Private schools and hospitals abolished under the former Ne Win regime in Burma are to reopen in an attempt to generate more revenue in the country and improve the struggling sectors.
The government’s health ministry announced a 21-point criteria list for the opening of private hospitals starting from early next year.
Dr Kyee Myint, deputy director of the ministry’s health department, said that candidate health centers who meet the 21 conditions will be granted permission to run as hospitals.
“We have already announced this in the news,” he said. “This is a programme intended to bring profit to the nation by assisting in the development of private businesses.”
Private schools will be allowed to open at the start of the 2010 academic year, the education ministry has announced.
Guidance was recently given to private boarding tuition centres to prepare for the transition, with statistics delivered on school size, location, number of buildings and teachers, planned budget and school administration structures.
“This is only to test the capability of the candidates,” said Major Maung Latt, owner of Soe San boarding tuition in the capital, Naypyidaw, which has been flagged for consideration.
“Maybe in about one year, some government schools will be opened for auction [to replace with private schools]. Nothing is definite at the moment.
“It would be better for the education,” he added. “Why should the private boarding tuition centers be in existence now if the government schools were good enough?”
Well-known private tuition centres in Burma charge between 1.5 million and two million kyat ($US1,500 to $US2,000) per student each year.
People working in the education sector in Burma have said the move could lead to the development of more education-based businesses in the country.
Private schools once existed in Burma, but were abolished by former military leader Ne Win’s Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) government when it came to power in 1964.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Deadline to apply for junta issued passports set
Thai employers of Burmese migrants working in Thailand have been informed again by Thai authorities to finish submitting the completed new nationality identification forms by November, according to a copy of an official document received by SHAN.
On 4 September, the provincial employment office of Chiangmai informed employers to urge their workers to apply for passport documents under the national verification process.
The deadline is by 30 November for people from Burma and 30 December for people from Cambodia.
However, most migrants were in fear to give the factual biographical information to the Burmese government because of reports of some of their families left behind being forced to pay extra taxes to the junta on monthly or yearly basic, said an employer who wishes not to be named.
Rights groups also share the same concern with the migrants.
On 16 September, rights groups: the State Enterprise Workers Relations Confederation (SERC), the Human Rights and Development Foundation (HRDF) and the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee (TLSC) submitted a petition to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants to make an urgent inquiry into the commencement of a nationality verification process for Burmese migrants in Thailand because both the Thai and Burmese government have disseminated little information which is likely to be ineffective and places 2 million migrants at high risk.
“We hope the UN will actively take attention to this case and will try to discuss with Thai authorities to work together as we have requested,” Sein Htay from Human Rights and Development Foundation (HRDF).
The national verification process began at the end of July. Passport issuing offices are being opened along the Thai/Burma border at Myawaddy, Tachilek and Kawthaung (Victoria Point).
The only information publically disseminated is from the Burmese government about processes on its side of the border.
However, private brokers are springing up and providing answers and services at unreasonably high costs, according to their joint submission.
“Tour buses carrying migrants to border processing centres are leaving main migrant population centers in Thailand and migrants are then crossing borders to Burma and returning at varying costs with temporary Burmese passports and visas,” reads the letter.
The letter stated that the nationality verification process is two-track. Migrants can either submit their biographical information to brokers to get nationality verified and obtain a passport within months, or submit this information formally to employment offices and receive a slow response. The formal government costs are low (approx. 600 to 2, 100 baht/US$17- 60) but broker fees are unregulated and getting higher (starting costs approx. 7, 500 baht/US$200).
The groups said they fear for their safety and are disturbed at what appears to be another wave of exploitation.
According to the Royal Thai Government announcement that no migrants would remain illegally in Thailand after 28 February 2010, as all registered Burmese migrants must undertake nationality verification before this time by means of a 13-stage process involving both governments or face deportation.
The letter urges the Burmese government to conduct the verification process in Thailand and not in Burma.
