A coalition of NGOs in Thailand publicly called on the Burmese government to better address hardships faced by migrant workers on December 18, International Migrants Day.

Migrant workers in Thailand—of whom there are an estimated two million from Burma—are still experiencing many problems, according to statement released by the group. Highlighted were issues of basic legal documentation, such as the work permit registration procedure, which workers described as “complicated and confusing,” and the time-consuming nationality verification process.

As a result, agents and broker companies now undertake the procedures on behalf of migrants, promising to process the applications more expediently and demanding high costs compared to the actual costs set by the government.

Once migrant workers receive these documents, employers are known to withhold their travel documents and work permits, which is against the law.

Regarding these issues, U San Yu Kyaw, the First Secretary and Consul of the Chiang Mai-based Myanmar Consulate-General, told the coalition that the government is focused on migrant rights.

“For the Burmese migrants to be legal when they work abroad, for their rights protection and safety, we [the Myanmar Consulate] and the Myanmar government are taking concerns seriously,” he said.

The coalition of migrant rights protection groups also urged Burma’s government representatives to negotiate and coordinate with the Thai government to allow all migrants entering the country to enter legally in order to eliminate exploitation, human trafficking and forced labor of Burma’s workers.

U San Yu Kyaw said that the Consulate has discussed the documentation issue with Thai government and now they are working with Naypyidaw to identify solutions.

“We will try our best to work for our people,” he added.

The event was organized by the Workers Solidarity Association (WSA), the Migrant Workers Federation (MWF), the MAP Foundation, the Human Rights and Development Foundation (HRDF), Shan Youth Power (SYP), the Mekong Migration Network (MMN), the Shan Women’s Action Network (SWAN) and EMPOWER.

BY SAI AW / Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)