MR-News_101109
HEADLINES
*************************************************************
NEWS ON MIGRANTS
500 migrant workers sue Thai employers
Migrants call for passport office in Thailand
*************************************************************
??? ??????????????????????????
jrefrma&$@ajymif;tvkyform;rsm; ,m,DEdkifiHul;vufrSwf vkyf&rnf
************************************************************
NEWS ON MIGRANTS
*************************************************************
500 migrant workers sue Thai employers
Nov 6, 2009 (DVB)
Hundreds of Burmese migrant workers in a Thai border town have filed a lawsuit against their employers for allegedly failing to pay salaries, a migrant organisation said.
The migrant workers in Mae Sot, across the border from Burma’s eastern Karen state, claim that employers failed to abide by regulations laid down by Thailand’s Ministry of Labour.
“More than 500 workers from 12 factories have filed their case but the number of complainants from each factory is as high as 185,” said Ko Aye, workers’ affairs manager of Migrant Assistance Program (MAP) Foundation in Mae Sot.
“This 500 is only for this year. There have been 138 similar cases since 2001 with 2,077 workers involved. The number of women is greater than that of men.”
In the past, workers filed their complaints at a local labour liaison office and court, and in some cases, the judges have ruled in favour of compensation.
Ko Aye said however that the employees had to go on trial whenever their employers failed to fully abide by the court decision.
MAP Foundation, together with its lawyers, has been conducting awareness education programmes for workers, focusing on responses to arbitrary dismissals and closure of factories without prior warning.
Employees from a knitting factory in Mae Sot on Wednesday appeared in court to testify that they had been denied wages. The employer had agreed to compensate for six and a half months’ wages but later shut the factories without prior notice, leaving the workers jobless.
“The complaint includes less than standard, overtime fees and weekend charges,” a workers’ rights activist told DVB. The workers had received only 50 Thai baht ($US1.50) out of an eligible 150 Thai baht ($US4.50).
“They should be compensated about 100,000 Thai baht ($US2,995) each but they said they would be satisfied with 30,000 ($US900). The trial was adjourned until 21 December.”
Around two million Burmese migrants are estimated to work in Thailand, the majority in the agricultural, fishery and construction sectors.
According to organisations working on migrant issues, complaints about denial of wages for migrant workers are common throughout Thailand.
http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=3027
*************************************************************
Migrants call for passport office in Thailand
Tuesday, 10 November 2009 14:06
More than 200 migrant workers who attended a seminar held at the Chiangmai University yesterday said they deeply distrusted the ongoing Nationality Verification Process after which temporary passports are being issued to qualified applicants. Only 4 had expressed confidence.
So far only about 2,000 have received their passports, including 72 from Chiangmai province, according to a Thai official from the labor ministry.
Andy Hall, Director of the Migrant Justice Program, said there were two reasons why the process has been going at a snail’s pace: the exhorbitant expenses involved and poverty of information.
According to Sai Lao, who had traveled to Tachilek in September to obtain his passport, he spent a total of 8,000 baht ($240), including B 2,000 ($60) for visa fee. The fee has been reduced to B 500 ($15) since October.
Altogether, a passport applicant has to spend around B 8,000 ($240) excluding other expenses, such as food and transportation:
Payment on the Thai side of the border B 3,000
Payment on the Burmese side of the border B 700
Visa fee (as of October) B 500
Work permit B 3,800
Total B 8,000
“If you are using a middleman, the amount may double,” said Somsak Plaiyoowong, Director, Thai Cenfer for Labor Rights (TCLR). “The government should get rid of middlemen and do the job itself.”
In addition, very few migrants are being less informed about what affects them, according to the presenters. “For example, Rangoon has issued a pamphlet regarding the National Verification Process since July,” said Hsein Htay, Migrant Justice Program from Samut Sakhon. “But very few people have seen it.”
The flyer informs the migrants what documents he/she would need to apply for a temporary passport and detailed information on the three offices in Kawsawng, Myawaddy and Tachilek where it is issued. (See attachment)
As for the workers, most of them voiced their deep-seated distrust of their Burmese military rulers:
• “They speak one thing and do another. Forced relocations are still going on even though they deny the fact”
• “They make plenty of laws but even they don’t follow them”
• “Only townspeople can benefit from the process, because they have been issued all necessary documents. For people in the countryside who are the majority, most of them don’t even have household registers let alone ID cards.”