On 4 September, the provincial employment office of Chiangmai informed employers to urge their workers to apply for passport documents under the national verification process.
The deadline is by 30 November for people from Burma and 30 December for people from Cambodia.
However, most migrants were in fear to give the factual biographical information to the Burmese government because of reports of some of their families left behind being forced to pay extra taxes to the junta on monthly or yearly basic, said an employer who wishes not to be named.
Rights groups also share the same concern with the migrants.
On 16 September, rights groups: the State Enterprise Workers Relations Confederation (SERC), the Human Rights and Development Foundation (HRDF) and the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee (TLSC) submitted a petition to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants to make an urgent inquiry into the commencement of a nationality verification process for Burmese migrants in Thailand because both the Thai and Burmese government have disseminated little information which is likely to be ineffective and places 2 million migrants at high risk.
“We hope the UN will actively take attention to this case and will try to discuss with Thai authorities to work together as we have requested,” Sein Htay from Human Rights and Development Foundation (HRDF).
The national verification process began at the end of July. Passport issuing offices are being opened along the Thai/Burma border at Myawaddy, Tachilek and Kawthaung (Victoria Point).
The only information publically disseminated is from the Burmese government about processes on its side of the border.
However, private brokers are springing up and providing answers and services at unreasonably high costs, according to their joint submission.
“Tour buses carrying migrants to border processing centres are leaving main migrant population centers in Thailand and migrants are then crossing borders to Burma and returning at varying costs with temporary Burmese passports and visas,” reads the letter.
The letter stated that the nationality verification process is two-track. Migrants can either submit their biographical information to brokers to get nationality verified and obtain a passport within months, or submit this information formally to employment offices and receive a slow response. The formal government costs are low (approx. 600 to 2, 100 baht/US$17- 60) but broker fees are unregulated and getting higher (starting costs approx. 7, 500 baht/US$200).
The groups said they fear for their safety and are disturbed at what appears to be another wave of exploitation.
According to the Royal Thai Government announcement that no migrants would remain illegally in Thailand after 28 February 2010, as all registered Burmese migrants must undertake nationality verification before this time by means of a 13-stage process involving both governments or face deportation.
The letter urges the Burmese government to conduct the verification process in Thailand and not in Burma.
Migrant workers: No meddling in Thai politics
In response to widespread reports saying that Burmese migrants may join the anti-government rally in Thailand, Chiangmai based Shan workers organizations said that they have a strict policy not to intervene in their host country’s internal affairs because they are only “guest residents”.
On Wednesday, Thai officials imposed restrictions along the northern Thai-Burma border due to a report that migrant workers might join the red-shirt demonstrations against Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejajiva during his scheduled (now cancelled) visit to Chiangmai on Saturday to attend the annual Thailand Chamber of Commerce meeting.
The Worker Solidarity Association (WSA) said that the group’s stand is non-interference. “We have warned our members to stay neutral and not to get involved with either red or yellow shirts because it is our Thailand’s domestic affair,” said Sai John, Chairman of the WSA.
Likewise, Migrant Workers Federation (MWF) says one of its policies is not to engage in the political affairs of their host country. Its members have never taken part in any political activities in the past and will remain so in the future as well, according to its chairman Sai Aung Htay.
“We are only people fleeing from the heat of our country to seek sanctuary. We are not associated with any political group. If there are members who do not follow this policy, he/she should withdraw from membership,” he said. “As workers, our rights are to only ask for equal treatment from our employers and the government if we are not treated equally and get equal pay.”
According to Jeerasak Sukonthachart, Director of Thailand’s Department of Employment, if migrants are found among the protestors they would be repatriated to their homeland and their employers will also face trial.
He said that, according to Thai law, migrant workers are not allowed to join political demonstrations because it is illegal.
To this, a Shan elder responded, “Workers are hired employees. They can only do what their employers tell them to. They are not in a position to lead their employers. It is unfair to blame them for what is happening between the red and yellow shirts.”
