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Date: April 18, 2024 Thu
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thailand
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thailand
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228 total results foundAuthor: Hecht, Mark E. Title: Private Sector Accountability in Combating the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Summary: A report discussing the role of the private sector in addressing the Commerical Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC). Details: Bangkok: ECPAT International, 2008 Source: A contribution to the World Congress III against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents, November 2008 Year: 2008 Country: Thailand Keywords: Juveniles Shelf Number: 117291 |
Author: Images Asia Title: Migrating with Hope: Burmese Women Working in Thailand and the Sex Industry Summary: This report attempts to present and highlight the needs, interests, and realities of undocumented migrant women from Burma working as sex-workers in Thailand. The final conclusions and recommendations suggest ways in which the governments in the region can adapt policy and legislate for better protection of undocumented migrant laborers, particularly Burmese sex workers. Details: Muang Chiangmai, Thailand: Images Asia, 1997 Source: Year: 1997 Country: Thailand Keywords: Burma Shelf Number: 115681 |
Author: Robertson, Phil Title: From the Tiger to the Crocodile: Abuse of Migrant Workers in Thailand Summary: The thousand of migrant workers from Burma, Cambodia, and Laos who yearly cross pourous borders in Thailand experience daily situations straight out of a Thai proverb -- excaping from the tiger, but then meeting the crocodile -- that describes fleeing from one difficult or deadly situation into another that is just as bad. This report finds a litany of labor rights violations against migrants, including denying the right to organize and collectively bargain, and retaliating with intimidation, violence and firings. Forced labor and human trafficking continue to be the other major risks faced by migrant workers in Thailand. Details: New York: Human Rights Watch, 2010. 119p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 17, 2018 at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4b84ec212.html Year: 2010 Country: Thailand Keywords: Forced Labor Shelf Number: 117117 |
Author: Pearson, Elaine Title: Underpaid, Overworked and Overlooked: Volume 1, The Realities of Young Migrant Workers in Thailand Summary: This report assesses economic, legal, social and policy factors affecting four sectors where trafficking of children and women is known or suspected to occur in Thailand: agriculture, domestic service, fishing boats and fish processing, and manufacturing and domestic work. Details: Geneva: International Labour Office, 2006. 176p. Source: Internet Source; The Mekong Challenge Year: 2006 Country: Thailand Keywords: Forced Labor Shelf Number: 117641 |
Author: Altamura, Alessia Title: Their Proctection is in Our Hands: The State of Global Child Trafficking for Sexual Purposes Summary: From the introduction: "this report constitutes the first step of this global advocacy strategy through the compiliation of specific baseline information and assessment of progress acheived by States in ensuring the protection of children from sex trafficking. The report provides and overview of the trends and manifestations of child sex trafficking across regions and the various combinations of factors putting children at risk of falling prey to the traffickers. It also examines the types of interventions and good practices that are necessary to prevent, protect and assist children in the trafficking process and proposes global goals and targets for securing a safer world for children." Details: Bangkok, Thailand: ECPAT International; Littlehampton, UK: The Body Shop International, 2009. 59p. Source: Year: 2009 Country: Thailand Keywords: Juveniles Shelf Number: 117357 |
Author: Catalla, Rebecca F. Title: The Mekong Challenge: Cambodia's Hotel and Guesthouse Workers: Their Recruitment, Working Conditions and Vulnerabilities. Summary: When the magnitude of child labour was found to be more serious than reported in 2001, ILO-IPEC with its national partners conducted a series of rapid assessments and baseline surveys in selected sectors such as trafficking in women and children, salt production, rubber plantation, fishing sector, etc. These have not only helped to build the knowledge base on the target children and their realities of work, but they have also contributed to raising awareness about trafficking and labour exploitation and have led to increased advocacy for action to prevent the abuses. To further understand these issues and concerns that are associated with child labour and trafficking in identified new sectors, a survey was carried out among hotel and guesthouse (HGH) workers and employers in Siem Reap. The research aimed to provide wide-ranging information on workers in hotels and guesthouses, an industry in Siem Reap identified as a receiving area/sector of trafficking in children and young women. More specifically, the study sought to profile the situation of workers working in hotels and guest houses in Siem Reap district, Siem Reap province including: reasons for working, skills/ vocational background, health and educational status, working environment/condition of trafficking for labour (in slave-like conditions) by unscrupulous employers, wages/income earned, income management, and future planning. This was accomplished by carrying out a survey among HGH workers and employers, and interviews with key informants using instruments that have been used by ILO-IPEC for similar efforts in various countries. A total of 371 workers and 17 employers in 36 hotels and guesthouses were interviewed; 13 stakeholders served as key informants for the qualitative aspect of the study. Descriptions of working conditions in this report, while wide-ranging, do not attempt to be thorough and comprehensive. Rather they reflect information obtained through a structured instrument within an eight-day data collection period. As such the data mirrors the limitations of survey methodology (e.g., measurements are taken at one point in time) even as representatives of workers from different HGH departments/units (e.g., housekeeping, kitchen, administration, etc.) were interviewed. It is also worth mentioning that responses of the workers and employers may have been given in a context where they feared that the information may be used against the hotels and guesthouses - which were their primary sources of livelihood - since ongoing strikes in some hotels were still unresolved at the time of the survey. Workers in hotels and guesthouses in Siem Reap can be portrayed as young, having a mean age of 23 years, and are relatively well educated, 89% of whom reached lower secondary levels. They belonged to families whose parents were highly literate, and had sources of incomes that came from agriculture, waged employment or from other businesses. A third also had some kind of training connected to their work and 10.5% were still in school completing formal education or attending short courses. More than a quarter (27%) did not report any health problem and only 2.4% cited illnesses that could be said to be serious. Workers too, had access to various types of information on a daily basis from magazines/ newspapers, television, and radio. Awareness regarding HIV/AIDS and STI was reported by 94% and 75% of respondents, respectively, indicating a need for improvement, especially for the latter. In terms of their work profile, respondents have been in their present occupations for an average of 1.67 years, gaining acceptance by applying for the job or through referrals. The primary motivation to work was the desire to help the family (99%) and due to personal reasons like wanting to gain experience (36%) or continue their studies (2%). Usually, workers were at their posts for a mean number of 6.14 days, for both peak and slow seasons, averaging 9.57 and 8.23 hours, respectively. Food, water, access to toilet facilities and breaks at work were provided by employers, although workers were also said to bring their own water to their workplace. On the other hand, living arrangements entailed residing with relatives, on their own, or with friends/co-workers, reported by 31%, 30% and 35% of the total, respectively. Women were less likely to live alone, preferring to live with a family member or relatives. Workers also have a fairly developed support network, with families, friends, employers, and co-workers being sought for assistance primarily in terms of advice, financial assistance. Income-wise, 61% of respondents had earnings between 150,000 (US$37) to 300,000 Riel (US$75) and an additional 25% reported incomes above 300,000 Riel. Employers, on the other hand, comprised mostly of men, at 70% of the total, had an average of 42.47 years, and over three quarters reached upper secondary level or the university. They were characterized as kind, understanding and looked after their welfare, by 97% and 79% of workers respectively. Eight of ten respondents found their jobs lucrative, and this is reflected in the range of salaries or revenues they earned per month. The lowest monthly wage was 260,000 Riel or (US$65) by a respondent working in a HGH Type 4 of guesthouse while at the high end of the scale of reported salaries, three respondents working in mid-range to upscale hotels said that their monthly earnings from their jobs ranged from 1.4 million (US$350) to 4 million Riel (US$1,000). Among nine owners, revenues generated started at 1.08 million (US$270) to 16 million Riel (US$4,000) from establishments classified as budget guesthouses 1-4. Given that the room rates in these places range from US$5 to US$15 for single and US$20 for double rooms, the high earnings reported is a good indication of the occupancy rates. Some observations