Reuters-FEATURE-Thai plants silent

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Subject: Reuters-FEATURE-Thai plants silent after Myanmar exodus 

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FEATURE-Thai plants silent after Myanmar exodus=20
08:33 p.m Nov 15, 1999 Eastern=20
By Sutin Wannabovorn=20

MAE SOT, Thailand, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Thousands of tonnes of rotting =
fruit and flowers and deserted factory lines are testimony to an exodus =
of illegal Myanmar workers targeted in a massive Thai repatriation =
drive.=20

Struggling with high unemployment amid its worst economic crisis in =
decades, Thailand has revived a plan to repatriate 600,000 Myanmar =
migrants working illegally in low-paid factory and farm jobs.=20

Around 70,000, the majority women, had jobs in the border town of Mae =
Sot, opposite eastern Myanmar's Karen State.=20

Tens of thousands have now crossed the Moei River to Myanmar. Their =
departure has left factories, nearby farms and streets of a town where =
the Myanmar language was as commonly heard as Thai all but deserted.=20

Businesses that invested ten of billions of baht to exploit a plentiful =
supply of desperate and cheap labour complain they now face ruin.=20

About 100 garment and food canning factories and 504,000 hectares (1.26 =
million acres) of fruit orchards were totally reliant on the illegal =
labour, which was welcomed in boom years before Thailand's economic =
crisis broke in 1997.=20

``If this situation goes on another month, all the investors will be =
bankrupt,'' said Paniti Tungphati, chairman of the Tak provincial =
chamber of commerce. ``In the agricultural sector alone investors have =
been losing more than 15 million baht ($385,000) a day.''=20

REGIONAL INVESTORS STAND TO LOSE=20

Investors who stand to lose include Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singaporean =
concerns. Paniti said many businesses in Tak province had wanted to =
establish production bases inside Myanmar.=20

But with much of their output exported to the United States or the =
European Union, they were scared off by U.S. sanctions against Yangon =
and the possibility of consumer boycotts, given strong criticism of =
Myanmar's human rights record and failure to democratise.=20

Paniti said Myanmar's powerful intelligence chief, Lieutenant-General =
Khin Nyunt, had pledged full co-operation if businesses relocated to =
Myanmar. ``But we plan to wait a little longer due to the sanctions,'' =
he said.=20

Pramote Rajitungsun, production manager of Great Oriental Food =
Production Co Ltd, said the workers' departure was a catastrophe. ``We =
have to find replacements and resume operations as soon as possible =
otherwise we will face bankruptcy,'' he said.=20

During a visit to his deserted pineapple canning plant, he told Reuters =
production had stopped since his 300 workers left. The plant used to =
process about 150 tonnes of pineapples a day.=20

Local government officials and citizens argue that thousands of jobless =
Thais could replace the Myanmar workers if businesses were willing to =
pay realistic salaries.=20

``They are just greedy for profit,'' said Sopis Wongmontha, a trader who =
led a rally of local people backing a government plan to send back the =
illegal workers.=20

``THAIS COULD DO THE WORK''=20

``If companies paid Thai workers in accordance with the minimum wage, =
thousands of workers could replace the illegal workers within two =
weeks,'' he said.=20

His comments echoed those of Interior Minister Sanan Kachornprasart, who =
has dismissed employers' demands to stop the repatriation.=20

Thailand's minimum wage is 120 to 160 baht ($3 to $4) a day.=20

Departing Myanmar workers said they were willing to accept less than =
half this as there was no work for them in their own country, which has =
been suffering economic stagnation.=20

``As a supervisor, I received 60 baht a day; newcomers got about 50 baht =
for 10 hours work,'' said 22-year-old Hty Da, a female Myanmar worker =
who led a protest demanding withheld wages.=20

She said her firm had refused to pay the workers their previous month's =
wages to try to stop them leaving.=20

Soraphol Payoongveeranoi, the deputy immigration chief in Mae Sot, said =
this was a common ploy. ``Some employers either refuse to pay wages or =
confiscate their ID cards in order keep them.''=20

He said some employers had even tried to fool workers into believing =
repatriation was temporary and they would be able to return in a few =
days to claim their wages.=20

But thousands have not been taken in, have cut their losses and rushed =
back to Myanmar, fearing prosecution in Thailand.=20

Many are out of pocket having had to pay 2,000 baht ($50) to bribe their =
way out of Myanmar in the first place.=20

THAI-MYANMAR TIES STRAINED=20

Thailand sent back about 300,000 Myanmar workers late last year and the =
revival of the programme comes amid a period of strained diplomatic =
relations.=20

Myanmar was angered when Thailand allowed dissidents who took over the =
Myanmar embassy in Bangkok from October 1-2 to escape to a safe border =
area when they freed their 89 hostages unharmed.=20

It has kept its border with Thailand closed to trade since the attack =
and suspended fishing rights for Thai trawlers, causing tens of millions =
of dollars of losses.=20

Paniti said the loss of the workers would worsen Thailand's economic =
slowdown.=20

``The government misunderstands the labour situation. They do not accept =
the reality that Thai people do not take this kind of work,'' he said.=20

``Investors are being hurt by the departure of the workers and the =
losses they are suffering will mean there will be more problems with =
loan repayment to banks. We're talking about tens of millions of dollars =
in this province alone.''=20


