Child kidnapped by lenders in Thailand over unpaid debt

June 18, 2009

WCRP: A 13-year-old of child was taken by lenders for 3 days after her mother, who had take out 2 loans, was unable to pay back her debt.

“On June 10th 2009, the lenders came and they wanted me to give back their money. However, my job is not going well so I couldn’t pay them back,” said Ma Ye, the mother of the kidnapped child. “They were angry with me so they took my 13 year old daughter.”

The lenders, who are from Tavoy town, Tenassrim Division, lent 12,000 baht to Ma Ye on April 30, to pay for the cost of transporting her daughter to Thailand to work with her. At that time Ma Ye’s job was not doing well. Again, on May 15th she had to borrow money, 1,500 baht.

Ma Ye and the lenders work together in a factory on Pong Khon road, in Mahachai, Thailand. On June 10th the lenders kidnapped Ma Ye’s 13-year-old daughter, who at that point also worked at the factory, and took her to their relative’s house for 3 days, waiting for payment. Ma Ye, who is from Anin village, Thanbyuzayat township, has no work permit card and was unable to call the police for fear of arrest.

Ma Ye was worried about her daughter, so she called her relatives in a nearby village to borrow money to pay back her debt. The relatives were able to provide the money, and delivered it to the factory guard to hold on to, as instructed by the lenders. The factory guard then took the money and disappeared. Having not received the payment the lenders asked Ma Ye to bring more money.

Recounting what she said to the lenders, Ma Ye said, “I gave your money to the guard like you asked, why you don’t give me my daughter? I have no money to pay you again”

Ma Ye and her husband were divorced when she came to Thailand, and working with out an ID, Ma Ye did not know what she could do for her daughter. So she contacted the staff of Labor Rights Promotion Network and told them about her situation. Labor Rights Promotion Network is a Thai based NGO that works to protect migrant labor rights.

According to a field worker from the Labor Rights Promotion Network in Mahachai, the group was able to negotiate the return of Ma Ye’s child and, “Now the child has arrived at home”. Two months ago a similar situation occurred when lenders kidnapped a 12-year-old child. Her mother was unable to pay back her debt as her job was not going well. Currently lenders are still holding that child.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News