Human trafficking in Malaysia: The value of a Burmese
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A Thai fishing boat in Andaman SeaNews Source: GHRE
Translated by
Kyaw Thein Kha
8th April, 2009
The two Burmese migrant workers were drowned and died in the sea while they fled, swimming to escape from a Thai fishing boat when it dropped anchor in the sea near Kha Nong jetty in Surat Thani province. The two workers have been working for over two months on the fishing boat, but they did not get paid. The boat has also never gone to the shore. So, the two migrant workers fled from the boat on 4th April, last week. “They have been working for over two months. They didn’t get paid and were not allowed to come to the shore. They fled from the boat because they thought that being alive on the fishing boat is not different from being dead. They didn’t know how to swim well, too. It takes for about one-hour drive to arrive at the fishing boat by speed boat from the shore,” said Ba Than who lived with the victims in the same township in Rakhine State, Burma.
San San whose brother is also working on the fishing boat, said, “My younger brother was left on the boat. He didn’t flee as he could not swim.”
Ba Than and the two victims came to Victoria Point in southern Burma from Rakhine State. Win Hlaing, a motorbike taxi driver in Victoria Point, transferred the two of them into the hands of a Rakhine broker in Ranaung. Then, the two victims were trafficked into the hands of a Thai woman. She has been working there so for about ten years. The brokers in that area negotiate with the police to choose the detainees in the jail to traffic them to the fishing boats. Most of the fishing boats in that area don’t come back to the shores. The boats from the shores have to go to those fishing boats in the sea and bring the collected fish from the boat to the shores.
“The workers,” Ba Than added, “they are not allowed to come to the shores. When they are sick, the boat men kill them and throw the dead bodies into the sea. There is no organization to help us in this area. The NGOs also dare not come to our area. Our security is in the lowest level. The life of a Burmese migrant worker in this area is not even worth as little bird or a chicken.” said Ba Than yesterday, six Rakhine and ten other Mon and Burmese migrant workers were still left, working on that fishing boat from which the two victims fled.
Translated by
Kyaw Thein Kha
8th April, 2009
The two Burmese migrant workers were drowned and died in the sea while they fled, swimming to escape from a Thai fishing boat when it dropped anchor in the sea near Kha Nong jetty in Surat Thani province. The two workers have been working for over two months on the fishing boat, but they did not get paid. The boat has also never gone to the shore. So, the two migrant workers fled from the boat on 4th April, last week. “They have been working for over two months. They didn’t get paid and were not allowed to come to the shore. They fled from the boat because they thought that being alive on the fishing boat is not different from being dead. They didn’t know how to swim well, too. It takes for about one-hour drive to arrive at the fishing boat by speed boat from the shore,” said Ba Than who lived with the victims in the same township in Rakhine State, Burma.
San San whose brother is also working on the fishing boat, said, “My younger brother was left on the boat. He didn’t flee as he could not swim.”
Ba Than and the two victims came to Victoria Point in southern Burma from Rakhine State. Win Hlaing, a motorbike taxi driver in Victoria Point, transferred the two of them into the hands of a Rakhine broker in Ranaung. Then, the two victims were trafficked into the hands of a Thai woman. She has been working there so for about ten years. The brokers in that area negotiate with the police to choose the detainees in the jail to traffic them to the fishing boats. Most of the fishing boats in that area don’t come back to the shores. The boats from the shores have to go to those fishing boats in the sea and bring the collected fish from the boat to the shores.
“The workers,” Ba Than added, “they are not allowed to come to the shores. When they are sick, the boat men kill them and throw the dead bodies into the sea. There is no organization to help us in this area. The NGOs also dare not come to our area. Our security is in the lowest level. The life of a Burmese migrant worker in this area is not even worth as little bird or a chicken.” said Ba Than yesterday, six Rakhine and ten other Mon and Burmese migrant workers were still left, working on that fishing boat from which the two victims fled.
Kyaw Thein Kha
5th April, 2009
Thailand
A Temporary Shelter for Burmese Refugee Migrant workers was built in Khuk Khek village, Takuapa district in the Phang Nga province by Grassroots – Human Rights and Education Development (GHRE) in April, 2005 after the Tsunami in December, 2004. The purpose of Temporary Shelter is:
(1) to protect the women who are victims of domestic abuse.
(2) to protect those who are victims of human rights violations.
(3) to care for patients who are under long term medication and
(4) to give shelter to those who are temporarily jobless and homeless.
(1) to protect the women who are victims of domestic abuse.
(2) to protect those who are victims of human rights violations.