that can be drawn from the findings are: - While workers appeared to be cared for by their employers, the workers would be hard pressed to sufficiently cover the cost of lodging, additional studies, and sending money home to help support families. Salaries in hotels and guesthouses are not as high as might be expected from a growing industry. - In terms of trafficking, there was no reported case among respondents - key informant responses and the quantitative data show that recruitment processes of HGH were accomplished through a typical hiring procedure involving the application for jobs, taking tests and being interviewed. No allusion to coercion, being sold, or reporting situations of debt bondage was ever made by respondents. While 'debt' had been mentioned in relation to working, this information was obtained from other persons; whereas monetary obligations to employers have been in the form of advances. - The desire to start a small business, expressed repeatedly by worker-respondents, may indicate a cognizance of the potential for economic gain from the booming tourism sector. Furthermore, workers want to better themselves by enrolling in short-term courses like computer literacy and English, and gaining additional skills related to their jobs. Provided sufficient opportunities, this group could well become future members of the burgeoning middle class of Cambodia. - As documented by the research, the demand for sex with young persons comes from the guests of hotels and guesthouses, the gratification of which is facilitated by workers or 'guides' in exchange for some recompense. - Despite the monitoring that is supposed to be carried out by relevant government agencies in the province, minors have been seen entering hotels and guesthouses as the sexual partners of guests. While workers in the hotels and guesthouses in Siem Reap appear to be better off in terms of work conditions, there are a few areas that require additional review. - The existing salaries have to be increased - at present, compensations are small in relation to reported earnings of owners and to a robust sector. - In smaller guesthouses, working hours and days need to be monitored since this could be a 7-day workweek and beyond eight hours per day, especially in the peak season. While it may be argued that these conditions are typical in family-run guesthouses, it does not justify overworking and underpaying workers. - The founding of unions that will help ensure that employers and owners comply with the labour laws should be promoted. As the tourism sector further expands, it is necessary to ensure that employers and owners stick to the letter of the law. Details: Bangkok: International Labour Office, 2006. 109p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 3, 2018 at: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/documents/publication/wcms_bk_pb_70_en.pdf Year: 2006 Country: Thailand Keywords: Human Trafficking Shelf Number: 117672 |
Author: Sheppard, Bede Title: Targets of Both Sides: Violence Against Students, teachers, and Schools in Thailand's Southern Border Provinces Summary: This report details how ethnic Malay Muslim insurgents, who view the government educational system as a symbol of Thai state oppression, have threatened and killed teachers, burned and bombed government schools, and spread terror among students and their parents. The insurgents have also used Islamic schools to indoctrinate and recruit students into their movement. At the same time, Thai army and paramilitary forces are disrupting education and placing students at unnecessary risk of insurgent attack by occupying schools for long periods as bases for their counterinsurgency operations. Details: New York: Human Rights Watch, 2010. 111p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 17, 2010 at: http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2010/09/21/targets-both-sides-0 Year: 2010 Country: Thailand Keywords: Criminal Violence (Thailand) Shelf Number: 120538 |
Author: Fujita, Koichi Title: Myanmar Migrant Laborers in Ranong, Thailand Summary: Thailand is the major destination for migrants in mainland Southeast Asia, and Myanmar (Burmese) migrants account for the dominant share. This paper sheds light on the actual working conditions and the life of Myanmar migrants in Thailand, based on our intensive survey in Ranong in southern Thailand in 2009. We found a wide range of serious problems that Myanmar migrants face in everyday life: very harsh working conditions, low income, heavy indebtedness, risk of being human-trafficking victims, harassment by the police and military (especially of sex workers), high risk of illness including malaria and HIV/AIDS and limited access to affordable medical facilities, and a poor educational environment for their children. Details: Chiba, Japan: Institute of Developing Economies, 2010. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: IDE Discussion Paper No. 257: Accessed April 26, 2011 at: http://ideas.repec.org/p/jet/dpaper/dpaper257.html Year: 2010 Country: Thailand Keywords: Human Trafficking Shelf Number: 121493 |
Author: Tanguay, Pascal Title: Kratom in Thailand: Decriminalisation and Community Control? Summary: In early 2010, the Thai Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) developed a policy proposal to review different aspects of the criminal justice process in relation to drug cases. The possibility of decriminalising the indigenous psychoactive plant, kratom, was included in the ONCB’s proposal for consideration by the Ministry of Justice. This briefing paper provides an overview of issues related to kratom legislation and policy in Thailand as well as a set of conclusions and recommendations to contribute to a reassessment of the current ban on kratom in Thailand and the region. The briefing is based on desk research of existing documentation as well as field research carried out in October and November 2010 in Bangkok, Surat Thani, Trang, Satun, Songkhla, and Hat Yai in Thailand. Details: Amsterdam: Transnational Institute, 2011. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Series on Legislative Reform of Drug Policies, Nr. 13: Accessed July 1, 2011 at: http://www.idpc.net/sites/default/files/library/kratom-in-thailand.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Thailand Keywords: Drug Control Policy (Thailand) Shelf Number: 121940 |
Author: British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Urban Health Research Initiative Title: Reducing Drug-Related Harm in Thailand. Evidence and Recommendations from the Mitsampan Community Research Project Summary: For decades, Thailand has experienced high rates of illicit drug use and HIV/AIDS among people who inject drugs (PWID). In response to the drug problem, the Royal Thai Government has relied primarily on criminal justice approaches such as policing, incarceration, and mandatory drug detention centers. Despite these efforts, illicit drugs remain easily accessible, drug use is widespread, and the epidemic of HIV/AIDS among PWID continues. The Mitsampan Community Research Project was launched as a collaborative research effort by Thai AIDS Treatment Action Group (TTAG), the Mitsampan Harm Reduction Center, the Urban Health Research Initiative of the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (Vancouver, Canada), and Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok, Thailand). This project sought to investigate patterns of drug use, health services use, criminal justice interactions, and health-related harms among PWID in Bangkok. The Project reached 468 local PWID in Bangkok over two cycles of surveying conducted in 2008 and 2009. The purpose of this report is to summarize the research findings and provide evidence-based recommendations. The majority of research findings presented have been subjected to independent scientific review and published in peer-reviewed journals. These findings are summarized in plain language in order to make this research accessible to a broad stakeholder audience. Details: Vancouver: University of British Columbia, 2011. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 26 at: http://ttag.info/pdf/MSCRP_en.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Thailand Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction (Thailand) Shelf Number: 122904 |
Author: International Organization for Migration Title: Trafficking of Fishermen in Thailand Summary: The objective of this report is to provide a better understanding of the recruitment, living and working conditions of fishermen and the extent of exploitation and abuse in the Thai fishing sector. The report reviews the legislative and regulatory framework governing the fishing sector and the recruitment of fishermen and its implementation, highlighting certain gaps which enable traffickers to operate in the sector and lead to abusive labour conditions. The report also examines protection and support services accessible by victims of trafficking. Details: Bangkok: International Organization for Migration (IOM), 2011. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 11, 2012 at Year: 2011 Country: Thailand Keywords: Forced Labor (Thailand ) Shelf Number: 124449 |
Author: Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children Title: Abuse Without End: Burmese Refugee Women and Children at Risk of Trafficking Summary: Hundreds of thousands of refugees from Burma, many of them women and children, have fled into neighboring Thailand in the course of the past two decades. Escaping armed conflict and rampant human rights violations in their homeland, these refugees often find that safety eludes them during and after crossing the Thai border. The failure of Thailand to offer them meaningful protection puts them at risk of continued human rights abuses, including trafficking. Women and children are particularly at risk of trafficking, and the sexual and physical exploitation and forced labor associated with it, as they desperately seek a way to support themselves and their families. Details: New York: Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children, 2006. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 4, 2012 at: http://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/docs/mm_traff.pdf Year: 2006 Country: Thailand Keywords: Child Trafficking Shelf Number: 125156 |
