Thailand speeds up solutions to alleged human trafficking

BANGKOK, July 18 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Labour has continued joining forces with agencies concerned to speed up national solutions to alleged human trafficking-related problems. Deputy Permanent Secretary for Labour ML Puntrik Smiti told journalists on Friday that, as part of the move, Thai labour laws are now being revised by several concerned government agencies, which should guarantee overseas customers, upon completion, that there is neither child labour, forced labour nor human trafficking in Thailand. ML Puntrik pointed out that most of the human trafficking-related problems, as accused by the United States, lie in the Thai fishing industry and concerned agencies, namely the Ministry of Labour, the Department of Fisheries, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, and the Marine Department, under the Ministry of Transport, are, therefore, currently amending laws related to trawler and migrant workers' registrations. ML Puntrik acknowledged that all seven fishing labour coordination offices in seven Thai provinces are playing a major role to prevent any abuse in the local fishery sector to ensure good labour practice (GLP) and to show the global community that there is no child labour, forced labour and human trafficking. The senior official noted that issues needed for urgent implementations by the Thai Ministry of Labour and other concerned agencies, as agreed by a recent meeting of a working committee, include regulating migrant workers, which is being implemented as ordered by the army-led National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), inspecting labour offices and fishing trawlers and amending laws. According to the senior official, a public forum is also expected to be organised in Bangkok on August 1, 2014, aimed at making the Thai society to better understand how human trafficking problem is being solved by government agencies. The working committee's recent meeting discussed impacts from the US annual human trafficking report issued on June 20, 2014, which downgraded Thailand to “Tier 3”, the lowest level, and alleged five Thai industries, including shrimp, textile, sugarcane, pornographic materials and fishing, of using child and forced labour. Washington had earlier held Thailand on its Tier 2 warning list for four consecutive years. (TNA)