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Illegal migrants living in fear of
- Subject: Illegal migrants living in fear of
- From: suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 23:47:00
Subject: Illegal migrants living in fear of authorities and neighbours
Local & Politics
Illegal migrants living in fear
of authorities and
neighbours
CHIANG MAI -- Daeng (not his real name)
was recently returned to Burma from this
northern province which had been his home
for more than 10 years after neighbours
informed authorities of his nationality. The
neighbours did so after hearing a slot on local
radio urging villagers to inform police of the
presence of migrant workers.
Daeng was repatriated despite the fact that
he had lived in Thailand for more than 10
years and has a wife and children here, said
Amporn Boontan of the Thai Youth Aids
Prevention Project.
A negative campaign mounted against
migrant workers from Burma -- estimated to
number approximately one million -- together
with short-sighted government policies, legal
complexity and a lack of coordination
between the parties involved has filled the
lives of migrant workers with fear and agony.
The issue of migrant workers was the topic of
discussion yesterday at a seminar organised
by Mahidol University's Population and Social
Research Institute and the Chiang Mai Health
Office, and was supported by the World Bank
and the Ford Foundation.
Participants included academics,
non-governmental organisations, government
officials and representatives of the migrant
workers.
The participants agreed that unless the Thai
government engages the Burmese authorities
in solving problems concerning Burmese
immigrant workers, the repatriation of all
illegal migrant workers which has been set for
August 4 will raise more questions than it will
answer.
Some local authorities have already
expressed concern over the planned
repatriation.
Chiang Mai's deputy governor Phakdi
Rattanapol criticised the government for
passing responsibility for the workers to the
provincial administration. Currently, the
government allows migrant workers to
perform 28 types of work, even though they
have illegal status. The cabinet is now set to
consider certain jobs which migrant workers
may be allowed to take up if locals do not
want them.
Chiang Mai authorities had decided on four
jobs which migrant workers could be allowed
to take up after the August 4 deadline; as gas
station workers, domestic servants, labourers
and farm workers, Phakdi said.
''But what of migrant workers who have been
allowed to work in other industries. This move
will cause conflicts between the local
authorities and business operators,'' he
added.
He suggested the government initiate a
long-term plan of perhaps five years for the
workers, instead of extending illegal migrants'
work permits year by year as it has done.
''In the long term, the government should
consider giving legal status to the migrant
workers,'' he said.
''However, it must make sure that it screens
only 'qualified' and 'good' migrant workers,''
Phakdi continued.
Mahidol University researcher Kritiya
Archavamitkul urged the government to cover
as many migrant workers as possible when it
registered them for permitted work after the
August 4 deadline.
These workers must be provided with proper
and adequate health care insurance and
access to health services, she added.
Most migrant workers in Chiang Mai are of
the Shan ethnic minority, while many in
Ranang are Burmese and Mon.
Kritiya urged the government to consider
giving refugee status to members of the Shan
ethnic minority and to provide them with
shelter in the form of a camp, as in the case
of Karen people who had fled fighting in
Burma.
Pippa Cuxwen from the Shan Women's Action
Network said that as many as 100,000 Shan
people had fled violent suppression by the
Burmese military junta.
''The Shan are facing the same situation as
the Karen, but why does the Thai government
have a different policy of not giving Shan
people refugee status?'' asked Cuxwen, who
is half-Shan.
A study found that because of the political
and economic pressure in the migrants' home
country, many do not voluntarily return after
they leave. Most of them acknowledged
having been arrested at least once. Many
were cheated by employers, either by not
receiving wages or through low pay.
Due to their illegal status, language barriers
and lack of savings, many do not seek health
care when ill. They also suffer from limited
information and lack of access to sexual and
reproductive health services.
BY MUKDAWAN SAKBOON
The Nation