Govt defends right to repatriate al

[mandalay@xxxxxxxxxx]

Govt defends right to repatriate aliens

Foreigners told not to look for work here 

Bhanravee Tansubhapol

Bangkok Post
Feb. 17, 1998


Thailand yesterday defended its right to repatriate illegal workers but
admitted the need to do so in a humanitarian manner.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Kobsak Chutikul said there were no plans to
repatriate illegal foreign workers at present. But he appealed to
foreigners not to seek work in Thailand during the current economic
downturn that is expected to deprive some two million Thais of jobs.

The repatriation to Burma last Thursday of some 200 people, including 63
Mon, 30 Karens, eight Muslims, and 99 Burmese, was "a lesson for the Thai
government to exercise more care," he said.

The Thai government in future will emphasise to concerned authorities the
need to abide by human rights principles, to refrain from use of force, and
to allow the workers to return to their countries on a voluntary basis, he
added.

Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan, in a letter to the Labour Ministry on
January 13, called for the repatriation of illegal workers to be conducted
in a gentle manner that is acceptable tonon-governmental organisations, the
international community, and neighbouring countries, Mr Kobsak noted. 

Mr Kobsak's comments followed stinging criticism over the repatriation of
Burmese workers in the state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper in Rangoon
over the weekend.

The criticism may have stemmed from Rangoon not being informed in advance
of the latest move, either as a result of a lapse in high level exchanges
between the two countries, or because local authorities had not reported to
them, Mr Kobsak said.

But the Thai government has always informed the Burmese government of any
plans to repatriate illegal workers, he added.

Thai authorities currently are trying to establish the exact population of
illegal foreign workers in the country, and the impact on the Thai
construction and fishery industries if all of them were to be sent back, he
said.

An estimated 700,000-1,000,000 foreign workers, most of whom are Burmese,
are believed to be illegally working in Thailand. But only about 200,000 of
them are registered. Mr Kobsak urged Thai employers to refrain from hiring
the illegal workers, who are attractive because they accept low pay.

Thailand has never carried out mass repatriations of illegal workers, he
added.

The problem of illegal labour is one that Western countries also have to
contend with. The United States for instance faces a constant inflow of
illegal workers from neighbouring Mexico and sends them back daily but the
US is not criticised for it, Mr Kobsak pointed out.