ASIA/THAILAND - Human trafficking, a scourge in the country

Wednesday, 6 May 2015

Bangkok (Agenzia Fides) - Thai police discovered a field in the south of the country used to segregate the victims of human trafficking: the discovery comes just days after the discovery of 26 bodies of men and women, victims of trafficking. According to police, the site in question, on the border between Thailand and Malaysia, is believed to have been used by a transnational network that smuggles immigrants from Burma and Bangladesh, sold as slaves.
According to observers, the phenomenon is flourishing in Thailand because on one hand Thai authorities consider these migrants as "illegal" and not as "refugees"; on the other because some Thai officials are directly involved in profits. It is estimated that the phenomenon has a turnover in Tahilandia of 250 million dollars each year and involves criminal organizations operating throughout Southeast Asia.
Among the groups exploited and abused, the more susceptible people to violence, harassment and illegal trafficking is the Muslim of ethnic Rohingya. The Rohingya come from the state of Rakhine, Myanmar, and are fleeing the country of origin to seek asylum in countries such as Malaysia or Indonesia. Thailand, in most cases, is a required stop in their exodus.
According to the 2014 Report on human trafficking published by the Department of State, Thailand is among the countries in the world where the phenomenon of trafficking is numerically more common. Men, women and children in Thailand are forced to work mainly in prostitution, in the fishing and textile factories. The international community has called on Thailand to carry out effective actions to counter and suppress human trafficking. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 06/05/2015)


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