Author: Atwood, Stephen J. Title: Children, HIV/AIDS, and Sexual Exploitation: Strengthening Systems for the Right to Prevention, Protection, and Response in Nepal and Togo Summary: Children who are vulnerable to commercial sexual exploitation are also vulnerable to infection with HIV. However, because they often live on the margins of society and outside of the health system, they are rarely identified as at risk of HIV nor are they measured for HIV infection. As such, they neither appear in the numerator nor in the denominator of national HIV statistics. As a result, they may be infected without knowing their HIV status, and will only access the health system when they have developed an opportunistic infection related to AIDS. In addition, because of a lack of information on their status, programs directed at HIV/ AIDS may not include children vulnerable to commercial exploitation in the key populations at risk of HIV (i.e., female sex Workers, men who have sex with men, intravenous drug users, or people receiving blood transfusions). In some cases, child protection agencies that work with children in or at risk of commercial sexual exploitation may not include HIV or AIDS prevention programs in their interventions. In order to measure the extent of HIV infection in this group of vulnerable children and to understand how their infections could have been identified earlier, and how they could be better educated about the dangers of HIV, a study was done of HIV prevalence in 308 randomly selected vulnerable children in Kathmandu. The children were also interviewed to garner an understanding for their attitudes, knowledge and behavior related to living and work conditions, schooling, and sexual behavior in a joint project by ECPAT International and the Center for Global Health and Development of Thammasat University. An additional 151 children were also interviewed using the same survey instrument in two cities in Togo, Lomé and Atakpamé, in order to correlate responses that might predict vulnerability to HIV infection in those surroundings. The study built on the strengths of the Youth Partnership Programs that operate in both Nepal and Kathmandu through the auspices of two NGOs: Maiti Nepal and WAO Afrique. Children between the ages of 15 and 25 years old were included in the sampling frame if they fulfilled two of six inclusion criteria that defined vulnerability (i.e., having lost one or both parents, one or both parents infected with HIV, recently dropped out of school, living on the street for more than two weeks, living away from home for more than two weeks, working on the street during school hours or at night, known to be involved in CSEC, working in the entertainment industry, or domestic workers). After receiving informed consent and assent, their HIV status was tested anonymously using a rapid, oral noninvasive HIV antibody test (OraQuick®). Prevalence levels of HIV infection were high. In the entire sample, 11 children tested positive for HIV; for children < 18 years the prevalence was 3.7%. For girls who reported being sexually active, the prevalence was 9.4%. These prevalence figures are higher than those of female sex workers (2.2%) in Kathmandu and the clients of sex workers (2%), and compare with those of men who have sex with men (3.8%). Of concern is that only four out of the 11 who tested positive for HIV infection had been previously tested for HIV – the others have remained outside of the system, concealing a hidden epidemic unknown to the government or to the health care delivery system. The results of the survey linked these infected children to major risk factors: coming from a poor family, having lost one or more parents, and early debut of sexual activity (≤15 years). Infection was through sexual transmission; there were no intravenous drug users or blood transfusions in the infected group. The same risk factors were found, often to a greater degree, in the Togo sample, suggesting that should those children be tested (the Government of Togo denied permission to use the rapid oral test), they would be found to have the same if not higher prevalence as those children in Nepal. This report includes a number of recommendations, the most important of which is that every effort should be made to get these children tested through improved access to free counseling and testing services. This is the only way that AIDS can be prevented. In Nepal, there was no resistance to the use of the rapid oral test, and its advantages (i.e., no discomfort from injection, no possibility of blood contamination or contagion, easy and safe disposal of used kits, etc.) made it particularly suitable for testing in the neighborhoods or environments where these children live. It is also imperative to use this contact for the prevention of HIV infection as well, by educating children about safe sex, and by identifying a concerned adult or young person who can be a mentor or support to these otherwise marginalized and often isolated children. There is every indication that the children in Lomé and Atakpamé are at risk and efforts should be increased to reach these children with safe and confidential testing and education. Details: Bangkok, Thailand: ECPAT International, 2012. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 26, 2012 at: http://www.ecpat.net/ei/Publications/About_CSEC/HIV-Research_FINAL.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Thailand Keywords: Child Prostitution (Thailand) Shelf Number: 126461 |
Author: RATS-W Team Title: Hit and Run: Sex Worker’s Research on Anti trafficking in Thailand Summary: Sex workers in Thailand must be one of the most researched groups in the world. For decades individuals and groups have made their way to Empower to complete a PhD, make a documentary, write an article, or fulfil their grant terms. We have lots of experience with research. For the past ten years sex workers in Thailand have had our human rights violated under the guise of implementing anti-trafficking law and policy. We have experienced an onslaught of slander vilifying our entire industry; violent police raids on our workplaces, arbitrary detention, forced rehabilitation in government shelters and deportation. We have continually advocated for reform and human rights protections especially for migrant sex workers. Despite these efforts our industry is still over represented in anti-trafficking raids and misrepresented as inherently violent, exploitative and an equivalent to human trafficking. People still do not know about or understand how current antitrafficking practices are not only abusing the rights of individuals, but are a huge barrier to our efforts to further reduce exploitation in our industry. In 2010 Empower decided to undertake a nation-wide community research project to identify and document the impact of the current Thai anti-trafficking law, policy and practice, on sex workers in Thailand, and to develop relevant and achievable solutions. Our secondary aims were to strengthen knowledge and awareness amongst our community about our legal and human rights; and to build our skills to design, carry out and collate research for use in our human rights advocacy. Our research did not set out to measure, prove or disprove the existence of human trafficking within the sex industry in Thailand. There is already a plethora of wildly contradictory reports on the subject. More significantly, as the leading sex worker organization working on the ground for the past 30 years, we already were well aware that human trafficking has been steadily disappearing from the sex industry in Thailand over the last 15 years. Instead we set out to measure the impact of anti trafficking law and practices on the human rights of women who are accused of being trafficked and other women who are not trafficked, but severely affected by anti-trafficking measures. Details: Thailand: Empower Foundation: 2012. 124p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 27, 2012 at: http://www.aidsdatahub.org/dmdocuments/HitandRun_RATSW_Eng_Empower_2012.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Thailand Keywords: Human Rights Shelf Number: 126485 |
Author: Hevanamage, Veyoma Title: Global Monitoring Status of Action Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children: Thailand. 2nd Edition Summary: The Agenda for Action against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children provides a detailed framework and categories of actions to be taken by governments in partnership with civil society organizations and other relevant actors for combating commercial sexual crimes against children. Broadly, these actions are focused on: 1) Coordination and Cooperation; 2) Prevention; 3) Protection; 4) Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reintegration; and 5) Child Participation. The Agenda for Action is thus the formal and guiding structure used by governments that have adopted it and committed to work against CSEC. As such, the Agenda for Action is also the main organising framework for reporting on the status of implementation of the Agenda as seen in the World Congress II of 2001, the Mid-Term Review meetings held between 2004 and 2005 and the World Congress III in 2008. It has been used in the same way to structure and guide the research, analysis and preparation of information presented in these reports on the status of implementation of the Agenda in the individual countries. Preparatory work for this 2nd Edition report involved a review of the literature available on sexual exploitation for each of the countries where ECPAT works. A number of tools were prepared, such as a detailed glossary of CSEC terms, explanatory literature on more difficult themes and concepts and a guide to relevant CSEC related research tools, to assist researchers in their work and to ensure consistency in the gathering, interpreting and analysing of information from different sources and parts of the world. Desktop research has shown a continuing lack of information in the areas of Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reintegration. After extensive efforts to collect information relevant to these areas for each of the countries covered, it was decided that as this information was not consistently available, the reports thus focus only on those areas of the Agenda for Action where verifiable information can be obtained. Thus, the report covers: Coordination and Cooperation; Prevention; Protection and Child and Youth Participation, and where information on recovery, rehabilitaton and reintegration, was available, it has been included under the country overview. These 2nd Edition Reports also reflect a greater focus on integrated and inter-sector collaboration for the realisation of the right of the child to protection from sexual exploitation, including the need nationally for comprehensive child protection systems. Details: Bangkok: ECPAT International, 2011. 