Labour minister addresses migrant worker issue in Thailand

The issue of Myanmar's migrant workers in Thailand was highlighted during President U Thein Sein's three-day visit to the neighbouring country in late July.

U Aung Kyi, the union minister for labour and social welfare, relief and resettlement, who also accompanied the president, met with representatives from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working to protect Myanmar workers at the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok on July 24. The NGOs involved were BATEED Foundation, Mekong Migration Network, and MAP Foundation.

During the meeting, the minister was clarified on the difficulties facing the Myanmar workers in Thailand. Some of them hold no passports, and others saw their passports being seized by employers or brokers. U Aung Kyi promised to take the issue seriously and pointed to the need for cooperation.

At their meeting, U Aung Kyi urged Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit to take appropriate steps to make sure that:
- Immigrant Myanmar workers enjoy the same salaries and wages as their Thai colleagues do,
- Thai employers do not keep Myanmar workers' passports,
- The workers have the right to send their children to Thai schools, and
- They all get temporary passports.

Union Minister U Aung Kyi also visited the temporary passport issuance office in Bangkok, where he gave encouragement to the Myanmar workers there.

He then called on the commissioner of the Thai Immigration Bureau. They discussed measures to prevent unwanted human trafficking cases that could result from sending back Myanmar workers to its border without prior information. The Thai immigration was also asked to charge for issuing temporary passports at the rate fixed by both countries, and to issue stay permits at a one-stop service centre in the form of temporary Myanmar passports.

Thai officials said that some points discussed with Myanmar's minister need to further discussion in detail.

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