The center can serve as a liaison with government offices or employers, representatives say.

The Migrant Worker Resource Center opened in Tachileik, in eastern Shan State on the Thai border, to assist in addressing difficulties faced by migrant workers from Burma going to Thailand.

The center is receiving support from the International Labor Organization, the Burmese government’s labor management department and the Mauk Kwan Regional Development group. The MRC opened in Tachileik’s Hsur Kham ward on May 22.

“As this is a border area, people are traveling… to reach other countries. Workers can seek help in our office. We can explain to them what should they prepare before they go to work in another country or how to contact us if they have problems,” Nang Woe Phat, who is working in Mauk Kwan Regional Development, told SHAN.

Nang Woe Phat said that a common challenge is that many people from Burma’s ethnic nationalities have difficulties communicating in Burmese, particularly when they need to visit a government office to get a passport or travel documents. This is one area where the MRC can help, she pointed out.

The MRC can serve as a liaison to the labor affairs department in the Burmese embassy in Thailand if needed, particularly in cases of detainment abroad, she added. The center can also advocate for migrant workers in cases of disputes with employers regarding documentation or salary.

“They are going to work in Thailand. I don’t know how many years they will work there. They need to learn skills and knowledge to do their work, and then they can use this to work here when they return,” Nang Woe Phat said.

The hope is to open MRC offices in Lashio and Muse in northern Shan State next, she added.