Thread: Thai Trafficking Condemned, Tier 3 Status Applied.

Once again, Thailand and its violent and corrupt government officials, its xenophobic disregard for those not Thai and its reliance on inhuman practices to boost its profits is shamed in a damning report.

Thai government condemned in annual US human trafficking report


US downgrades Thailand to lowest ranking in human trafficking index for 'systematic failure' to prosecute slavers

Felicity Lawrence and Kate Hodal

The Guardian, Friday 20 June 2014 13.59 BST


'Trash fish' used in the fishmeal fed to prawns is unloaded at a Thai dock

Despite frequent media reports of slavery in the Thai fishing industry the Thai government is still failing to investigate or prosecute offenders, the US report says.


In January this year the Thai embassy in Washington signed a $400,000-plus deal with leading US law firm Holland & Knight. The money was for lobbying to persuade the White House, Congress and US departments of state and defence that Thailand is a country that fights human trafficking and forced labour.

It seems not to have been money well spent.

On Friday Thailand was downgraded to the lowest ranking in the state department's annual report on Trafficking in Persons. The money invested in lobbying therefore represents both a defeat and a serious embarrassment for the Thai authorities.


Link to video: Globalised slavery: how big supermarkets are selling prawns in supply chain fed by slave labour


In truth though, it has looked in recent weeks like the Thais were resigned to this US condemnation. Earlier this month, Thailand was the only government to vote against ratifying a new treaty to stop forced labour drawn up by the UN's International Labour Organisation.

A couple of days later days the law firm emailed a clarification on behalf of the Thai embassy – Thailand had voted against because it was not sure it could implement the treaty, but it would adopt it anyway.

Bangkok's failure to get to grips with the gross exploitation of workers was laid bare in the recent Guardian investigation which found that slaves are being used on Thai fishing boats that serve the global prawn industry.

Some of the revelations – summary executions, 20-hour days with no pay, men traded among boat owners like animals for a few hundred pounds – beggared belief. If US minds were not already made up, this was further convincing evidence in favour of a downgrade.

The downgrading of countries that are American allies is always a subject of debate, however, according to former US anti-trafficking ambassador Mark Lagon.

Behind the scenes US embassies in the countries' and regional bureaus will have been arguing that the US has "other equities than human rights" in countries such as Thailand and Qatar, he said. Whether the US can afford to be candid about governments in turmoil and facing anti-coup demonstrations, such as Bangkok's, will also have been a factor.

"Clearly there will have been intense debate about whether Thailand or Qatar deserve a downgrade and questions around the valuable relationship the US has with its strategic partners," Lagon said.

With such partners, economic sanctions that could be triggered by a tier 3 ranking are often waived, so that the impact comes instead from the attached moral stigma – particularly for a country like Thailand that openly promotes itself as a relaxed tourist destination.

The downgrade will be seen as a "confirmation of loss of face" for the Thai government, says migrant rights expert Andy Hall, but it is important to note that this "face [was] lost a while ago now".

"A tier 3 status for Thailand is called for as acknowledgement of the severity of the human trafficking situation in Thailand and failure of successive administrations to address the breakdown in rule of law and migration policy that have led to this poor situation," he says.

The Thai government has issued numerous statements in the last week proclaiming its expectation for an upgrade, claiming that it has "tackled the human trafficking problem" in Thailand. As proof, it points to the creation of government task forces and higher prosecution and conviction rates than last year.

But in its analysis of Thailand's anti-trafficking progress, the state department was just short of scathing.

The report cites corruption "at all levels" as impeding significant headway and claims that anti-trafficking law enforcement remains insufficient compared with the overall scale of trafficking and slavery. It also states that, despite frequent media and NGO reports detailing instances of trafficking and slavery in sectors like the fishing industry, the government has "systematically failed" to investigate, prosecute or convict boat owners and captains, or even officials, complicit in the crimes.

The document also describes "credible reports" of corrupt officials engaging in commercial sex acts with child trafficking victims, colluding with traffickers, and protecting brothels. And it pointed to separate criminal defamation suits filed against individuals like Andy Hall – who documented trafficking violations in a food processing factory – and two journalists who published excerpts of a report on the trafficking of Rohingya refugees (and the Thai Navy's alleged involvement), as possibly "silencing" other activists and media.


The company identified by the Guardian as having slaves in its prawn supply chain, Charoen Pokphand Foods (CP), also moved this week to defend its position.

Shares in Thai seafood companies had already fallen on the Thai stock exchange amid news that Europe's largest retailer, Carrefour, together with Norwegian supermarket chain Ica, has stopped purchasing its products added to pressure.

