CNI News
3 Feb 2023
In repatriation of Myanmar migrants who have served their prison terms for committing crimes in Thailand, priority has been given to those who bribe authorities, Thailand-based labour activists told the CNI.
The amounts of bribes for early repatriation vary from Baht 4,000 (MMK 300,000) to Baht 10,000 (MMK 800,000) depending on locations of detention centres and individuals and those who cannot afford the bribes are left to remain in detention centres, the labour activists told the CNI.
Executive Director U Htoo Chit of the Foundation for Education and Development told the CNI, "Due to such practices, Myanmar migrants in a detention centre in Ranong staged protests four or five days ago. Government authorities and labour attaches should take effective measures to repatriate Myanmar migrants who have served their prison terms. They are repatriating those who can bribe them earlier than others. It is difficult to say the amounts exactly. They have to bribe authorities from Bhat 4,000 to Baht 10,000."
Myanmar migrant workers
On 28th January, more than 600 Myanmar migrants in a detention centre in Ranong staged protests, calling for authorities to repariated them to Myanmar and a labour attaché of the Myanmar embassy in Thailand had to hold negotiations with protest leaders.
Some migrants who have served their prison terms have to wait for repatriation as long as six months, according to the labour activists.
Labour Activist Ko Thar Gyi told the CNI, "Migrants have seen that authorities repatriated those who bribed them. They want to go back home. Some migrants have to wait for six-month to almost a year to be repatriated. They are targeting Myanmar migrants because the Myanmar government has neglected the migrants. Labour activists like us have to go to help them. The two governments should cooperate to resolve the issue. Thai authorities do not repatriate migrants who cannot bribe them."
Thai authorities have failed to repatriate some migrants even though the latter have bribed them, Labour Activist U Min Oo of the FED told the CNI.
A detention facility in Thailand
He said, "I don't know how authorities in Mae Sok are handling the issue. In Ranong, migrants who arrived at detention centres earlier are repatriated first. However, Thai authorities have to send the lists of people to be repatriated to Myanmar authorities and send migrants to Tanintharyi Region.
Myanmar authorities cannot support the migrants in detention centres in Thailand. It is said that some migrants have to bribe authorities to be repatriated but authorities fail to repatriate the migrants."
In repatriation of Myanmar migrants who have served their prison terms, Thai authorities have to repatriate limited numbers of them because of the outbreak of COVID-19.
A large number of Myanmar migrants have been kept in overcrowded detention centres and they are encountering mental and health issues, according to labour activists.
