Bangkok Post Editorial: Gov't Must Tackle Corruptuion to End Abuses
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Bangkok Post] Editorial Opinion December 18, 2015
As the world marks International Migrants Day today to recognise their economic contributions and to call for safe migration and decent employment, Thailand is still a long way from fulfilling those goals.
Thailand has been blasted as the hub of human trafficking and forced labour in mainland Southeast Asia. Geography may play a big role in this. But more worrisome is the persistent failure to punish human trafficking syndicates, exploitative employers and corrupt officials. For decades, successive governments turned a blind eye because cheap migrant labour was crucial for labour-intensive industries and boosting exports.
It was not until two years ago when the United States blacklisted Thailand for failure to curb human trafficking that the government started to realise it had to do something. While the official US sanctions are relatively minimal, the double whammy Thailand received this year from the European Union on illegal fishing and its use of forced and slave labour carried with it serious economic threats.
The warning is clear: Clean up the fishing industry, or face a trade ban on Thai seafood products. ...
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