A team led by Immigration Officer Sakchai Sawangsalla from Mae Sot, Tark District, Thailand, returned over 38 Myanmar citizens back to Myawady, on the Myanmar border. The Social Development and Human Security Affairs Department in Thailand were guarding the trafficked Myanmar citizens at the refugee camps for over 10 months. The anti-human trafficking office in Myawady knew that some Myanmar migrants were sold in Thailand and kept in slave-like conditions on fishing boats. As a result, they rescued the victims in a joint operation with Social welfare organizations and anti-human trafficking teams in Thailand. As for Myanmar citizens who want to be in Thailand, they need to enter Thailand officially, said Aye Mya Sandar Win, an officer from the Labour Department, Myawady District. Aye Mya Sandar Win, encouraged trafficked Myanmar victims who want to work in Thailand to find a job legally. The broker offered me a job in Thailand. So, I went to Thailand via Kauthaung road. In Thailand, I was working on the fishing boat. I didn’t pay travel allowance. But, I must pay back the loan I took out by working for three months. Firstly, I was locked in the room over one month. Later, we started fishing work. While working on the fishing boat, I wanted to run away because the job was very dangerous. At that time, a team led by Kyaw Thaung from Myanmar Association in Thailand (MAT) rescued me, said Lin Lin from Latputta Township, Ayeyawady Region and who also worked on the Thai’s fishing boat without wages. Myanmar citizens were brought to Thailand through illegal brokers and forced to fish. Firstly, the anti-human trafficking team in Ayeyawady Region informed us. According to their tip, we save those trafficked Myanmar citizens together with the Thai Anti-Human Trafficking Team. To prevent trafficking, we face many difficulties. Although the Thailand government has collaborated with Myanmar to crack down on human trafficking, INGOs have faced difficulties working with Thai authorities, so we would like to request the Myanmar government to assist us in rescuing trafficked persons, said MAT director Kyaw Thaung.
2016, Eleven Myanmar