64p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 3, 2012 at: http://www.ecpat.net/A4A_2005/PDF/EAP/A4A2011_EAP_Thailand_FINAL.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Thailand Keywords: Child Prostitution Shelf Number: 126549 |
Author: Great Britain. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Title: A Survey of the Orchid Trade in Thailand Summary: The report presented to the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties on the Review of Significant Trade in Species of Plants included in Appendix II of CITES (Doc. 8.31), included a recommendation to carry out a survey of the Thai orchid trade. In addition, it recommended that assistance be provided to the Thai Government for the protection of native orchids and the development of appropriate national CITES controls. A first step taken with respect to this recommendation was the acquisition of a computer for the Management Authority of Thailand for Plants to improve and facilitate annual reporting. The Government of Japan and TRAFFIC Southeast Asia funded this project. Thailand is the world’s major producer of orchids for international trade. Commercial orchid production is well established within the country, with nurseries propagating a range of native and non-native species. At the same time however, Thailand exports a significant quantity of wild orchids, collected within the country. The present project was developed in close consultation between the CITES Secretariat, the CITES Management Authority of Thailand (MA, Thailand) and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK (RBG Kew) - the CITES Scientific Authority for Plants of the United Kingdom. The resulting project proposal was approved by the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, the CITES Standing Committee and supported by the CITES Plants Committee. Details: London: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 1999. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 7, 2012 at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/cites/pdf/studies/orchids_thailand.pdf Year: 1999 Country: Thailand Keywords: Illegal Wildlife Trade Shelf Number: 126583 |
Author: Plan Asia Title: Asia Child Marriage Initiative: Summary of Research in Bangladesh, India and Nepal Summary: Child marriage is one of the most prevalent and serious violations of human rights. The issue needs urgent attention in South Asia, where 46 per cent of children are married formally or in informal union before they are 18. Girls are significantly more likely than boys to be married as children – 30 per cent of girls aged 15-19 years are currently married or in union in South Asia, compared to just 5 per cent of boys in the same age bracket. So why does child marriage happen when we know that the social, economic and human costs are so high? The answer lies in how deeply rooted child marriage is in the social norms of many societies, fuelled by tradition, religion and poverty. Awareness of the legalities of child marriage – it’s outlawed in most countries around the world – has little bearing on behaviour because customary laws, social norms and poverty-driven economic needs often trump national policies and legislation. Child marriage is a far-reaching issue that impacts not only the lives of the children who are married, but also the lives of those around them. When girls marry young, before their minds and bodies are fully developed, they often become pregnant long before they are ready. Pregnancy is the number one cause of death among girls aged 15-19 worldwide. Child marriage also reinforces the gendered nature of poverty, with limited education and skills bringing down the potential of the girl, her family, her community and her country. These impacts extend throughout a girl’s adult life and into the next generation. Plan International’s global Because I am a Girl (BIAAG) campaign focuses on child marriage as a key barrier to progress in child rights. Child Marriage and Girls’ Education – Plan’s first global report on this issue – focuses on the links between these two critical areas of child development. In Asia, Plan has designed the Asia Child Marriage Initiative (ACMI) to help prevent child marriage and mitigate its negative consequences on children, families and communities. Plan has worked closely with the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) on the qualitative study presented here to give child marriage the attention it deserves and help us better understand where we’re at with the issue in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. The study brings out the influence of gender norms and their interplay with the aspirations of girls and their families. The probe into the role of village-based institutions and children’s organisations has given valuable insight into how communities can be engaged to be part of the solution. Some emerging trends, like child-initiated marriages, have also been unearthed by the study, and these will require further investigation. Details: Bangkok, Thailand: Plan Asia, 2013. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 25, 2013 at: http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/PLAN%20ASIA%20Child%20Marriage-3%20Country%20Study.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Thailand Keywords: Child Marriage (Thailand) Shelf Number: 128129 |
Author: Palaung Women's Organization Title: Still Imprisoned: Opium cultivation soars in Palaung areas under Burma’s new regime Summary: Almost one year after Burma’s long-awaited elections were held in November 2010, Palaung communities in northern Shan State are suffering from the effects of an even greater upsurge in opium cultivation than in previous years. Local paramilitary leaders, some now elected into Burma’s new parliament, are being allowed to cultivate and profit from drugs in return for helping the regime suppress ethnic resistance forces in Burma’s escalating civil war. As a result, drug addiction has escalated in the Palaung area, tearing apart families and communities. Burma’s drug problems are set to worsen unless there is genuine political reform that addresses the political aspirations of Burma’s ethnic minority groups. Research carried out by Palaung Women’s Organization in Namkham Township shows that: •Opium cultivation across 15 villages in Namkham Township has increased by a staggering 78.58% within two years. •12 villages in the same area, which had not previously grown opium, have started to grow opium since 2009. •A signify cant number of these villages are under the control of government paramilitary “anti-insurgency” forces, which are directly profiting from the opium trade. •The most prominent militia leader and drug-lord in the area, “Pansay” Kyaw Myint, from the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, was elected as an MP for Namkham in November 2010; he promised voters that they could grow opium freely for 5 years if they voted for him. •Government troops, police and militia continue to openly tax opium farmers, and to collect bribes from drug addicts in exchange for their release from custody. •Drug addiction in Palaung communities has spiraled out of control. In one Palaung village, PWO found that 91% of males aged 15 and over were addicted to drugs. Drug addiction is causing huge problems for families, with women and children bearing the burden of increased poverty, crime and violence. Details: Mae Sot, Thailand: Palaung Women's Organization, 2011. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 4, 2013 at: http://www.burmapartnership.org/2011/10/still-imprisoned/ Year: 2011 Country: Thailand Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction Shelf Number: 128929 |
Author: Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) Title: Sold to the Sea: Human Trafficking in Thailand's Fishing Industry Summary: Sold to the Sea: Human Trafficking in Thailand's Fishing Industry exposes severe human rights abuses associated with human trafficking in Thailand's fishing industry and documents the testimonies of Burmese workers, as young as 16, who were forced onto fishing vessels for many months and subjected to arduous, often violent, working conditions without pay. The report details testimonies of crew murdered at sea, and on shore, and the shocking figure from a 2009 survey by the United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking (UNIAP) that found 59% of interviewed migrants trafficked about Thai fishing boats reported witnessing the murder of a fellow worker. Details: London: Environmental Justice Foundation, 2013. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 4, 2013: http://www.ejfoundation.org/node/663 Year: 2013 Country: Thailand Keywords: Fishing Industry Shelf Number: 128930 |
