Myanmar migrants in Thailand exploited and victims of extortion, report highlights
Four million people from Myanmar are in the neighbouring country, half without proper documentation. Human Rights Watch reports that since the 2021 coup that plunged Myanmar into civil war, Thailand’s treats Myanmar nationals differently from Cambodians and Laotians. “Thai authorities should take steps in line with international standards,” HRW says.
Rome (AsiaNews) – A recent report by Human Rights Watch highlights the difficult conditions faced by many Myanmar nationals forced to flee to Thailand since February 2021 seeking refuge from a brutal war that has destabilised the country since the military's takeover.
Released last Monday, the 54-page report, titled I’ll Never Feel Secure Undocumented and Exploited: Myanmar Nationals in Thailand, confirms some of the ways Thailand treats people persecuted in their homeland. This is facilitated by the fact that Thailand is not a signatory to any treaty or convention protecting foreigners who are not regular migrant workers.
It is noteworthy that HRW refers to Myanmar nationals, especially in border areas like the city of Mae Sot, as “walking ATMs”.
“After fleeing conflict, persecution, and deprivation, Myanmar nationals need protection in Thailand,” said Nadia Hardman, HRW refugee and migrant rights researcher. “Instead, Thailand denies them secure legal status, and its authorities use that vulnerability to exploit and extort them.”
It is estimated that some four million Myanmar nationals live in Thailand, half undocumented, out of necessity for safety and some kind of livelihood, HRW explains.
Although primarily driven by a desire to survive and provide for their families, Myanmar nationals in Thailand are without rights, victims of oppression by those who should be ensuring their safety.
This includes a system of extortion involving the sale of “police cards” to Myanmar nationals looking for a way to documentation or even just to avoid arrest.
Those who are unwilling or unable to get such cards have the alternative of self-imposed house arrest or imprisonment to avoid forced repatriation.
Even then, payment does not prevent deportation, such as the mass expulsion of thousands of people, many of them children, without warning after several days in detention.
Given the legislative vacuum and specific international obligations regarding irregular migration, the Thai government introduced a new screening mechanism in 2023 for people seeking protection in the country. However, this does not apply to citizens of Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos.
In turn, for many Myanmar nationals already working in Thailand under difficult conditions, the renewal of work permits is not guaranteed, and is often conditioned by various forms of pressure and oppression, like forged employment and residency documents or hiring by individuals or groups who are merely a front for scams targeting migrants.
Faced with this situation, “Thai authorities should take steps in line with international standards to provide effective protection for people fleeing Myanmar,” said Hardman. “The Thai government should end the exploitation and suffering of several million undocumented Myanmar nationals,” she added.
For the HRW report, this means introducing a temporary protection regime.
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14/07/2017 17:26
31/01/2023 16:50
