Welfare centre for foreign fishery workers set up

SONGKHLA, May 21 (TNA) -- Thailand’s first welfare and good governance centre for foreign fishery workers is established Saturday in the southern coastal province of Songkhla, designed for ridding human trafficking and receiving complaints from migrant workers. Teerapat Prayunsit, permanent secretary for Agriculture and Cooperatives, presided over the opening ceremony of the centre set up jointly by six public and private institutions, including the Ministry. The objectives of the centre are to build foreign volunteer network as well as creating positive atmosphere for providing protection to human trafficking victims, laying out protective measures to prevent human trafficking problem and to receive complaints from workers who are treated unfairly. Initially, the centre will operate five years and an evaluation will be made on an annual basis by a committee. It will have a responsibility to oversee more than 25,000 fishery workers and those who could become victims of human trafficking syndicates. Mr Teerapat said the Thai government is determined to resolve human trafficking and forced labour problems in the fishing industry and to also raise standard of living of migrant workers in line with international standards. Similar centres at other fishing piers in Thailand will be set up if the Songkhla centre succeeded in its operation. (TNA)