(3) to care for patients who are under long term medication and
(4) to give shelter to those who are temporarily jobless and homeless.
When the temporary shelter first opened in 2005, we had around 40 dependants. In 2006, more migrant workers who were infected with HIV and TB became dependent on the temporary shelter. We have 20 rooms for refugee migrant workers who come to us for different reasons looking for shelter. Currently, 49 refugee migrant workers (26 men, 14 women and 9 children – both boys and girls) are staying safely in a temporary shelter. Among them, 14 men and 3 women are infected HIV and TB. The total number of dependants in temporary shelter shows that currently we do not have enough rooms for the patients.
There are HIV patients in every region of the Phang Nga province. It has been found that at least one out of every 25 pregnancies in the area the women are infected HIV. This means that the husbands of those women who are infected also have the virus. It has also been found that 8 out of every 200 couples, in which the wives are pregnant, are infected with HIV in the Phang Nga province. GHRE provides medical education to the shelter’s dependants and currently supplies the shelter for the patient workers and their dependents. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) currently supplies medical aid for those who are infected with HIV and TB. However, MSF is going to move from Phang Nga to another area in June 2009, so at this time we are unsure as to how the HIV and TB patients will receive their regular dosage after June, 2009. This matter is of great concern for GHRE at the moment.
World Vision currently supports food for the shelter however; their support only lasts for 2 months at a time. Because patients and their dependents staying in temporary shelter do not always have enough food for the month, GHRE staff will often make food donations to help. While these contributions help in times of need, our staff is unable to continue to support them on a monthly basis due to their own financial situations.
Voice of Hope
“I have been in Thailand for 10 years. I have been staying here in Temporary Shelter for over one year. I was working on a construction site when I was arrested by the police because I didn’t have work permit card. I worked on fishing boats after I had been released from jail. During that time I began to feel sick so I went to the doctor and got a medical check. The doctor said that I had tuberculosis. So I took my medicine regularly. But I had to stop taking my medicine because I had to go back to work on the fishing boat and could not get medicine when I was working on a fishing boat. After that, my health situation was getting worse and worse. I went to the doctor when I came back from the sea and I got my blood checked. The doctor said that I had been infected with the HIV virus. I’m now taking ARV (the name of the medicine for HIV virus infected patients) regularly. It is supported by MSF. But, I heard that MSF is going to move to another area in June, 2009. We don’t worry about a place to stay because GHRE supports us with temporary shelter, but we worry about the medicine. We’re wondering how and where to get the medicine when MSF moves to another area.”
[A HIV patient in Temporary Shelter]
“I feel I’m safe to stay in temporary shelter although I don’t have work permit card. But, I don’t go outside. I have been staying here for one year and a month. I was working at a construction site, but I was not paid my wages for regular and overtime work. The rate was 180 baht for regular work per day and 40 baht per hour for overtime work. I worked for two months and twenty days and sixty hours (overtime) but, I was not paid for that. Then, I stopped working there as I cannot work for free. I’m okay for food, medicine and accommodation in temporary shelter. If I have a job, I’d earn money and then I’d be able to support my children in Burma. The thing I worry is about the medicine shortage after MSF’s move to another area.”
[A HIV patient]
“I’m now 55 years old. I have been in Thailand since before the Tsunami. I have been staying in the temporary shelter for one year and two months. Before that I was working in another area. My younger brother is working in Phang Nga. He got shot by the police when the police arrested him. I moved to this area when my younger brother was hospitalized. Now, he has recovered and is working. I cannot stay with him without working there. I don’t have any relatives in the temporary shelter. But, I’m safe to stay here. I sell sticky rice and I earn a small amount of money. I get support from GHRE and I can stay here without worries. I remember my relatives in Burma. I want to go back there but, I can never save money for travelling costs as my younger brother is often arrested and I have to pay money to bring him out of the jail.”
Ms Own Tin – Migrant refugee
“I have been in Thailand for two years and have been staying in the temporary shelter for one year. I was working in a construction site before I came here. My husband neglects me and he often beat me without any reason. I was beaten whenever he suspected that I was with another man but, he could never show any proof for that. He didn’t stop beating me even when I was four months pregnant. I worried so much for my baby in my womb that I left my house. I could not stay with my husband anymore. I must take care of my baby and myself. I contacted the women affairs committee of GHRE and the committee sent me to the temporary shelter. I enjoy staying here as I have to attend women’s rights classes and I have come to know what our rights are.”
Ms Moe Moe Ei, who was a victim of domestic abuse
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