Author: Kachin Women’s Association Thailand (KWAT) Title: Pushed to the Brink: Conflict and human trafficking on the Kachin-China border Summary: On the surface, Burma seems to be strengthening its fight against human trafficking. Burma’s long-held position in the lowest ranking of international trafficking efforts finally inched upwards a rank as a result of several policy reforms and new programs. An anti-trafficking hotline opened, as did several anti-trafficking task force offices. Anti-trafficking stickers and posters are plastered in areas across the country, and American singer Jason Mraz recently teamed with MTV to hold a massive free concert in Rangoon to raise awareness about human trafficking. Yet at the same time, conflict rages a thousand kilometers away in northern Burma. Government army offensives have driven tens of thousands of people from their homes to the China border, vastly increasing their vulnerability to trafficking. The stark contrast between the Burmese government’s anti-trafficking rhetoric and its actions on the ground is what we aim to highlight in this report. Our earlier reports Driven Away (2005) and Eastward Bound (2008) had documented the growing incidence of trafficking along the China-Burma border. This new report looks at the impacts of the renewed conflict on this problem. We sincerely hope that our findings will lead to more appropriate and holistic responses to this complex issue. Details: Chiang Mai, Thailand: KWAT, 2013. 26p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 7, 2013 at: http://www.kachinwomen.com/images/stories/publication/pushed_to_the_brink.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Thailand Keywords: Human Trafficking (Thailand) Shelf Number: 129001 |
Author: Banks, Debbie Title: Thailand's Tiger Economy Summary: In the last ten years there have been thousands of column inches dedicated to the news that the tiger is on the brink of extinction. With a global population that has crashed by 95% over the last 100 years, millions of dollars have been spent on new and innovative approaches for tackling habitat destruction, the decline in prey population, and the continuing international illegal trade in tiger parts and derivatives. But the tiger can be saved, if people really want it to happen. Across it’s range, there are several isolated examples of tiger populations bouncing back in the face of what were once thought to be insurmountable odds. Sadly, one country where this hasn’t happened is Thailand, once the primary range of the Indo-Chinese tiger. Years of rampant illegal logging, widespread poaching of endangered species, poorly implemented conservation strategy and government indifference have decimated the tiger population and the forests that it depends on. Thailand has shown itself to be woefully inadequate in implementing domestic legislation to stamp out the tiger trade and in enforcing international agreements to which it is a signatory. EIA has learned through its investigations that Thailand has also become a conduit for illegal trade as well as a manufacturer and supplier of tiger products. A blossoming institutional belief that tigers can be saved by the breeding of captive tigers outside a scientific international studbook programme is threatening to undermine in situ conservation efforts. Instead of securing a longterm future for tigers, these activities shield a more sinister threat : the commercial trading of tigers into extinction. EIA investigations have revealed a persistent lack of interest and effort on the part of the Thai authorities to control a growing domestic and international trade that threatens not only the remaining wild tigers in Thailand, but also wild tigers across their range. Despite the widely available tiger products which publish their factory address details on the packaging, the authorities appear to have taken no action and displayed no interest in curbing this trade. The tiger, once a symbol of strength and progress, has been reduced to a symbol of apathy and disregard for a once rich biodiversity. But EIA believes that it is not too late for the new Prime Minister to take immediate and decisive action to reverse the recent trend and to reinstate the wild tiger as a symbol of a new Thailand. Details: London: Environmental Investigation Agency, 2001. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 7, 2013 at: http://www.eia-international.org/wp-content/uploads/Thailands-Tiger-Economy-low-res.pdf Year: 2001 Country: Thailand Keywords: Illegal Wildlife Trade Shelf Number: 129010 |
Author: Kachin Women's Association Thailand Title: Eastward Bound: An Update on Migration & Trafficking of Kachin Women on the China - Burma Border Summary: The main causes of migration for Kachin areas of Burma have intensified over the past few years. The Burmese military regime has continued to authorize and profit from large-scale extraction of our natural resources, mainly timber, jade and gold. On top of this, they are now planning to dam out rivers, for sale of electricity to China. Seven large dames on the Irrawaddy and its source rivers in Kachin State ill displace tens of thousands of people, and lead to further migration. Details: Chiang Mai, Thailand; Kachin Women's Association Thailand, 2008. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 19, 2013 at: http://www.kachinwomen.com/images/stories/publication/eastwardbound.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Thailand Keywords: Human Trafficking (Thailand) Shelf Number: 129659 |
Author: Freccero, Julie Title: Safe Haven: Sheltering Displaced Persons from Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. Case Study: Thailand Summary: With one of the longest-running civil wars in history, Burma has been plagued by internal conflict between a military-backed government and many ethnic minority insurgent groups for over six decades. Widespread human rights abuses, the confiscation of land, the destruction of villages, and livelihood vulnerability have forcibly displaced millions of people in Eastern Burma, primarily ethnic minorities. Many flee to neighboring Thailand, where an estimated 142,000 Burmese refugees reside in camps along the border and over two million Burmese migrants live throughout Thailand as a whole. Without access to official refugee status in Thailand, Burmese asylum seekers are allowed to temporarily reside in one of the nine camps along the Thailand-Burma border. If they leave the camps without proper documentation, however, they are generally regarded as illegal migrants and are subject to arrest, detention, and deportation by Thai authorities. In the refugee camps, it is believed that insufficient resources, protracted confinement, and high rates of alcohol use contribute, to a high incidence of domestic violence. Service providers have also documented rape, sexual exploitation, and trafficking as significant problems. Outside the camps, local women's groups have identified domestic violence, rape, and trafficking as significant problems in migrant communities. Reporting of this violence is rare, however, as it exposes undocumented migrants to arrest and deportation. Additionally, limited economic opportunity and the undocumented or temporary legal status of migrants leave many vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse by employers, Thai authorities, and others in their communities. In an era of increased attention to conflict-related violence, we are now beginning to understand the continuum of sexual and gender-based harm that men, women, and children can suffer during armed conflict, in flight, and while temporarily resettled in refugee or internal displacement camps. Violence such as rape, gang rape, sexual torture, and sexual slavery can occur during periods of armed conflict, perpetrated by different actors for different reasons. Those fleeing a conflict may still be susceptible to rape, sexual exploitation, or trafficking while attempting to secure transport, cross borders, and find lodging. Finally, even after flight - whether to refugee or internal displacement camps or within urban centers - vulnerability to harm persists, perhaps due to a lack of protective networks, immigration status, or basic resources. In fact, displacement is believed to increase vulnerability through new and exacerbating conditions, such as the breakdown of family and community ties, collapsed gender roles, limited access to resources, insufficient security, and inadequate housing in camp settings. When refugees or internally displaced persons experience sexual and gender-based violence, their needs can be particularly urgent and complex. Survivors may experience compounded levels of physical or psychological distress resulting from individual and collective harms suffered. Unfortunately, multisectoral service options are often scarce in forced displacement settings. It is important to better understand the options for immediate physical shelter that exist in these contexts. In addition to providing immediate physical protection, programs that provide shelter to displaced persons fleeing sexual and gender-based violence may help to facilitate access to other critical services in resource-constrained settings. However, data about shelter-providing programs in such contexts is extremely limited. Evidence-based information about shelter models, client and staff needs, service challenges, and strategies is urgently required to inform policy, programming, and implementation guidance for international, national, and local entities that design or oversee these protection programs. Details: Berkeley, CA: Human Rights Center, University of California - Berkeley, School of Law, 2013. 145p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 19, 2014 at: http://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/HRC/SS_Thailand_web.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Thailand Keywords: Domestic Violence Shelf Number: 132528 |
