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Migrant workers from Myanmar sort fish after unloading the catch from a boat at the port of Mahachai, near Bangkok September 24, 2011. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun |
BANGKOK (AlertNet) – When flood waters threatened to engulf *Tun Win's home close to the Thai capital Bangkok, he decided it was time to escape and avoid the worst flooding the country has seen in half a century.
A migrant from neighbouring Myanmar, the 22-year-old made plans to travel to Mae Sot and stay with some family in the bustling town in northwest Thailand, which has become the main gateway for refugees and migrants from the former Burma.
Tun Win almost didn't make it. His journey was punctuated by intimidation, extortion and physical abuse by Thai officials and a broker who demanded money for his release with five others.
"We'd heard of extortion and threats faced by migrants before we left but we couldn't stay in Bangkok," Tun Win, who declined to give his real name, told AlertNet by phone from from Mae Sot.
“We also know we might get deported if we are arrested but we thought at least we would get to see our families in Myanmar then,” he added.
Thailand is battling to deal with flooding that has killed more than 500 people and disrupted the lives of 2.45 million. The disaster is the first big test for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinwatra, who took over this year.
Yet the government has already faced criticism for ignoring migrant workers caught up in the disaster.
Many are in Thailand illegally, but even the legitimate migrants fear arrest or becoming victims of extortion by Thai and Burmese border officials and opportunist mafia gangs. Many of those with legal documents are not allowed to leave their province of employment.
"The Thai Government has up until now made no genuine effort at a policy level to respond to the plight of migrant flood victims," said Andy Hall, a migration policy expert at the Mahidol University.
The government has failed to assist migrants trapped in houses and factories or encourage them to travel to and stay in the only official shelter provided, he said.
"The Thai government has through its inaction opened the way for brokers and other individuals to profit from the desperate plight of confused and homeless migrant flood victims," he told AlertNet.
EXTORTION
Tun Win left Mahachai - an industrial area in Samut Sakan province next to Bangkok that is home to large numbers of both legal and illegal workers from Myanmar – with his younger brother and four female friends.
They left by bus just before midnight on Nov. 3. But the next morning, at a checkpoint before Mae Sot, they were ordered to get off the bus by the police.
"The police accused us of being illegal aliens because the girls only had work permits which do not allow them to travel outside of Pathum Thani province," Tun Win said.
"I showed my student card which is still valid and explained to them that we’re flood victims and just wanted to go to Mae Sot to stay with our families during this time but the official would not listen."
After agreeing to pay 300 baht (about $10) each, a policeman drove the group to Mae Sot - where he passed them on to a Thai broker.
TRAPPED
There they were targeted for extortion again.
The broker demanded 1,000 baht each (about $33) for their release, threatening to take them to the immigration office and then to ethnic militia camps in Myanmar unless they paid up.
Negotiations to reduce the sum proved futile. Tun Win and his brother paid and were released but the broker then told the four women they would now have to pay 5,000 baht in total.
"It was too much money and they refused," Tun Win said. "But the broker didn't take them to the immigration office either. They were just trapped in the house and their mobile phones were confiscated."
One girl managed to hide her phone and made contact with Tun Win. By then it was evening.
"It was already dark and we were worried something would happen to them so we approached the People's Volunteer Association – a Mae Sot-based organisation helping migrants – and went to the police."
NGO workers and the police confronted the broker, who released the women and returned the men their money, but not before repeatedly slapping the girl whose phone was used for communication.
“When the girl told us afterwards what happened, we thought such abuse shouldn't occur and went to the police again," Tun Win said.
But they had all but given up hope of any legal proceedings against either the broker or the check point official.
"I think the police and the broker negotiated something that night. We haven’t heard anything about it since,” Tun Win said.
* Name has been changed to protect the identity.
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