The participants have called on the authorities to set up passport issue offices in Thailand instead. “The regime is like a chair and we a stove,” said one burly worker from Laikha who claimed his family had already been forcibly relocated twice in the past 12 years. “It is not proper to ask the stove to move toward the chair. On the contrary, it should be the other way round.”
Good news welcomed by the participants, who reportedly represent a 6th of Chiangmai’s population, were also announced by the officials:
• For applicants, who have yet to obtain their work permit, the Thai cabinet has extended the period to 2 January 2010
• Children who are born of registered workers will also be allowed to stay legally in Thailand
The Thai officials on the other hand had urged the workers to respond to their survey sheets asking them how they felt about the nationality verification process. The deadline for their responses is 20 November 2009.
*************************************************************
??? ??????????????????????????
*************************************************************
jrefrma&$@ajymif;tvkyform;rsm; ,m,DEdkifiHul;vufrSwf vkyf&rnf
aemfEkd&if; 9 Edk0ifbm 2009
xkdif;EkdifiH csif;rkdifòrd@&Sd tifwmae&S,fe,fpifwmrSm xdkif;tm%mydkifawGu jrefrma&$@ajymif;tvkyform;awGukd ,m,DEdkifiHul;vufrSwf vkyfaqmifr_eJ@ ywfoufvdk‹ ‘Dae@ awG‹qkH+yD; &Sif;jyygw,f? xdkif; tpdk;&r[kwfwJh tzGJ‹awGu yk*~dKvfawG/ xdkif;&JeJ@ ydk@aqmifa&;Xme awGu wm0ef&SdolawGeJ@ jrefrmtvkyform; 200 avmufu vwfwavm vkyfay;aewJh ,m,DEkdifiHul;vufrSwfta=umif; aqG;aEG;wmjzpf+yD; tcsuf 2 csufukd t"duxm; aqG;aEG;ygw,f? csif;rkdif tvkyf&SmazG;a&;±kH; wm0ef&Sdol u “tckvuf&Sd ukdifaqmifaewJh tvkyform;uwfawG[m vmr,fh 2010 azazmf0g&D vukeftxdyJ aexkdifcGifh&&SdrSm jzpfwJhtwGuf ,m,DEdkifiHul;vufrSwf ywfpykd@ rvkyf&if oufwrf;xyf rwdk;ay;bl;? ,m,DEkdifiHul;vufrSwf vkyfolawGu xdkif;wEkdifiHvkH;ukd oGm;vmEkdifrSmjzpfovkd &oifh&xkdufwJhtcGifh ta&;awGukd &&SdrSmjzpfw,f” vdk‹ ajymygw,f? ywfpykd@ vkyf&mrSm vkyfief;tqifhqifh oGm;&wJhtwGuf okH;vtwGif; vlOD;a& 2 axmifausmfyJ vkyfay;Ekdifygao;w,f? ‘Dtpnf;ta0;rSm wufa&mufaqG;aEG;cJhol vl@tcGifhta&;eJ@ zGH@òzd;a&;azmifa’;&Sif; u ukdpdefaX;u ywfpykd@ vkyfr,hfolawGtwGuf xdkif;tpdk;&u tcsdefwck wdk;ay;wJh tpDtpOf&Sdw,fvdk@ ajymygw,f?