CP's chairman Dhanin Chearavanont wrote publicly condemning "all aspects of human trafficking and slavery" and said he had personally instructed his company to stop buying fishmeal from suppliers suspected of sourcing from slave boats. He added that the company wanted to work with the Thai government and with independent NGOs to audit the supply chain and rid it of slavery.

With powerful connections to top-level politicians in Thailand, and listed by Forbes as the country's wealthiest man, the billionaire's acknowledgement of the problem was seen as essential by local campaign groups to any real progress. Dhanin also met David Cameron in Downing Street last year, although the visit was not recorded in the prime minister's list of official meetings.

Human rights activists remained sceptical that slavery would be tackled in the absence of clear details from the Thai government and the industry of what action they would take.

Phil Robertson, deputy director, Asia Division, Human Rights Watch said: "The Thai industry has looked the other way for so long on abuses in Thailand's fishing fleets that I expect corporate monitoring of supply chains will fall far short of what is needed unless truly independent NGOs and representatives of the migrant fishermen themselves are at the centre of those efforts. And even then, it will be hard – because the use of trafficked persons is systematic and pervasive in these fishing fleets and there has been little political commitment from the Thai government to clean it up."

The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) also argued that market-led solutions such as auditing and certification, which the Guardian found were often faked, would be inadequate on their own to eradicate abuse.

"Parts of this industrial model are predicated on modern slavery and we must work to pick this apart. It is critical that there is an immediate response from companies and that it includes respect for fundamental workers' rights such as freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining," Liz Blackshaw leader of the ITF programme on fisheries said.

In a statement the Thai government said it disagreed with the state department's decision but would continue to fight against trafficking. "In 2013, Thailand made significant advances in prevention and suppression of human trafficking along the same lines as the state department's standards," it said. "While the latest TiP report did not recognise our vigorous, government-wide efforts that yielded unprecedented progress and concrete results, Thailand remains committed to combating human trafficking. It is a national priority. Human trafficking is anathema to our nation's core values."

Thai government condemned in annual US human trafficking report | Global development | The Guardian

So will the US stop using Thailand for their military's R & R's? Not likely.

Originally Posted by taxexile

Human trafficking is anathema to our Navy's core values

Fixed that for ya.

Originally Posted by taxexile

the admiral will never be heard of again

Old admirals never fade away- they are just transferred to inactive posts, and dusted off at the next coup.

Originally Posted by sabang

Originally Posted by taxexile

the admiral will never be heard of again

Old admirals never fade away- they are just transferred to inactive posts, and dusted off at the next coup.

Has it's moments, don't it?

Originally Posted by taxexile

Originally Posted by sabang

Originally Posted by taxexile

Human trafficking is anathema to our Navy's core values

Fixed that for ya.

the ongoing defamation case involving the navy and the rohingyas is a strange one.

i suspect it involves a gravy train riding rogue naval big cheese convinced of his own invincibility who stubbornly refuses to deal with the changing reality of his situation since the coup and in view of the recent worldwide coverage of trafficking issues in this part of the world.


i would expect that those journalists will never go to court and that the admiral will never be heard of again as the case is quietly dropped.

As with the police it's difficult to bring down a military chap, especially a big one. They know where the skeletons are buried, often literally.

will the Junta examine this issue because of the ramifications this ruling has to the happiness of Thai's ?

Thailand's industrial expansion and construction boom has been based on low labour costs to gain an advantage in competitiveness. As the standard of living has risen so do those employment costs. In order to maintain the competitive edge it has relied on migrant labour, notably from Burma and Cambodia. Immigrant labour is always cheaper not least because many are illegal and susceptible to exploitation and abuse.

It is not entirely coincidental that the General expelled this past week over 100,000 Khmen, most of whom have been working, in many cases, here in Thailand for the past five years, illegally. Doubtless, he was notified some time ago of this impending report and it is reasonable to assume that it prompted the exodus.

Thailand has to be careful here. It's koong industry is founded upon exports to the USA and EU. Similarly, it's fruit industry is also export based.

If they don't come across with substantive reforms on their use and abuse of migrants they're just going to see these products blacklisted.

The General intends to modernise Thailand but previous practices exploiting non Thai workers ensured rich profits for Thai companies, as indeed did the facilitation of those illegal workers for state agencies and the private sector.

Will they give up their easy pickings?

Originally Posted by ltnt

So will the US stop using Thailand for their military's R & R's? Not likely.

Thailand was an R and R run during the Vietnam War. What are you one about? If Cobra Gold is on yes there is a military presence for 3 or 4 days a year in Pattaya an Bangkok.

Originally Posted by aging one

Originally Posted by ltnt

So will the US stop using Thailand for their military's R & R's? Not likely.

Thailand was an R and R run during the Vietnam War.

And a fine one it was.............

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

And a fine one it was.............

