On 25 April 2011, the BBC reported the findings of a recent investigation into workers trafficked from Myanmar to Thailand to work in the fishing industry – on fishing vessels or processing factories. The investigation revealed that, once in Thailand, the workers face debt bondage and poor working conditions, and cannot seek redress from law enforcement authorities due to language barriers and their illegal status in the country.
There is a long history of trafficking in Thailand, with workers from Myanmar and Cambodia subjected to conditions akin to slavery in the garment, manufacturing and agricultural sectors. Thailand's relative economic stability, compared to its neighbours, in particular Myanmar and Cambodia, makes it an attractive destination for migrant workers. As a result, many trafficking victims are coerced to Thailand with promises of employment and economic opportunities, particularly but not exclusively in the fishing industry. The United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region estimates that 20% of migrant Burmese workers on fishing boats in the country have been trafficked.
Maplecroft research indicates that unethical recruiters often ply individuals with drinks and drugs before kidnapping them to work onboard fishing vessels in Thailand. According to the latest Maplecroft labour standards report on Thailand, labour brokers charge inflated recruitment fees, which lands migrants in debt bondage, working to pay off their debt. Recruiters are also known to withhold identity documents from migrants, which severely limits their movement and possibility of leaving a given workplace.
According to the BBC investigation, the trafficked fishermen allegedly suffered from rape, violence and beatings, excessively long hours of work for no remuneration (10 to 20 hours per day) and were also drugged with amphetamines to ‘improve' productivity. Those that attempted to escape were tortured or killed. This presents a serious labour rights violation and significant risk to businesses operating or with supply chains in Thailand.
Businesses may be considered to be complicit in unethical practices even when they have not carried out the violations themselves, or have not explicitly condoned such actions. Association (for example, by sourcing from them) with another entity that commits labour or human rights violations may tarnish reputations of businesses and investors.
Companies with a supply chain or presence in Thailand should exercise caution to avoid complicity in labour rights abuses. Businesses can mitigate the risk by independently auditing supply chains to ensure they comply with international standards. Despite national acts prohibiting trafficking and forced labour, reliance on state authorities to enforce the law is not a viable option, as authorities suffer from resource and manpower constraints.
Find out more about the potential risk that responsible business is exposed to through possible association with, and exposure to, human rights violations in Thailand with the Human Rights Risk Atlas. Includes: 30 indices, interactive maps, scorecards, methodology and analysis for all countries.
Maplecroft | Home | Global Risks Portfolio | Ethical Insight | Issue 160 | Burmese workers trafficked for fishing industry in Thailand
Source: maplecroft.com
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