Letter from a Burmese migrant worke

[tacdb@xxxxxxxxxx]

15th October, 1997.

The Ambassador, 
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany,
Bangkok, Thailand

The Ambassador, 
Embassy of the Commonwealth of Australia, 
Bangkok, Thailand.


Dear Sirs,

RE:	Request for assistance in obtaining a back payment of wages and the
cessation of exploitation against Burmese migrant workers in Bangkok.

We respectfully submit to you, as representatives of your governments is
Bangkok. for assistance in resolving a problem between a group of immigrant
workers from Burma, whom I represent, and the German owned company, Bauer
Thai Co. Ltd.

We are desperate to resolve the problem as swiftly as possible, by whatever
means are available to us.

We are illegal Burmese labourers working under a Bauer Thai Co. Ltd
contract, which is administered through Angel Thai Co. We have been employed
in this capacity since December, 1996, as a group of 70 individuals. Most of
the workers on our sight have left Burma due to the unbearable abuses
committed by the State Law and Order Restoration Council, which has rule
dour country brutally and without reason, for over 9 years. 

During June, 1997, Mr. Michel, accounts officer for Bauer Thai (an English
or Australia man) gave our workers a cheque for payment of our wages,
knowing that he did not have money in the bank to cover it. He told us that,
"Bauer had no money at all at the moment, but we should be able to resume
work in September".

It seems that the rich men of Thailand, not only Thai citizens, have been
robbing the poorest of the poor in Thailand, those who have been forced to
migrate form Burma. In Thailand, the cruelest and most exploitative system
of foreign labour usage has been developing, and implicated in this process,
have been a variety of foreign owned companies. The world will come to look
upon these businesses and investors with disgust.

Nowadays, many citizens of European countries call for democracy and human
rights in our country and our region. Many groups protest the restrictions
placed upon worker organisations in Burma. SLORC is using a gun to maintain
their political power. These robbers have full authority in our country and
use a crooked technology to keep that authority. 

What is the  difference between the way that the SLORC has treated us, and
how we are being treated in Thailand by a foreign owned company? Do not both
have the same ideas, intentions and attitudes; to make profits at the
expense of people's lives? Only the methods of exploitation are different
between brown and white complexions. 

The pain inflicted upon us is the same.

Dear Sirs, we humbly request you to persuade Bauer Thai Co. Ltd. to pay our
wages, which is a very small amount of money compared to the amount of money
that they have already spent on construction materials.

We extend a cordial invitation to representatives of your diplomatic
missions to visit our work site as soon as possible, so that the situation
can be more clearly explained.

A list of responsible persons is as follows:

1. Mr. Deitlef Mankanne, Project Manager, (a German citizen), telephone
number 589 4942, fax number 589 4948.
2. Mr. Michel, Accounts Officer, (an Australian citizen). telephone number
588 3071.
    Bauer Thai Co. Ltd.,
    Pacific Place,
    1612, 17th Floor,
    Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok 10110, Thailand,
    General telephone 653 2976 until 82,
    General fax 653 2075.

Humbly and respectfully yours,


Signed

U Min Maung
Workers Representative
'Lar Hok' Construction Site
Rangsit, Bangkok, Thailand
fax c/- 216 4463

cc. 	International Labor Organisation, Bangkok and Geneva
	ICFTU-APRO
	United Nations
	Bauer Thai Co. Ltd. 
	Human Rights Watch- Asia
	ASEAN and International Press
	Thai-German Chamber of Commerce
	Organisations supporting the freedom of Burma form SLORC rule.	
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Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma (TACDB),
328 Phayathai Road,
Rajthevee,
Bangkok 10400,
THAILAND.

tel/fax:  (+662) 216 4463
email:	  tacdb@xxxxxxxxxx
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