NEWS - Junta's Selfishness Destroys

[ramyint@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Re: NEWS - Junta's Selfishness Destroys Thai Buinesses and Economy

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This is the same problem we see on the US/Mexico border, Busines owners
(people with money) taking advantage of workers (desperate people).  This
also happens in Silicon Valley, the heart of high technology and wealth..

I believe Thai businesses need Burmese workers and vice versa. And until
Burma gets its house in order an accomodation is in order.

The Thai Authorities have always treated Burmese with compassion and
understanding and they should continue to do so. They also should expect and
support a change in Burma towards a democratic system of govenment.

This is the only direction that will promote developement and prosperity for
the whole of South East Asia.









Rangoon Post Co-Editor wrote:

> Junta's Selfishness Destroys Thai Buinesses and Economy
>
> (Thai plants silent after Myanmar exodus)
>
> By Sutin Wannabovorn
>
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> Around 70,000, the majority women, had jobs in the border town of Mae
> Sot, opposite eastern Myanmar's Karen State.
>
> 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.
>
> Businesses that invested ten of billions of baht to exploit a plentiful
> supply of desperate and cheap labour complain they now face ruin.
>
> 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.
>
> ``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.''
>
> REGIONAL INVESTORS STAND TO LOSE
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> Local government officials and citizens argue that thousands of jobless
> Thais could replace the Myanmar workers if businesses were willing to
> pay realistic salaries.
>
> ``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.
>
> ``THAIS COULD DO THE WORK''
>
> ``If companies paid Thai workers in accordance with the minimum wage,
> thousands of workers could replace the illegal workers within two
> weeks,'' he said.
>
> His comments echoed those of Interior Minister Sanan Kachornprasart, who
> has dismissed employers' demands to stop the repatriation.
>
> Thailand's minimum wage is 120 to 160 baht ($3 to $4) a day.
>
> 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.
>
> ``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.
>
> She said her firm had refused to pay the workers their previous month's
> wages to try to stop them leaving.
>
> 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.''
>
> 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.
>
> But thousands have not been taken in, have cut their losses and rushed
> back to Myanmar, fearing prosecution in Thailand.
>
> Many are out of pocket having had to pay 2,000 baht ($50) to bribe their
> way out of Myanmar in the first place.
>
> THAI-MYANMAR TIES STRAINED
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> Paniti said the loss of the workers would worsen Thailand's economic
> slowdown.
>
> ``The government misunderstands the labour situation. They do not accept
> the reality that Thai people do not take this kind of work,'' he said.
>
> ``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.''
>  ($1 - 39 baht)
>
> 20:33 11-15-99



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