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Illegal migrants living in fear of



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