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT size=3D+1><STRONG>FEATURE-Thai =
plants silent=20
after Myanmar exodus</STRONG></FONT> <BR>08:33 p.m Nov 15, 1999 Eastern=20
<P><STRONG>By Sutin Wannabovorn</STRONG>=20
<P>MAE SOT, Thailand, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Thousands of tonnes of rotting =
fruit=20
and flowers and deserted factory lines are testimony to an exodus of =
illegal=20
Myanmar workers targeted in a massive Thai repatriation drive.=20
<P>Struggling with high unemployment amid its worst economic crisis in =
decades,=20
Thailand has revived a plan to repatriate 600,000 Myanmar migrants =
working=20
illegally in low-paid factory and farm jobs.=20
<P>Around 70,000, the majority women, had jobs in the border town of Mae =
Sot,=20
opposite eastern Myanmar's Karen State.=20
<P>Tens of thousands have now crossed the Moei River to Myanmar. Their =
departure=20
has left factories, nearby farms and streets of a town where the Myanmar =

language was as commonly heard as Thai all but deserted.=20
<P>Businesses that invested ten of billions of baht to exploit a =
plentiful=20
supply of desperate and cheap labour complain they now face ruin.=20
<P>About 100 garment and food canning factories and 504,000 hectares =
(1.26=20
million acres) of fruit orchards were totally reliant on the illegal =
labour,=20
which was welcomed in boom years before Thailand's economic crisis broke =
in=20
1997.=20
<P>``If this situation goes on another month, all the investors will be=20
bankrupt,'' said Paniti Tungphati, chairman of the Tak provincial =
chamber of=20
commerce. ``In the agricultural sector alone investors have been losing =
more=20
than 15 million baht ($385,000) a day.''=20
<P><STRONG>REGIONAL INVESTORS STAND TO LOSE</STRONG>=20
<P>Investors who stand to lose include Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singaporean =

concerns. Paniti said many businesses in Tak province had wanted to =
establish=20
production bases inside Myanmar.=20
<P>But with much of their output exported to the United States or the =
European=20
Union, they were scared off by U.S. sanctions against Yangon and the =
possibility=20
of consumer boycotts, given strong criticism of Myanmar's human rights =
record=20
and failure to democratise.=20
<P>Paniti said Myanmar's powerful intelligence chief, Lieutenant-General =
Khin=20
Nyunt, had pledged full co-operation if businesses relocated to Myanmar. =
``But=20
we plan to wait a little longer due to the sanctions,'' he said.=20
<P>Pramote Rajitungsun, production manager of Great Oriental Food =
Production Co=20
Ltd, said the workers' departure was a catastrophe. ``We have to find=20
replacements and resume operations as soon as possible otherwise we will =
face=20
bankruptcy,'' he said.=20
<P>During a visit to his deserted pineapple canning plant, he told =
Reuters=20
production had stopped since his 300 workers left. The plant used to =
process=20
about 150 tonnes of pineapples a day.=20
<P>Local government officials and citizens argue that thousands of =
jobless Thais=20
could replace the Myanmar workers if businesses were willing to pay =
realistic=20
salaries.=20
<P>``They are just greedy for profit,'' said Sopis Wongmontha, a trader =
who led=20
a rally of local people backing a government plan to send back the =
illegal=20
workers.=20
<P>``THAIS COULD DO THE WORK''=20
<P>``If companies paid Thai workers in accordance with the minimum wage, =

thousands of workers could replace the illegal workers within two =
weeks,'' he=20
said.=20
<P>His comments echoed those of Interior Minister Sanan Kachornprasart, =
who has=20
dismissed employers' demands to stop the repatriation.=20
<P>Thailand's minimum wage is 120 to 160 baht ($3 to $4) a day.=20
<P>Departing Myanmar workers said they were willing to accept less than =
half=20
this as there was no work for them in their own country, which has been=20
suffering economic stagnation.=20
<P>``As a supervisor, I received 60 baht a day; newcomers got about 50 =
baht for=20
10 hours work,'' said 22-year-old Hty Da, a female Myanmar worker who =
led a=20
protest demanding withheld wages.=20
<P>She said her firm had refused to pay the workers their previous =
month's wages=20
to try to stop them leaving.=20
<P>Soraphol Payoongveeranoi, the deputy immigration chief in Mae Sot, =
said this=20
was a common ploy. ``Some employers either refuse to pay wages or =
confiscate=20
their ID cards in order keep them.''=20
<P>He said some employers had even tried to fool workers into believing=20
repatriation was temporary and they would be able to return in a few =
days to=20
claim their wages.=20
<P>But thousands have not been taken in, have cut their losses and =
rushed back=20
to Myanmar, fearing prosecution in Thailand.=20
<P>Many are out of pocket having had to pay 2,000 baht ($50) to bribe =
their way=20
out of Myanmar in the first place.=20
<P><STRONG>THAI-MYANMAR TIES STRAINED</STRONG>=20
<P>Thailand sent back about 300,000 Myanmar workers late last year and =
the=20
revival of the programme comes amid a period of strained diplomatic =
relations.=20
<P>Myanmar was angered when Thailand allowed dissidents who took over =
the=20
Myanmar embassy in Bangkok from October 1-2 to escape to a safe border =
area when=20
they freed their 89 hostages unharmed.=20
<P>It has kept its border with Thailand closed to trade since the attack =
and=20
suspended fishing rights for Thai trawlers, causing tens of millions of =
dollars=20
of losses.=20
<P>Paniti said the loss of the workers would worsen Thailand's economic=20
slowdown.=20
<P>``The government misunderstands the labour situation. They do not =
accept the=20
reality that Thai people do not take this kind of work,'' he said.=20
<P>``Investors are being hurt by the departure of the workers and the =
losses=20
they are suffering will mean there will be more problems with loan =
repayment to=20
banks. We're talking about tens of millions of dollars in this province =
alone.''=20
</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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