Repatriation of Burmese workers bla

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Repatriation of Burmese workers blasted

Feb. 16, 1998
Bangkok Post

Rangoon, AFP

Burmese authorities have described as "pitiful" the repatriation of
hundreds of their workers from Thailand and accused Bangkok of double
standards.

"It is rather pitiful that Myanmar (Burmese) nationals, legal or otherwise,
once welcomed in Thailand are now being sent back home," the report in the
state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper said yesterday.

Thailand is cracking down on illegal workers and recently deported about
500 Burmese workers found not to have visas.

Thailand - desperate to alleviate its mounting unemployment problems - has
said it will repatriate about 300,000 illegal workers over the next six
months, many of them from Burma or Cambodia.

But the report in Rangoon accused Thai businessmen of knowingly employing
illegal workers while Thai authorities had turned "a blind eye" to the issue.

"While millions of Thais seek better-paid job outside of their country,
Myanmar people go to work at places in Thailand where Thais do not want to
work," the report said.