I can imagine you enjoying it.

Originally Posted by thegent

Thailand's industrial expansion and construction boom has been based on low labour costs to gain an advantage in competitiveness

Singapores industrial expansion is built on importing wobbly heads , bangers and flippers to do the work ( mainland chinkie labour imports are on the rise ) - they just get sent home before 6 years is up and they can claim residence

Indeed, but the Thai there volunteered and remain because it's a better earner. They of course are denied true labour rights and cannot combine to form a union to argue their case but I imagine most don't see that as a deal breaker. I have never maintained Singapore is a true democracy and nor would I, they are after all Asian and mostly of Chinese origin so human rights are essentially negotiable items subordinate to money making.

They tread a fine line between exploitation and the provision of meaningful employment and thus one has no view in the amorality stakes.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

Originally Posted by aging one

Originally Posted by ltnt

So will the US stop using Thailand for their military's R & R's? Not likely.

Thailand was an R and R run during the Vietnam War.

And a fine one it was.............

I recall an anecdote from an ex-colleague of my father who was seconded to a US Air Force base in the north of Thailand from his usual post working for the British version of the NSA, GCHQ, in Singapore during the mid to late 1960s.

He and several colleagues enjoyed their time there and dallied with several women who worked in a bar they favored. Some of them contracted VD as a consequence and said colleague spoke about this to a Thai police captain appointed as their liaison during a subsequent session or two. The following week he returned to the bar and found that all the girls, about 6 or so, had disappeared. He asked about this and no one would explain but eventually he found out that the captain and his men had taken them away and shot them.

Indeed R 'n R has its consequences, not all of them so agreeable.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

Originally Posted by aging one

Originally Posted by ltnt

So will the US stop using Thailand for their military's R & R's? Not likely.

Thailand was an R and R run during the Vietnam War.

And a fine one it was.............

By 1968-1969, 'twas the premier and first choice for American personnel - leaving Angeles City and Olongapo in it's dust....which grew substantially, in their own right, after the '75 pull-out.

As far as I am aware there are no statistics for the preferred R n R destination. However, it is quite wrong to assume Thailand was the place of first choice although subsequent media coverage would have us believe it.

There were many places which were frequented but of course they do not fit in with that perception and therefore recede in what passes for the public consciousness so typical of Jeff's meanderings.

In truth Hong Kong, Hawaii and even Australia played host to as many but that of course would be boring and ruins the Thai folklore of its whore genesis.

Certainly, from personal experience I recall hundreds of septics on their leave in HK most times I was there in the relevant period. Every time the Seventh Fleet was in harbor the price of bottled beer went up a $ and I had to protest that I was in fact British and thus should be excluded from the premium pricing tariff.

I have to say that when they arrive in Darwin nowadays it's remarkably well behaved.
As adverse to them arriving in LOS and taking over the Ban Chang Hotel for their "frivolities"

Originally Posted by aging one

Thailand was an R and R run during the Vietnam War. What are you one about? If Cobra Gold is on yes there is a military presence for 3 or 4 days a year in Pattaya an Bangkok.

Since the USA has declared Thailand 3rd on human rights abuse/slavery, it would only seem proper that they stop using Thailand as an R&R port of call as well. what do you think AO? Make sense?

Originally Posted by thegent

he found out that the captain and his men had taken them away and shot them.

Bullshit! Just moved them to a different bar. They don't kill the golden goose here mate, remember?

Originally Posted by thegent

Certainly, from personal experience I recall hundreds of septics on their leave in HK most times I was there in the relevant period

I spent time there in 66 just passing through. Prices were great and I didn't pay through the nose for anything as I recall...On exit I had 17 Hong Kong pence or whatever it was called, less than $1 for sure and bought my last mixed drink at the hotel bar for that. My best memory of Hong Kong was sitting in the hotel resturant and ordering pitcher after pitcher of fresh chilled milk. What a treat. I preferred Thailand however as R&R locations go back then.

As I recall it from many years ago, a lot of married guys went to Hawaii to see wives. Lots of troops who hated all Asians headed for OZ.

Most of the rest of us took whatever destination was available on the next flight out. Most didn't know the difference between Thailand and Taiwan anyway - the key was that it wasn't RVN.

I was in queue for a flight to Hong Kong, which turned out to be full. I got herded over to a flight headed to LOS - probably changing my life forever.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

I was in queue for a flight to Hong Kong, which turned out to be full. I got herded over to a flight headed to LOS - probably changing my life forever.

Instant Karma!

When's the baht gonna crash FFS?

Originally Posted by ltnt

So will the US stop using Thailand for their military's R & R's? Not likely.

Will the Brits stop visiting? Will the Brits in Thailand stop eating shrimp?

Not likely