Thai NLA approves amending Anti-Human Trafficking Act

BANGKOK, March 6 (TNA) - Thailand's National Legislative Assembly (NLA) has given the green light on amending the Anti-Human Trafficking Act, with violators to face a death sentence or a maximum life imprisonment, as proposed by the Cabinet. NLA approved the amendment of the Anti-Human Trafficking Act at its Thursday's meeting, chaired by NLA President Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, with the majority vote of 177 and five abstentions. Fifteen extraordinary members were then appointed to interpret and review the draft amendment within a week. Under the proposed draft amendment, a new committee on anti-human trafficking will be set up, chaired by the Thai prime minister and comprising of a deputy prime minister as a vice chairman, as well as the social development and human security, the labour, the interior, the justice, the defence, the foreign and the tourism and sports ministers, along with four experts appointed by the prime minister, while the permanent secretary for social development and human security will become the panel's secretary. Besides, stiffer penalties will be imposed on violators under the revised draft law and local police will be empowered to temporarily close enterprises which violate the law or to suspend their business licences. Violators breaching the amended Anti-Human Trafficking Act will face a maximum 6-month imprisonment or a fine of 100,000 baht or both. In any case that a victim is dead, an offender will receive a death sentence or a life imprisonment. (TNA)