Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BANGKOK1428
2009-06-15 23:57:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Bangkok
Cable title:  

Thai Immigration Makes Arrests in Labor Trafficking Case

Tags:  ELAB PHUM KTIP TH 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO9350
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHJO RUEHNH RUEHPOD
DE RUEHBK #1428 1662357
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 152357Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7284
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
INFO RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 6669
RUEHXI/LABOR COLLECTIVE
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS BANGKOK 001428 

Department for G/TIP CChan-Downer, DRL/IL MJunk
DOL/ILAB for Brandie Sasser

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB PHUM KTIP TH
SUBJECT: Thai Immigration Makes Arrests in Labor Trafficking Case

Sensitive But Unclassified. For Official Use Only.

UNCLAS BANGKOK 001428

Department for G/TIP CChan-Downer, DRL/IL MJunk
DOL/ILAB for Brandie Sasser

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB PHUM KTIP TH
SUBJECT: Thai Immigration Makes Arrests in Labor Trafficking Case

Sensitive But Unclassified. For Official Use Only.


1. (SBU) On May 17, the Thai Immigration Police (raided a small
garland-making factory (located in a home) in Samut Sakhon, rescuing
nineteen Laotian girls and young women, ages 12-20, who the police
consider victims of human trafficking. The Immigration police
arrested the two factory owners, Mr. Kasem Pensuk and Mrs. Tawanrat
Sukprasertngam, on charges of human trafficking, child labor, and
receiving/sheltering illegal immigrants. The Immigration Police and
Ministry of Social Development and Human Securities (MSDHS)
officials became aware of the case through another Laotian girl who
had escaped the factory. All twenty victims, including the escapee,
are being cared for at the Thai government's "Baan Kredtakarn"
victim shelter.


2. (SBU) On May 20, MSDHS Minister, Issara Somchai, and the MSDHS
Permanent Secretary, Mr. Wanlop Ploytubtim, visited victims in the
Royal Thai Government (RTG) shelter. Speaking of the case,
Permanent Secretary Wanlop assured a reporter that the Laotian girls
will return home safely. Minister Issara used the opportunity to
note for the media the existence of the 24-hour telephone hotline to
report human trafficking (TIP) cases.


3. (SBU) MSDHS social workers with whom Econoffs have spoken stated
that they had interviewed the case victims and are working with the
Laotian government to prepare for their repatriation. Efforts are
focusing on confirming each victim's citizenship, locating their
respective homes, and ensuring that the homes are safe for the
victims' return (there is concern that family members of victims
could have been involved in the trafficking). MSDHS is also working
with officials from the Ministry of Labor (MOL) to seek compensation
for the victims for wages earned (that which they received is below
the minimum wage required by Thai law). In order to pursue criminal
charges for forcing children under 15 to work, MSDHS and police
officials are working with a hospital to verify victims' ages.


4. (SBU) According to a social worker at the Baan Kredtakarn
shelter, most of the victims (all Laotian) came from Savannaket
province in Laos. One victim stated that brokers visited her home
in Savannaket and promised work as a garland maker with a monthly
income of 3,000 baht. According to victim statements, in April
2008, the victims paid labor brokers 4,500 baht per person to bring
them into Thailand. Employers allegedly gave them two meals a day
and promised a payment of 2,500-3,000 baht per month. Employers
only gave victims a small amount (approximately 200 baht) of their
promised wages, claiming to have sent much of the wages to the
victims' parents in Laos. While a few girls were allowed out of the
factory to sell garlands in the market, others were locked inside
the house/factory for refusing to work for less money than they were
promised. It is unclear whether any of the victims were physically
abused.

Comment
--------------

5. (SBU) According to a local media report, the Thai Immigration
Police conducted another anti-human trafficking operation on May 27
in the city of Ranong, arresting an individual who was planning on
transporting illegal Burmese migrants to Phuket. It remains unclear
whether this operation involved human trafficking or merely human
smuggling (the Thai media often confuses the two). Regardless, we
are encouraged that these two raids (in Samut Sakhon and Ranong) may
indicate the Thai Immigration Police are playing an increasingly
active and productive part in Thailand's counter-TIP efforts. The
Thai government's extensive training of law enforcement officials on
the 2008 TIP law, including within the Immigration police, had this
goal in mind.