigations have begun, with some preliminary reports issued. Despite the fact that the laborers remain the target of a criminal investigation, steps have been taken toward resolving some of the issues that led to the riot. End Summary. -------------- The Investigations -------------- ¶2. At the instruction of Premier Hsieh, Chang Ting, the Kaohsiung Prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into possible criminal acts relating to the August 21, 2005 Thai labor riots in Kaohsiung. The Chief Prosecutor in charge of the investigation, Chief Prosecutor Gao Da-fang, has met with several executives of the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation (KRTC),the Hua Pan Management Company, a Thai delegation composed of members of the Thai Parliament and representatives of the Thai Labor Ministry, and a few Thai workers. Inspectors have obtained copies of contracts that were signed between the KRTC and the Hua Pan Management Company (a labor brokerage firm) and the accounting books of the two companies. According to an AIT/K source, KRTC had allotted NT$29,500/month (USD920) for each worker. The money was transferred to Hua Pan, which was responsible for the distribution of the laborers' salaries, but only NT$19,000/month (USD590) was given to each worker. Officials are investigating what happened to the difference of NT$10,500/month (USD330) that was supposed to be paid to each laborer. ¶3. In the investigation to date, Prosecutor Gao has completed interviews of eighteen Thai workers who allegedly resorted to violence in the incident. The prosecutors have detained Hua Pan's president Yen Shih-hwa and its financial executive and also interviewed KRTC's responsible executives. The prosecutor's investigation is limited to activities that violated Taiwan's criminal laws, including both the workers' actions, and the allegedly corrupt money flow between KRTC and Hua Pan. While Gao reported progress in investigating the Thai laborers, he had no comment on the corruption investigation other than to say it was ongoing. ¶4. Having conducted its own investigation of the matter, Kaohsiung City Government's Labor Bureau released a preliminary report on the circumstances leading up to the riot. According to the report, the incident stemmed from the Thai laborers' dissatisfaction with treatment received from the labor management company, including poor living conditions, withholding of pay to which they were entitled, and unreasonable restrictions including a prohibition on making phone calls or consuming alcohol during their off- duty time. ¶5. According to the report, neither the Kaohsiung City nor Kaohsiung County governments were informed of the contractor's policies for recruiting and managing Thai workers. Kaohsiung City awarded the contracts for construction of the KMRT, and, the Kaohsiung City Labor Bureau determined that the City is responsible for supervising KRTC's construction and safety procedures However, since the Thai laborers are housed in Kaohsiung County, they fall under the jurisdiction of the County Government during their off-duty hours. ¶6. The report stated that the Executive Yuan's Council of Labor Affairs (CLA),the KRTC, and the Hua Pan Management Company all failed to submit required reports to the local governments on the recruiting and management of foreign laborers. Kaohsiung County Government, which is responsible for the treatment of Thai workers at their dormitory, was not informed by CLA or the Hua Pan Management Company of Hua Pan's policies for managing the Thai laborers. The report makes no mention of any effort by the City or County Governments to obtain the delinquent reports. The Kaohsiung County Government has only three employees assigned to monitor the living situation for all foreign laborers living in the area. The report points out that Kaohsiung City Government's Labor Bureau did not receive any request for assistance from Thai workers prior to the incident. Based on the report, KRTC was fined NT$300,000 (USD9,000) for mismanagement. ¶7. The Executive Yuan's Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) also published an investigation report on the Thai labor riot. The report was made by the special investigation team, which consists of representatives of Thai government, local NGOs, academics, and religious groups. The report focused mainly on human rights, management, and the system for recruiting foreign laborers. The report concluded that the central and local governments shared some responsibility for the riot. The report goes to recommend that KRTC be barred from hiring foreign labor. The special team also recommends a formal investigation into rumored corruption on the part of the KRTC and Hua Pan Management. They specifically questioned the design and financing of the dormitory that housed the workers. The report criticizes Kaohsiung City Government and County Government for negligence in supervising the hiring and management of foreign laborers. It states that the local governments failed to react to Thai laborers complaints prior to the riot. ¶8. According to the report, the CLA has decided to subsidize local governments so that they can hire civil servants to hire and oversee foreign laborers. -------------- Practical Measures -------------- ¶9. In order to provide the Thai workers with a better working environment, the Kaohsiung City Government has taken the following steps: ¶1. Ordered KRTC to immediately improve the living environment for foreign laborers. The existing dormitory, designed to house 800 people, has been home to 1700 workers. ¶2. Arranged a permanent dormitory at Hsiaokang training center for lodging of 150 Thai workers, who moved in on August 30. Former Acting Mayor Chen spent the night with the workers when the new facility opened. ¶3. Requested that KRTC not repatriate any Thai workers involved in the incident. ¶4. Arranged to provide legal assistance and assign defense attorneys if necessary ¶5. Set up a blue ribbon panel, led by Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor Cheng, to investigate KRTC's activities, and to ensure that KRTC makes improvements in the living situation for foreign laborers. ¶10. In a further effort to resolve the situation, Acting Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai requested that the KRTC terminate its contract with Hua Pan Management. Instead, he requested that KRTC, with assistance of the city government, directly manage the Thai laborers. The Kaohsiung City Government is also considering making a request that KRTC revise the composition of its board of directors. KRTC has made a quick response to the city government's request that vice chairman Chen Min-hsien step down from the vice- chairman position in the board of directors, but, despite no longer being vice-chairman, he still remains a member of the board due to his holding of 7 percent of KRTC equity. ¶11. AIT will continue to follow and report on the case as it develops. Thiele Keegan