THAILAND: Cambodian worker flees Thailand despite efforts to defuse rumours of crackdown

Record ID: 348758

  • Title: THAILAND: Cambodian worker flees Thailand despite efforts to defuse rumours of crackdown
  • Date: 17th June 2014
  • Summary: SA KAEW PROVINCE, THAILAND (JUNE 17, 2014) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) THAI STATE RAILWAY OFFICER STANDING BESIDE TRAIN PLATFORM TRAIN ARRIVING AT SA KAEW STATION PEOPLE SITTING INSIDE AS TRAIN COMES TO A STOP BORDER IMMIGRATION OFFICER WATCHING PEOPLE STEPPING DOWN FROM TRAIN PEOPLE STEPPING DOWN FROM TRAIN PEOPLE CARRYING THEIR BELONGINGS ON PLATFORM IMMIGRATION OFFICER H
  • Embargoed: 2nd July 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Thailand
  • Country: Thailand
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA2T9UWUMBTT9JV0LHSPKDONLNN
  • Story Text: Continuing the mass departure of illegal Cambodian workers from Thailand since the weekend, a huge crowd of migrant workers arrived in Thailand's western province of Sa Kaew to cross the Thai-Cambodian border on Tuesday (June 17) night.
    Most of them opt to travel by train from Bangkok, as some of them explained that their relatives in Cambodia fear the rumour of a junta crackdown on illegal workers.
    "Right now they (soldiers) are trying to clear out foreign workers, they won't allow us to stay there - on the 20th (of June) they will close off the border. We won't be able to leave." said Thi Soum, 27, who was a factory worker in Ayutthaya province.
    Soum said he has heard news from relatives on the Cambodian side about the 'sweep and clean' policy on illegal migrant workers.
    "If there is really a crackdown, I won't dare to return here. If everything is calm, I will come back legally so I won't have to flee like this," he added.
    The Thai economy, Southeast Asia's second-largest, is heavily dependent on migrant workers, mostly from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. Migrants cross porous borders to take jobs most Thais are unwilling to do in labour-intensive sectors.
    In an attempt to allay fears and stem the flow of workers leaving the country, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is working with Cambodian authorities to clarify rumours about a crackdown on illegal workers. It insist that there is no intense crackdown on the migrant workers and that Thailand is currently working on a better organization and administration system that would gradually legalise foreign workers in the country.
    The labour ministry says there are more than 2 million legally registered foreign workers in Thailand. More than half come from neighbouring Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.
    But Burmese labourers have not joined in the rush to the border and rights groups told Reuters they were trying to allay any fears of impending deportation.
    A national verification programme requires migrants to secure passports at home in order to apply for, or renew, Thai work permits. Thai officials had previously turned a blind eye to many provisions of employment laws.
    Since taking power, Thai military authorities have proposed policies with nationalist overtones, including the creation of economic zones for migrant workers in border areas in order to free up more jobs for Thais.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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