Some Shan workers admit they were given red shirts by their employers for what purpose they were not told.
There are more than 2 million migrant workers in Thailand, at least one-third of whom are Shans, according to one estimate.
On Wednesday, Thai officials imposed restrictions along the northern Thai-Burma border due to a report that migrant workers might join the red-shirt demonstrations against Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejajiva during his scheduled (now cancelled) visit to Chiangmai on Saturday to attend the annual Thailand Chamber of Commerce meeting.
The Worker Solidarity Association (WSA) said that the group’s stand is non-interference. “We have warned our members to stay neutral and not to get involved with either red or yellow shirts because it is our Thailand’s domestic affair,” said Sai John, Chairman of the WSA.
Likewise, Migrant Workers Federation (MWF) says one of its policies is not to engage in the political affairs of their host country. Its members have never taken part in any political activities in the past and will remain so in the future as well, according to its chairman Sai Aung Htay.
“We are only people fleeing from the heat of our country to seek sanctuary. We are not associated with any political group. If there are members who do not follow this policy, he/she should withdraw from membership,” he said. “As workers, our rights are to only ask for equal treatment from our employers and the government if we are not treated equally and get equal pay.”
According to Jeerasak Sukonthachart, Director of Thailand’s Department of Employment, if migrants are found among the protestors they would be repatriated to their homeland and their employers will also face trial.
He said that, according to Thai law, migrant workers are not allowed to join political demonstrations because it is illegal.
To this, a Shan elder responded, “Workers are hired employees. They can only do what their employers tell them to. They are not in a position to lead their employers. It is unfair to blame them for what is happening between the red and yellow shirts.”
Some Shan workers admit they were given red shirts by their employers for what purpose they were not told.
There are more than 2 million migrant workers in Thailand, at least one-third of whom are Shans, according to one estimate.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Migrants granted access to legally owned vehicles
An announcement of the Department of Transport (DoT) of Thailand on 13 October said registered migrants from Burma, Laos and Cambodia and other minority people in the country have been granted a right to buy motor vehicles.
According to the announcement, a person who is holding Taw Raw 14 (Thai citizens), Taw Raw 13(displaced person holding a pink card or a highlander holding a blue card) and Taw Raw 38/1 (migrant worker’s card).
Although they are allowed ownership of vehicles, the authorities has yet to issue driving license for them. Nevertheless, the authorities are still discussing driving licenses how migrants could be issued, said the announcement.
A Thai source commented that, “Driving license for migrants will not be the same as those for Thai citizens because migrants cannot travel anywhere in Thailand without official permission.”
According to Human Rights and Development Foundation (HRDF) press release on 30 October, the DoT was able to grant migrants the right to own and drive motor vehicles due to the National Security Council (NSC)’s new policy.
The statement said this announcement will be a positive impact to over 1 million registered migrants and other minority persons in the country.
The number of migrants working in the country are estimated around 3 million.
At the same time, migrants from Burma are required to complete application forms for the passport document under the national verification process by 28 February 2010.
According to the announcement, a person who is holding Taw Raw 14 (Thai citizens), Taw Raw 13(displaced person holding a pink card or a highlander holding a blue card) and Taw Raw 38/1 (migrant worker’s card).
Although they are allowed ownership of vehicles, the authorities has yet to issue driving license for them. Nevertheless, the authorities are still discussing driving licenses how migrants could be issued, said the announcement.
A Thai source commented that, “Driving license for migrants will not be the same as those for Thai citizens because migrants cannot travel anywhere in Thailand without official permission.”
According to Human Rights and Development Foundation (HRDF) press release on 30 October, the DoT was able to grant migrants the right to own and drive motor vehicles due to the National Security Council (NSC)’s new policy.
The statement said this announcement will be a positive impact to over 1 million registered migrants and other minority persons in the country.
The number of migrants working in the country are estimated around 3 million.
At the same time, migrants from Burma are required to complete application forms for the passport document under the national verification process by 28 February 2010.
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