Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2005 2:40 am Post subject: More problems for Burmese Migrants
January 13, Bangkok Post
Do our prejudices know no bounds? - Sanitsuda Ekachai
Whatever the colour of our skin, we all look the same when our bodies
decompose. That is what the array of corpses at Wat Yanyao informs us, the
living. So why the fuss about our racial or ethnic differences?
No matter how rich or poor we are, the loss of our loved ones is equally
overwhelming in our hearts. Since we are all the same, don't all the
victims and survivors of the Dec 26 tsunami deserve equal assistance?
Sadly, the Thai authorities do not think so, not when it comes to migrant
workers from Burma. As we Thais celebrate the massive outpouring of our
own generosity for the tsunami victims _ particularly for the foreign
tourists, the country has totally ignored the plight of poor migrant
workers who, like us, lost family members and their source of income when
the killer waves hit the Andaman coast.
Like us, their lives have been shattered. But we do not recognise their
deaths and their losses. We do not give them relief aid. Worse, we punish
those who survived the disaster by deporting them to a precarious life
back in Burma, which refuses to accept its own citizens.
What has become of us?
There are more than 120,000 registered manual labourers from Burma in the
fisheries, construction, rubber and other industries in Ranong, Phangnga,
Phuket, Krabi, Satun and Trang provinces. The real number of migrant
workers could be at least twice that figure.
Thousands of these people are believed to have perished when the tidal
waves hit those provinces. According to survivors' accounts, at least
1,000 are missing in Phangnga alone.
These survivors believe many of their loved ones are lying unattended at
Wat Yanyao among the unidentified. But they are too scared to go and check
and collect the bodies for fear of being arrested and deported.
The fear is well-grounded.
Thanks to the media and nationalist history, the general Thai public
harbour a deep prejudice against the Burmese as a ruthless and
untrustworthy people who destroyed our once glorious capital and now steal
our jobs, rob their employers and bring us contagious diseases.
Right after the tsunami, an actor who served as a rescue volunteer told
the media he suspected a group of looters he saw were migrant Burmese
workers. The mere suspicion awakened the deep prejudice against the
Burmese.
To confirm these suspicions, the police immediately arrested a group of
migrant workers accused of looting. The media proclaimed the Burmese were
out to hit us again in out time of tragedy. Instead of sending the accused
to court, as is their basic right, the migrants were immediately deported.
And then the authorities began rounding up all migrant workers with the
excuse that the crackdown was necessary to prevent further crimes during
this time of emergency.
Who cares if these people are registered workers legally entitled to the
same assistance as all Thai workers? Who cares if deporting them will
aggravate their plight? Who cares if will they face danger in Burma, which
was also ravaged by the tsunami? According to local NGOs, more than 1,000
migrant workers have been deported. When Koh Song in Burma refused to
accept them, the officials reportedly left them to their own devices on
nearby islands.
To avoid deportation, many survivors have fled to the mountains where they
are hungry, afraid and jobless. Is that why some have turned to theft?
Many Thais agree with the deportations, saying the scarce resources
available during the emergency should be for Thais alone.
The foreign tourists may applaud Thai generosity, but the tales our
neighbours tell their children and grandchildren about us Thais will be
much less flattering. These will be tales of racism, cruelty and
heartlessness. They will be tales of a deep prejudice that could not be
moved even by a natural disaster that highlighted the transience of life,
the sameness of humanity and the futility of all prejudice.
When will we ever learn?
Sanitsuda Ekachai is Assistant Editor of the Bangkok Post _________________ Quite Bizarre!!!
I've often thought of Sanitsuda Ekachai as a voice for reason and compassion among journalists who kow tow as a group, on one knee to the wishes of the dear leader.
Having experienced the difficulties the Thais' put together for "illegals" as in Hill Tribes, I find it humorous that they use a Hill Tribe (Akha) woman in a photograph in the in-flight magazine on Thai Airways.
The day Thais' realise the damage they do every time one of us stands up and tells friends about the abuse and murder of the Akha (many are ex-patriated to Burma informally every month even though many are born in Thailand), will be the day they realise the monstousness of the Government that they elect for their 300 baht each time. Then maybe they will wonder, as I have said frequently, What Price Democracy? Surely there is more in it than the 300 baht the dear leader affords them as he uses his position (continues to use, perhaps, after being communications minister and owning Shin Corp) to amass obscene wealth at the cost to Thailand as a nation, which we can only imagine.
One day perhaps the western money will run out and the Government of dear leader will find itself wondering where the next un-earned dollar is going to come from.
I remember his laughable statement last year that the Kingdom doesn't need western money unless it's carried in on temp/tourist visa leaving again in 30 days.
As some wit once said, long term planning for a Thai was "what's for lunch tomorrow"?
That having been said I want my view clearly understood that I am referring to the elected government as well as officials towing the line of the god-like Taksin, not the run of the mill Thais' for whom life is a slow progression from poverty to poverty and for whom nothing is too much trouble. _________________ Quite Bizarre!!!
Last edited by ice treasure on Fri Jan 14, 2005 1:34 pm; edited 1 time in total
My view has always been that Thailand has the capacity to be developed but it has to develop as an asset to the people, not an asset to the corrupt government of Taksin.
During the last election I had people in my village referring to "the idiot" when he came on TV. Further, they were able to comprehend the point I was making for 2 years previously, that he was fukcing them and in fact I had them calling his party Thai yed Thai. One or two of the younger ones used my vernacular in fact which was quite an honour in my opinion.
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