Author: United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking Title: Estimating Labor Trafficking: A Study of Burmese Migrant Workers in Samut Sakhon, Thailand Summary: The report is designed to address the challenges of estimating prevalence of labor trafficking in Samut Sakhon. The population of interest for estimation purposes was Burmese migrant workers, who may be victims of trafficking for labor exploitation. The study design employed a mixed methods approach, combining review of existing literature and data; ethnographic interviews; and a population survey. Details: Bangkok: UNIAP Regional Management Office, 2011. 61p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 21, 2014 at: http://www.no-trafficking.org/reports_docs/estimates/uniap_estimating_labor_trafficking_report.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Thailand Keywords: Fishing Industry Shelf Number: 124550 |
Author: Doak, Naomi Title: Polishing Off the Ivory: Surveys of Thailand's Ivory Market Summary: Elephants are revered in Thailand and, as an important part of the country's identity, they are an integral part of Thai beliefs and culture. However, despite this, Thailand has one of the world's largest unregulated ivory markets and is consistently highlighted as one of the most problematic countries in the illegal ivory trade. Partly to blame for the current poaching crisis is Thai domestic legislation that permits trade in ivory from domesticated Asian Elephants but provides no effective mechanism or legal framework for the internal regulation of this market nor for the control of the illegal trade in ivory from either wild Asian Elephants Elephas maximus or African Elephants Loxodonta africana. Recent surveys of retail outlets across key locations in Bangkok have revealed a disturbing increase both in the number of retail outlets offering ivory as well as the quantity of ivory available. Surveys of known ivory retail outlets were carried out on a monthly basis from January-April 2013 and October 2013-May 2014. The type and number of ivory items seen for sale were recorded. Retail outlets, including those newly identified and those that only began stocking ivory during the survey period, were repeatedly revisited on subsequent surveys. In January 2013, 61 retail outlets selling ivory were found in key previously-identified locations around Bangkok while less than 12 months later, in December 2013, this figure had increased to 105 retail outlets in the same locations. During this period, the number of individual ivory pieces almost trebled, from 5,715 to 14,512, indicating a growing market and considerably exceeding what could be produced by ivory from the current domesticated elephant population. There are approximately 1,230 adult male captive elephants in Thailand and it is estimated that they could only yield approximately 650 kg of ivory annually, possibly less and typically in small sized pieces owing to the periodic trimming of tusks. This quantity is considerably less than what was observed in Bangkok markets. In addition, the number and size of specific products indicates that larger sized elephant tusks are reaching the market in Thailand and seizure data confirms attempts to move large quantities of African Elephant ivory to Thailand from Africa. Additional retail outlets, including newly established ivory outlets, were recorded in every month of the survey, despite a requirement for registration and monitoring of any retail outlet selling or processing ivory under current legislation (Commercial Registration Act of 1956). These findings are indicative of a lack of implementation of Thailand's CITES Ivory Trade Action Plan, which was drawn up to meet recommendations from the 64th meeting of the CITES Standing Committee. Indeed, the actions outlined in that plan do not appear to be having any impact on the domestic ivory market in Bangkok. The ivory market in Thailand is still thriving and remains one of the largest and most active worldwide, with high turnover of stock and continued sales to foreign tourists. Details: Cambridge, UK: TRAFFIC International, 2014. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 22, 2014 at: http://www.traffic.org/storage/Thailand-market-survey-report.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Thailand Keywords: Animal Poaching Shelf Number: 132727 |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: Two Years with No Moon: Immigration Detention of Children in Thailand Summary: Every year, Thailand arbitrarily detains thousands of children, including infants and toddlers, in squalid immigration facilities and police lock-ups. About 100 children each year - primarily from countries that do not border Thailand - may be held for months or years, due to their immigration status or that of their parents. Thousands more children - from Thailand's neighboring countries - are summarily deported with their families to their home countries within days or weeks. But no matter how long the period of detention, these facilities are no place for children. Two Years With No Moon describes the needless suffering and permanent harm that migrant children experience in Thai immigration detention. It examines the abusive conditions children endure in detention centers, particularly in the Bangkok immigration detention center, one of the most heavily used facilities, where children are held in filthy, overcrowded cells without adequate nutrition, education, or exercise space. Thailand's use of immigration detention violates children's rights under international law, risks their health and wellbeing, and imperils their capacity to mentally and physically grow and thrive. Children should not lose any of their childhood in immigration detention. Alternatives to detention exist and are used effectively in other countries, such as open reception centers and conditional release programs. Such programs, generally a cheaper option, respect children's rights and protect their future. Given the serious risks of permanent harm from depriving children of liberty, Thailand should immediately cease detention of children because of their immigration status. Details: New York: HRW, 2014. 89p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 8, 2014 at: http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/thailand0914_ForUpload_0.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Thailand Keywords: Immigrant Children (Thailand) Shelf Number: 133594 |
Author: Lum, Meagan Title: Contemporary approaches to stopping the illegal ivory trade: a case study in cultural motivations Summary: Elephants and their ivory have a rich and long history in Thailand. However, the demand for ivory in Thailand is dramatically affecting elephant populations, particularly African elephants. While the consumption of ivory is banned in most countries, Thailand still allows for domestic consumption, resulting in the mixing of legal and illegal ivory. Understanding the cultural traditions that gives rise to contemporary values and beliefs about the consumption of ivory can provide significant and critical insight into why people consume it. This study argues that greater contextual understanding of cultural beliefs can make awareness campaigns more effective at reducing the consumption of ivory. To understand cultural motivations more deeply, this study uses a sociological perspective, primarily that of Pierre Bourdieu. This provides a more contextual engagement with Thai consumers, reconnects them with cultural values about elephants and their importance in Thai society, and works towards a shift in attitudes about consuming ivory. Details: Burnaby, BC, Canada: Simon Fraser University, 2014. 68p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed October 15, 2015 at: http://summit.sfu.ca/item/14215 Year: 2014 Country: Thailand Keywords: Animal Poaching Shelf Number: 133918 |
Author: Care for the Wild International Title: Exploiting the Tiger: Illegal Trade, Animal Cruelty and Tourists at Risk at the Tiger Temple Summary: Following the worldwide broadcast of a two-part television documentary on the Thai Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi by Animal Planet, this facility has become a popular tourist destination that attracts hundreds of international visitors each day. The Tiger Temple's success is based around claims that its tigers were rescued from poachers and live and move freely and peacefully amongst the temple's monks, who are actively engaged in conservation and rescue work. Prompted by concerns raised by tourists and Tiger Temple volunteer workers, Care for the Wild International's (CWI) investigation uncovered disturbing evidence of serious conservation and animal welfare concerns, including: - illegal tiger trafficking - systematic physical abuse of the tigers held at the temple, and - high risk interactions between tigers and tourists. This report is based on information collected between 2005 and 2008. Details: Kingsfold, UK: Care for the Wild International, 2008. 26p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 4, 2015 at: http://www.careforthewild.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/tigertemplereport08_final_v11.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Thailand Keywords: Animal Cruelty Shelf Number: 135909 |
