Shanghtin

December 18, 2007
KNG

Migrant workers in Thailand and workers' advocacy groups demonstrated in front of the Ministry of Labour in Bangkok on International Migrant's Day this morning demanding equal rights for workers in Thailand.

Over 400 workers from Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand labour NGOs joined hands in a rally and sent a letter to the Ministry of Labour demanding equal rights between Thai and migrant workers.

"I am glad because they (Thai labuor NGOs) demanded equal rights for us (migrant workers), said Aung Myint Thin, a participant.

"The reason for coming to work in Thailand is that Burma is unstable. But here in Thailand we work on jobs that Thai workers don't want to do and yet we get treated unfairly" he added.

In the Chiang Mai University precincts also there were nearly 200 Burmese people attending the morning ceremony of International Migrant's Day organized by the Chiang Mai based Migrant Assistance Programme (MAP).

An estimated two million migrant workers living in Thailand attended, including 90 percent from Burma, according to the MAP. There were 480,000 Burmese workers registered with the Ministry of Labour in Thailand in June, 2007.

According to an International Labour Organization (ILO) report, migrant workers in Thailand are restricted to working in construction sites, fisheries, agriculture and as domestic helps. Nearly half of Thailand's domestic helps are now believed to be migrants.

Since, December last year, the Thai government introduced a new legislation for migrant workers prohibiting a gathering of more than five people without permission, ban on the use of motorcycles and cars and a curfew that prohibits migrant workers from moving between 8pm and 6am.

It has affected four southern provinces in Thailand, including Phuket , Surat Thani, Ranong and Rayong.