Activists back health services

Labour activists are urging the government to ensure alien workers' rights and access to health services rather than focusing solely on their registration.

During a discussion on protection for alien workers at the Office of the National Human Rights Commission in Bangkok yesterday, Miss Yada Hatthathammanoon from the Human Rights and Development Foundation said many foreign workers had no access to medical services despite being legally registered and carrying work permits.

She cited the case of Charlie Tiyu, the 33-year-old Burmese worker who was seriously injured in January when a concrete wall fell on him at a construction site in Pathum Thani province.

Officials believed he was an illegal worker despite his insistence of his legal status. Staff at Pathum Thani Hospital reported his alleged illegal status to local police, who then took Mr Tiyu to the Immigration Bureau.

After a complaint from the Human Rights and Development Foundation, Mr Tiyu was admitted to the Police General Hospital in Bangkok and was chained to his bed.

Finally, a court ordered police to unchain him and the Immigration Bureau to compensate him for his illegal detention.

Subin Phuengsuwan, a labour specialist from the Workmen's Compensation Fund Office, said orders had already been issued to his employer to pay compensation. But activists urged the office to advance the compensation and later demand the payment from the employer, as they do not think Mr Tiyu will be capable of demanding the compensation from his employer himself.

Activists also blamed the office for passing on its responsibility and possibly causing the worker to lose his rights.

Apart from this case, representatives of non-governmental organisations dealing with migrant workers also complained that many employers refuse to pay overtime to aliens.

When alien workers raise their demands, their employers may simply tell police to arrest them.

Activists also reported incidents of employers keeping their alien workers' identification materials, which they have no right to do.

They also urged concerned government agencies to integrate their work for the protection of alien workers for the sake of efficiency.

Adisorn Kerdmongkol of the Action Network for Migrants said the government should not focus only on the registration of alien workers while failing to protect other fundamental rights of the people, including their access to health services, fair wages and welfare in accordance with the law.