Author: Felbab-Brown, Vanda Title: Enabling war and peace: Drugs, logs, gems, and wildlife in Thailand and Burma Summary: In this policy paper, Vanda Felbab-Brown explores the relationship between conflict, peace dynamics, and drugs and other illicit economies in Thailand and Myanmar/Burma since the 1960s through the current period. In both cases, drugs and other illicit economies fueled insurgencies and ethnic separatism. Yet both Myanmar and Thailand are in different ways (controversial) exemplars of how to suppress conflict in the context of the drugs-conflict nexus. They both show that the central premise of the narcoinsurgency/narcoterrorism conventional approach - in order to defeat militants, bankrupt them by destroying the illicit drug economy on which they rely - was ineffective and counterproductive. At the same time, however, in both Thailand and Myanmar, recent anti-drug policies have either generated new hidden violent social conflict or threaten to unravel the fragile ethnic peace. The leading research finding and policy implications are: While illicit economies fuel conflict, their suppression is often counterproductive for ending conflict and can provoke new forms of conflict. Prioritization and sequencing of government efforts to end conflict and reduce illicit economies is crucial. So is recognizing that suppressing poppy at the cost of exacerbating logging or wildlife trafficking is not an adequate policy outcome. Learning the right lessons is acutely important for Burma/Myanmar, which, after the overwhelming victory of the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung Sang Suu Kyi in the November 2015 elections, is entering a new political order and a new phase in peace negotiations with ethnic separatist groups. Although the Myanmar military will not give up its influence on the ethnic peace processes, Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD will become far more involved in the negotations, having drawn important support from the contested ethnic areas allowed to participate in the election. At the same time, the NLD and Suu Kyi (whatever her formal title in the new government will be) will need to carefully structure and calibrate their relationships with external donors and trading partners, such as China and the United States, many of which will seek to shape policies toward drugs and other extractive and illegal economies, including logging, mining, and wildlife trafficking. Details: Washington, DC: Center for East Asia Policy Studies at Brookings, 2015. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: East Asia Policy Paper 7: Accessed February 8, 2016 at: http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2015/12/thailand-burma-drugs-wildlife-felbabbrown/policy-paper-7--webv5.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Thailand Keywords: Illegal Trade Shelf Number: 137783 |
Author: Verite Title: A Verite Assessment of Recruitment Practices and Migrant Labor Conditions in Nestle's Thai Shrimp Supply Chain Summary: Seeking to better understand the risks of forced labor and human trafficking in the Thai seafood industry, Nestle contracted Verite to conduct a focused investigation of six production sites in Thailand - three shrimp farms (one in Mahachai and two in Surat Thani), two ports of origin (Ranong Fish Port and Mahachai Fish Port), and one docked fishing boat (in Ranong Fish Port). These sites were identified by a third-party supply chain mapping consultant as being linked with the fishmeal (or fish feed) used as feed input in farms producing whole prawns for Nestle. Verite assessed these and a number of other worksites in the same supply chain. The three-month assessment focused on forced labor and trafficking risks in the recruitment, hiring, employment and living conditions of foreign migrant workers in the targeted vessel-to-marketplace shrimp and fishmeal supply chain of one of Nestle's key suppliers. The findings of this assessment are largely consistent with those of Verite's prior research and other assessment work in the Thai seafood sector, as well as with reporting done by media and other organizations. B. Key Findings Verite found indicators of forced labor, trafficking, and child labor to be present among sea-based and land-based workers engaged in the production sites covered by the assessment. - Workers interviewed by Verite had been subjected to deceptive recruitment practices that started in their home countries, transported to Thailand under inhumane conditions, charged excessive fees leading to debt bondage in some cases, exposed to exploitative and hazardous working conditions, and, at the time of assessment, were living under sub-par to degrading conditions. - Workers reported that they were not provided with adequate information about the terms of their work at the point of their recruitment and, often, the actual conditions of the work were severe, including excessive overtime, no days off, and few protections against working hazards. A few workers reported having been 'sold' to a boat captain or being transported by a broker to a port, with the only alternative to joining the crew being to buy back the contract. - Verite found few and typically inadequate mechanisms for age-verification of workers, and identified underage workers engaged in sea-based work. - Grievance mechanisms for sea-based workers and most land-based workers were largely absent, with little to no communication available to fishers while at sea. - Compounding these issues, workers often lacked appropriate documentation, which would have lent them some level of protection against threats of detention, deportation, and denunciation to the authorities. Even when workers did have appropriate documentation, withholding of passports and personal documents by employers was found to be a common practice. - Pay practices for sea-based workers often resulted in employers withholding workers' total pay. Workers had no means of verifying if they were receiving the wages owed them, and could not leave their employment without potentially facing financial penalties. - Workers also reported intimidation, harassment, and verbal and physical abuse. Freedom of movement was restricted for fishers even when not at sea. Land-based workers reported constant surveillance and intimidation by the local authorities. - Verite found the use of an illegal substance among workers on fishing boats to be rampant; supervisors/crew leaders were fully aware but did not restrict use, as the substance kept workers awake and able to perform long work hours. Details: Amherst, MA: Verite, 2016? 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 21, 2016 at: http://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/images/NestleReport-ThaiShrimp_prepared-by-Verite.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Thailand Keywords: Debt Bondage Shelf Number: 138352 |
Author: Friends International Title: Bangkok Street Children Profile Summary: Most beggars in Bangkok are not from Thailand. They are migrants from neighboring countries, such as Cambodia or Burma, who are drawn to the city's lucrative begging opportunities. These beggars must accept a high level of risk when they travel to Thailand; many are thrown in jail and then deported in a worse state than before. But the biggest issue arises when they bring their children to work on the streets with them. They are at risk of being abused and exploited, are often unhealthy and are in danger of being hit by cars or motorcycles. There are more than 20,000 street children in Thailand's major urban areas. In a single day, a child can earn 300 baht ($10) to 1,000 baht ($30) - much more than the amount a Cambodian or Burmese living in poverty makes back home. In Phnom Penh, for instance, scavenging rubbish all day will only earn a child 16 baht ($0.50). Cambodians make up around 80 percent of Thailand's child beggars. Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world and half of its population is children. Beggars who are from Thailand usually hail from the northeast Isan region, where 40 percent of the country's poor comes from. Their parents come to Bangkok to find work, usually as motorcycle taxi drivers or construction workers. When they have children, they realize they cannot afford to take care of them. Distrustful of the government-run orphanages, many simply abandon their children in the hands of babysitters, hoping they will find a home there. However, these children are often made to work on the streets to earn some money for their upkeep, according to chairwoman Darat Pitaksit of the Young Women's Christian Association (YMCA) in Bankok, an organization that works with underprivileged children. Because going to school is mandatory until the sixth grade, most Thai children manage to attend at least primary school. Secondary school attendance in Bangkok, however, drops by 20 percent. Despite it being the richest area of Thailand, rates of attendance are lower in Bangkok than anywhere else in the country because of the presence of migrant workers' children and the lifestyles they are made to lead. Contrary to common perception, these street children, both from Thailand and neighboring countries, do not fall into crime, drugs, or other illicit activity. "Thai children are raised to respect their elders," Pitaksit says. "In addition, the belief in karma helps them to be more accepting of their hardships in life." Similarly, Cambodian children would often rather beg on the streets than go to school, says Chantana Sueprom, a staff member of the UNICEF supported NGO Friends International. They feel it is their duty to help their parents earn money. Details: Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Friends-International, 2012. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 13, 2016 at: http://www.admcf.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BangkokStreetChildrenProfile2012.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Thailand Keywords: Begging Shelf Number: 139423 |
