Myanmar-Thai workers' affairs forum held

A delegation from Myanmar, led by Deputy Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security Myint Thein, was to attend the meeting, with focus on implementing the agreements earlier made between the two countries.

Thailand had proposed to put two key issues up for discussion: the termination of temporary visa issuance for Myanmar workers on December 14 and nationality verification.

Meanwhile, Myanmar wouldseek mechanisms to issue legal documents for the children and dependents of the workers and to provide protection for Myanmar workers. Myanmar also wants a comprehensive MoU for its workers. It will ask Thailand to send back its illegal workers.

Furthermore, the agenda was to include other topics such as faster bank transfer, education for workers, and issuance of legal documents for seasonal workers. The forum was to also discuss the possibility of lessening punishment for Myanmar workers who are serving prison terms in Thailand, with a plan to review and amend the 2003 MoU.

In another development, middlemen in the southeastern bordering town of Myawady are forcing migrant workers sent back by Thai authorities to pay them a hefty amount of money.

Scores of the Myanmar workers are arrested and sent back every week for not having necessary documents and permission to work.

In Myanmar, they have to pay 20 baht to the local authorities. But the middlemen force them to pay up a large amount of money, according to returnee workers.

Myit Thu, a Kayin man who worked in Thailand's Maha Chai for one year, said he saw the middlemen forcing workers to pay up to Bt3,500.

"The workers who do not have temporary passports are sent back to Myanmar. We have to pay Bt100 for our bags and the people who didn't pay the brokers earlier have to pay Bt1,600."

About one third of the arrested workers cannot afford to pay the money, he said.

"I came here with the help of an agent. I was told I'll get temporary passport. I gave 250,000 kyats (Bt9,000) to the agent. After waiting for over three months in Myawady, I had no more money with me and had no choice but to go work illegally," said a Yathaedong resident who was arrested in Thailand.

While detained in a two-storey detention centre in Mae Sot for three days, he was not given any food because he had no money with him, he alleged.

"I was later taken to Taungyin River bank. I crossed it by a boat. In Myanmar, I was taken to a warehouse by middlemen. We can't leave the place if we fail to pay them the money they demand."

To protect workers from such middlemen, Thailand and Myanmar governments allowed those who crossed into Thailand during the flood to return legally using the bridge in October last year.

After a respite in the illegal practice, the middlemen are active again, according returnee workers.