NEWS - Thai Business Refuse to Be R

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Subject: NEWS - Thai Business Refuse to Be Responsible

Thai Business Refuse to Be Responsible
Rangoon Post

  Thais are also crossing the border to work legally and illegally as
well as legal and illegal Thai buisnesses.  Now after the border
closings Thai, Shan and other workers are being kidnapped and imprisoned
illegally, tortured, killed and forced into hard labor.  

  Their Thai employers have given up on them and refused to take
responsibility.  Many are logging companies that are helping to strip
Burma of its hardwoods since Thail government has restricted the
continued deforestation in Thailand.


-EXCERPT-

  None Chiangkham of Ban Mai Mok Jam in Mae Ai district said her
brother-in-law and 14 Muser men had been hired by a Thai entrepreneur to
work for a logging business in Mong Yawn but they had been arrested on
log poaching charges and imprisoned.

"The Thai businessman refused to take responsibility. My sister had to
travel to Mong Yawn several times and tried to bring my brother-in-law
back
home. Wa soldiers demanded 20,000 baht for his release but my family
doesn't
have that much money," she said.

Non said Sanan Komol, who was arrested about six months ago, was seen
working at a road construction site in Mong Yawn about one month ago
with
chains around his arms and legs.

Prior to the closure of San Ton Du crossing, Thai officials asked the Wa
army to release Thai prisoners from prison, but they had not done so.

Mae Ai district chief Krisada Nakkharaj said attempts to get Thai
prisoners
released had failed as there was no proof they had actually entered
Burma.
Most had illegally crossed the border to find jobs.