Legal document a must for Burmese migrant workers

March 24, 2008

Banyol Kin, IMNA :

With the Thai Immigration Ministry imposing restrictions on migrant workers working in Thailand, the authorities are reissuing documents to workers who had missed updating it in previous years.

On March 21 many NGO’s who represent migrant workers came together and asked government officials to take cognizance of rights of migrant workers.

“Even though, the government gave documents to migrant workers recently, the time period was short so many workers who were unaware missed out on the chance. Now we have signed the paper and sent it to Labor Ministry” said Ko Win Naing Oo, of the Raks Thai Foundation.

Since the authorities limited the time for processing and identification for documents to migrants, it is not being done now. But the employers are still collecting money from workers for the documentation.

“We cannot avoid it because they have already cut money from our wages. They said if we don’t pay them, they will not accept us anymore,” said Ko Myeit.

According to activists there are many factory owners taking money from the workers for making legal migrant worker’s document in Mahachai city, Samutsakhorn province, central Thailand.

“The workers have to pay about 12,000 baht (387 US dollars) per person for the legal document. We estimate more than 10,000 people have paid their employers,” said Ko Kyaw Maung, of the Young Chi Oo worker’s organization and a representative of the Mahachai area.

A Burmese worker Ko Rakaing said “If we don’t have a legal document, it is hard to find a job”.

He said it is also hard to fathom whether the workers’ documents are fake or real.

“Many people were laid off by their bosses. Some of the bosses got fake documents done. Some of my friends were arrested and sent to the border. They realised the documents were fake when the police arrested them,” said Ko Rakhaing.

He said the employers are deducting money in advance from workers wages for making the identification document. After they get the money they will start the process. The period of processing is limited. Some times workers cannot pay in time and their bosses give them a fake document.

The bosses normally do not give the workers original documents. They usually give a document copy and it is difficult to determine whether it is real or fake, he added.

In addition, some factory owners take money for paying the police every week but some how if the police come to arrest the workers the documents are found to be useless.

When employers don’t want to pay back the money to workers they normally ask the police to come to arrest undocumented migrant workers, said Ko Win Naing Oo.

A Thai manager Ko Sein said Thai employers also face a difficult situation while dealing with migrant workers.

“The workers mostly leave work after they get the document so employers find it difficult to find new workers. That is the reason employers do not give workers the original documents. They only give a copy,” he said.

Thai police officer Chalit Katesrimek said “Burmese migrant workers cross the border every week, so we are unable to issue documents all the time. Therefore many of them don’t have legal documents. They may face many problems because of this”.

Mahachai city is known as a migrant worker’s city. The business sector in the city employs Burmese migrant workers because it is cheap. There are up to two million migrant workers in Thailand and 90 percent of them are Burmese migrant workers.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under Feature