Slave Labour and the Thai Fishing Industry

[SunandFun]

Maybe this whole issue should also be read in the light that the Thais themselves are not denying that these abuses of human rights exist. As evidenced by the Thai ambassador to the US's comments in this BKK Post article today: .bangkokpost.com/news/local/416486/washington-downgrades-thailand-over-human-trafficking
The military have also said that they will persue the human trafficking/slavery problem vigorously.
Unfortunately, after being warned about this for 4 years, the big words come too late.

You can see the results already with the Cambodians rushing back to avoid deportation.

IMHO It is similar to a Bar Girl choosing to work in a bar. It is her choice, legal or not. You ask the bar girl if she wants to continue and she says yes. Ask the fisherman the same question. Many people come to find fishing jobs from Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos, Miramar, etc. All without proper documentation. They call these slaves.?.? They are just trying to earn a living and send money home. No trafficking is happening. And yes, it is cheap labor, illegal.

Part of the problem is that each country has different definitions for "Trafficking." In India, if a government official grants a person a Visa to go to another country and that person defects, then the official is charged with Human Trafficking. Quite a bazar twist in my opinion.


Too many things are grouped under "trafficking." And the US tries to play "GOD" as usual.

[STEVE G]

Ask the fisherman the same question. Many people come to find fishing jobs from Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos, Miramar, etc. All without proper documentation. They call these slaves.?.? They are just trying to earn a living and send money home. No trafficking is happening. And yes, it is cheap labor, illegal.

The problem is that many of these fishermen are sold to fishing boats as indentured labour and they end up never getting paid, they get charged for travel, food, board etc. deducted from their salary to the extent that they end up working for nothing for a couple of years.

[uncle tom]

The problem is that many of these fishermen are sold to fishing boats as indentured labour and they end up never getting paid, they get charged for travel, food, board etc. deducted from their salary to the extent that they end up working for nothing for a couple of years.

The problem is that this looks like the emotive language of the NGOs

Why use the obsolete term 'indentured labour' instead of 'contract labour' - is it because the Indian indenture system of the 19th century got a bad reputation?

And if someone on contract is transferred to another employer (which is routine in many western walks of life) why use the term 'sold' - is it because it makes it sound like slavery?

And it's easy to say they end up never getting paid, except that if a fishing boat owner doesn't pay his crew, where does the next crew come from?

- And what chance the previous crew will turn up with their brothers and cousins to settle the score..?

[STEVE G]

And it's easy to say they end up never getting paid, except that if a fishing boat owner doesn't pay his crew, where does the next crew come from?

Apparently they buy them from Cambodian people traffickers for about $500 each.

[uncle tom]

Apparently

- Evidence?

[STEVE G]

Obviously I don't personally have any but you can find reports and studies going back for years on the subject and as mentioned by another poster earlier, even the Thai government admits that it's a problem which would be a strange thing to do if wasn't happening.

[caller]

Try these Tom. The 1st. albeit from an NGO, includes a video with interviews of rescued workers. Others are from up to 4 years ago.

http://ejfoundation.org/oceans/soldtotheseafilm

http://www.irinnews.org/report/93606/ca ... -at-sea%20

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/06/world ... ry-report/

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news ... ery-part-1

http://www.france24.com/en/20120727-rep ... afficking/

[kendo]

Their is a documentary on BBC Radio 4 at 11.00 Am BST on Thai slavery in the fishing industry if anyone can listen in on DAB or an Iplayer.

Kendo.

[hhfarang]

A current article (published yesterday) from my side of the pond...

http://news.yahoo.com/overfishing-drivi ... 15521.html

[lindosfan1]

The one hing that stands out for me in this report is"Thailand was the only cuntry to vote against forced labour". That is disgusting, they really need to bring the country up to date, but with the lot in now its not likely to happen.
As to the overfishing that is no surprise, fishing is not regulated and until it is there is no hope. It has to be done now or we will end up with no or a minimal amount of fish, which will upset the ecology of the planet.

[usual suspect]

IMO nothing much will change in the fishing industry..yes the West will put pressure on the country to do something...yes Thailand will do what it has always done..bugger-all, but submit facts & figures to all western parties to make it look like they are pulling out all the stops.
There is a strong rumour that the RTP are themselves involved in this racket..so that's not gonna bring an end to forced/slave labour overnight is it..?

(Talking of facts & figures, with next to nothing getting done about it...
.... not long to wait now for the release of this year's Songkran road fatality toll report... )

[kendo]

Here you go on the BBC I player

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01q5cf4

[Bristolian]

There is a strong rumour that the RTP are themselves involved in this racket

with all of these rumoured rackets and clampdowns of same, it's very surprising that there is any spare time to deter or solve crime. Oh.....never mind.

[Spitfire]

This subject is a major steaming brown stain on the image of Thailand.

Industry is worth something like $7 billion a year in exports so there is little hope that anything meaningful will happen and due to rampant overfishing the boats have to go further and further afield to the point where it's estimated that 40-60% of seafood produce labelled 'Product of Thailand' is from the waters of other nations (Indonesians are hopping mad about this at the minute). Having to go further out increases cost and the industry simply cannot make profit without bonded labour or slavery.....don't hold your breath as there are few (if any) Thais working in this apart from the boat captains (and senior lackeys) who are little more than ex-pirates or cocnut pickers.

Human rights groups accuse the government of just doing a PR drive every time this subject gets news coverage and that they have not the will or the means to do anything about it, plus also accuses government officials of routine collusion and racketeering with the industry at all levels.

Only way to make an impression on cleaning up this industry is to hit them where it hurts....the pocket. However, seems to be simply too many vested interests on this one to have anything change. Guess it's a hard one to police...especially when they can't even enforce the law properly on land, no hope for it to be done over water.