“tqifhawGu 13 qihf/ 14 qifhavmuf &Sdygw,f? vmr,fh 2010/ 28 trD tm;vHk; vloef;*%ef;avmuf &SdwJhvlawG vkyfvdk@ r+yD;Edkifbl;qdkwm olwdk@ odw,f? olwdk@ xyf+yD;awmh csJ@rSmyJ? tcktcsdefrSm yHkpHpm&GufawG a0vm+yD? tvkyform;awGudk yHkpHpm&GufawG jznhfcdkif;w,f? EdkifiHom; pdppfwJhvkyfief;pOfudk olwdk@vkyfrSm? vkyfr,fqdkwJhvludk oufwrf; wdk;ay;r,f? rvkyfbl;qdkwJhvludk oufwrf; rwdk;ay;bl;? tvkyf&SmazGa&;Xmeu ajym+yD;+yD?” tpnf;ta0;udk wufa&mufwJh tvkyform;awGu olwkd@taeeJ@ &vmr,fh ‘DtcGifhta&;ukd tm;vkH;u vkdvm;=uayr,fh jrefrmppftpkd;&ukd t,kHt=unf r&Sdbl;vkd@ tvkyform;wOD;u ajymygw,f? “vkyfcsifwmu tvkyform; tcGifhta&;twGuf qdkifu,fpD;zdk@/ tvkyfvkyfwJhtcg ydkufqHr&&if oGm;wdkifzdk@ tcGihfta&;&Sdw,f? tvkyform;tm;vHk; a=umufwmu &GmrSm tcGefaumufrSm a=umufaewm? ” xkdif;tm%mykdif &Sif;jyajymqkdt+yD;rSm ywfpykd@ vkyfcsifwJhol vufaxmifygvkd@ ar;wJhtcg tvkyform; 4 a,mufyJ vufaxmifjy+yD; rvkyfcsifwJhol vuf axmifygvkd@ ar;wJhtcg tm;vkH;eD;yg; vufaxmifwmudk awG@cJh&ygw,f? tvkyform;awG ukd,fykdif awmif;qkdcsifw,fqkd&if vufaxmifygvkd@ajymwJh tcgrSmawmh tm;vkH;u vufawmifwmawG@cJhygw,f? ‘Dae@ tpnf;ta0;rSm jrefrma&$@ajymif;tvkyform;awGu ywfpykd@ vkyfa&; rvkyfa&;eJ@ ywfoufvdk‹ olwdk‹vdktyfcsufudk a&;om;vufrSwfxdk;+yD; xkdif;0ef}uD;csKyfqD ykd@r,fvdk@ qkH;jzwfcsuf cscJhygw,f? ‘DtpDtpOfudk r=umcif pwifr,fvdk‹ tpnf;ta0;ukd uruxvkyfay;wJh vl@tcGifhta&;eJ@zG‹Hòzd;a&;azmifa’;&Sif;u ukdpdefaX;u ajymygw,f? “vmwJh tvkyform;awG rSm 2 zGJ@ ygw,f? ‘AvsLtufat eJ@ ‘AvsLtufeJ@ tJh’DtzGJ@ 2 cku urfydef;wck vkyfrSmaygh? ywfpfydk@ vkyfr,fhudpPeJ@ olwdk@ awmif;qdkcsifwJh tcsufawGaygh? tJh’gudk n‡d@Ed_if;+yD; vufrSwfxdk;v_yf&Sm;r_ urfydef; vkyf+yD; 0ef}uD;csKyfqD wifr,fvdk@ qHk;jzwfvdkufw,f? bmtcsufawG awmif;qdkr,f qdkwmudk aemufydkif; tao;pdwfjyef+yD; aqG;aEG;r,faygh?”
‘Dae@ aqG;aEG;yGJrSm aemufxyf aqG;aEG;jzpfwmu xdkif;a&muf a&$@ajymif;tvkyform;awG oGm;vma&; vG,fulatmif xdkif;tpdk;&u qkdifu,f ydkifqdkifcGihf jyKvdkufwJhudpP jzpfygw,f? ,mOfarmif;vkdifpifeJ@ ywfoufwJh tao;pdwfukd aqG;aEG;aeqJjzpfw,fvdk‹ wm0ef&SdolawGu &Sif;jy+yD; vmr,fh wvESpfvtwGif;rSm tJ’D pnf;urf;csuf xGufvmvdrfhr,fvkd@ ajymygw,f? ‘DudpPeJ@ ywfouf+yD; tvkyform;tm;vkH;u tm&0rf;om=uw,fvdk@ tvkyform;wOD;u ajymygw,f? “tck qdkifu,fawG 0,fvdk@&+yD/ qdkifu,fvdkifpifu xkwfay;r,fvdk@vnf; rajymbl;? rxkwfay;bl;vnf; rajymbl;? pnf;urf;csuf jyifqifwkef;yJ &Sdao;w,f? tvkyform;tm;vHk;u 0rf;omw,f?”
http://burmese.dvb.no/textonly/
*************************************************************