Posted on 06/08/2005 5:55:50 AM PDT by ZayYa
Amnesty International says Burma's migrant workers in Thailand face a lack of basic human rights and are routinely abused.
In a memorandum with Burma's government, Thailand has guaranteed registered migrant workers the same rights as Thai nationals.
"However, in practice migrant workers are routinely not paid the legal minimum wage, nor are they permitted to enter into collective bargaining, the Amnesty report said.
The report says arbitrary arrests are common and the deaths of labourers attempting to fleeThai authorities have been reported.
One 23-year-old migrant told Amnesty: "The Thai people regard us as garbage -- they don't see the Burmese as helping the economy.
More than 850,000 Burmese are working in Thailand.
And as much as it sucks for Burmese in Thailand, it sucks even more in Burma.
Why? Are the Thai's beheading rubber workers too, like The Peaceful Practitioners of Izlam in the South?
Guess that's ok with Amnesty.
The main problem AI has with Thailand is that the Thais are an American ally
Yes, that is true. But not only Burmese and Cambodians. It is just as true for Thai construction workers on anything but major projects, hotel staff, etc. AI makes it sound like a discrimation thing - but it is just a fact of life here.
The other comments in this thread make very good points. AI is unhappy with Thailand because a) They are fighting their own war on terror b) They are an ally of the USA. They don't seem very concerned about the beheading of a 59 year old laborer a day or two ago (which happens almost every day), or the support his killers get from countries like Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.
I cannot believe the free ride AI has gotten from the media for decades now.
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