Author: Robinson, Courtland Title: Anti-Human Trafficking in Thailand: A Stakeholder Analysis of Thai Government Efforts, the U.S. TIP Report and Rankings, and Recommendations for Action Summary: The goal of this study was to conduct an assessment of Thailand's initiatives to counter human trafficking in the last five years, through a review of documents and key informant interviews (KIIs) with a range of experts, including officials from the Royal Thai Government (RTG) and U.S. Government (USG), non - governmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations (IOs), and academic institutions (ACA). This study also included an assessment of the methodology used by the U.S. Department of State's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office) to rank foreign country efforts to eliminate severe forms of trafficking in persons. The study was supported by a research grant from the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C. which commissioned the services of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH), Center for Refugee and Disaster Response, to assess Thailand's anti - trafficking activities and to assess the methodologies used in the TIP country rankings and to make recommendations for improving empirical measurement of human trafficking and documentation of anti - trafficking efforts. The specific objectives of this study were as follows: - Objective 1: To conduct a documents review of relevant research, policy and other documents related to human trafficking in Thailand, including reports by UN and international organizations, non - governmental organizations (NGOs), Thailand Government reports, and U.S. Government reports, including the annual Trafficking in Persons (T IP) Reports . - Objective 2: To conduct key informant interviews (KIIs) with individuals who are knowledgeable about Thailand's anti - trafficking initiatives and/or the TIP Reports - analysis and ranking methodologies. These included Thai and U.S. Government of ficials, international and non - governmental organizations, and academics. Each was invited to offer professional perspectives on the Thai Government's efforts to combat trafficking in persons and the TIP Report country assessments and rankings. - Objective 3 : To utilize the documents review and results of the de - identified key informant interviews to produce a report to be shared with Thai and U.S. government agencies and with the broader public to recommend improvements in Thailand's anti - trafficking initiatives as well as approaches for empirical measurement of human trafficking and documentation of anti - trafficking efforts. Details: Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2016. 187p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 2, 2016 at: http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/center-for-refugee-and-disaster-response/Anti-Trafficking-in-Thailand-30Jun2016.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Thailand Keywords: Anti-Human Trafficking Shelf Number: 139941 |
Author: Woods, Kevin Title: Baseline Study 5, Thailand: Overview of Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Summary: Thailand diverges from neighboring regional Mekong countries, with a decade or more experience of actively pursuing policies to combat domestic illegal logging and internal transportation. The 1989 logging ban, and the rise of grassroots social movements organizing around large-scale plantations and community displacement, has meant that Thai forestry institutions have needed to become more responsive to environmental and social concerns. Forest cover decline in Thailand has generally been stabilized in the last few decades, and forests are even increasing in extent in some areas. Decentralization and community-based natural resource management is now a mainstream policy theme in the country, although tangible implementation has been uneven. In general, Thai state institutions have been responsive to local stakeholders and forest sector enterprises, in terms of developing a dynamic and effective policy framework based on a long-term vision that links forests, communities, conservation and economic development. These are welcome developments - the question is whether the reforms will be implemented equitably and effectively. Details: Washington, DC: Forest Trends, 2011. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 20, 2016 at: http://www.forest-trends.org/documents/files/doc_3180.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Thailand Keywords: Forest Law Enforcement Shelf Number: 145608 |
Author: Amnesty International Title: Summary: Silencing human rights activists who highlight human rights violations will not solve the problem of torture and other ill-treatment in Thailand, Amnesty International said today. In Bangkok, Thailand's authorities prevented Amnesty International from proceeding with the launch of "Make Him Speak by Tomorrow: Torture and Other Ill-Treatment in Thailand." This report details torture and other ill-treatment at the hands of soldiers and the police against suspected insurgents, government opponents, and a range of individuals from vulnerable backgrounds, including alleged drug users and minorities. "The Thai authorities should be addressing torture, not human rights activists doing their legitimate work. Instead of threatening us with arrest and prosecution, they should be holding the perpetrators of torture accountable. It is an appalling state of affairs when speaking up for human rights can be criminalised but torture continues with impunity," said Minar Pimple, Amnesty International's Senior Director, Global Operations. Details: London: AI, 2016. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 13, 2016 at: http://www.amnestyusa.org/sites/default/files/makehimspeakthailandreportfinal.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Thailand Keywords: Human Rights Abuses Shelf Number: 145443 |
Author: Bergbom, Katie Title: Trapped in the Kitchen of the World: The situation for migrant workers in Thailand's poultry industry Summary: Thailand is a prominent world supplier of poultry meat products. During the last couple of decades the nation's domestic production has experienced several booms, as the poultry industry has evolved into a main ingredient of Thailand's objective of becoming "the kitchen of the world". The EU has become its biggest market for export. About 270 000 tonnes of poultry meat products were shipped from Thailand to the EU in 2014. Sweden has imported poultry products from Thailand since at least the late 1990s. In 2014 Thailand was Sweden's second largest supplier of processed poultry products, after Denmark. Recently Sweden launched a National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights with the explicit expectation that all Swedish companies shall respect human rights, as specified in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP). With this report Swedwatch aims to investigate the levels of social responsibility taken by Swedish stakeholders in their trade with Thai suppliers, from the perspective of the above mentioned standards. Thai industries are grappling with a shortage of domestic labour. Like many of Thailand's labour intensive sectors the poultry industry too has found a remedy across the borders, in the neighboring countries. In search for better salaries and the possibility to send money back home, millions of migrant workers from mainly Cambodia and Myanmar have formed the lowest level of Thailand's labour pyramid. Many of these people have also become victims of unscrupulous employers and recruiters as well as corrupt officials. This report indicates that violations of migrant workers' rights occur in Thailand's poultry industry, in resemblance to other Thai sectors that have been exposed by the media during the latest years. According to the global labour rights organization Solidarity Center, migrant workers in Thailand experience some of the worst abuse in the world. Interviews with 98 migrant workers employed by four different Thai poultry producers, that all have exported to Sweden during the last three years, show an extensive variation of violations. In total, six factories were included in the field study. Based on the interviews, four of the factories were found to act in breach of many or all of Thailand's main labour and social protection laws as well as international laws and standards formulated by the UN, ILO and others, at the time of the field study. Migrant workers at all factories included in the study state that personal documents such as passports or work permits have been confiscated by their employers or recruitment agencies. The interviews reveal that workers are in different levels of debt bondage due to excessive recruitment fees and other costs at all selected factories. Interviewees at all factories stated that they had not received health insurance though fees were deducted from their salaries. These practices are only a few examples revealed by the field study. All are indicators of trafficking of adults for labour exploitation, according to the International Labour Organization, ILO. Workers at four of the six factories said there was child labour, at three of the factories with workers as young as 14 years old. Employing youth under 15 years of age is in breach of Thailand's Labour Protection Act of 1998. Thai poultry meat products follow a complex supply chain before they reach the consumer in private restaurants and cafs, public hospitals and schools or at family dinner tables in Sweden. The EU legislation regarding indication of origin on processed food means that products labelled as having an EU country as origin, actually may come from third countries such as Thailand. This makes it near impossible to estimate the total volume of Thai poultry imported to the Swedish market annually. According to one of the Swedish importers, at least half of all the Thai poultry meat that is consumed in Sweden is not included in the official statistics of import. Swedwatch's survey of Swedish stakeholders involved in the import of poultry products from Thailand shows that this decades long business relation was initiated with a focus on animal welfare and product quality, and with no meaningful due diligence performed on potential adverse human rights impacts in the industry. Of the stakeholders interviewed for this report only Axfood, a wholesaler, has started to perform due diligence on adverse human rights impacts in Thailand's poultry industry. Other than that, the UNGP and the Swedish government's National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights are still unknown to many actors in Sweden's food sector. This report further reveals extensive shortcomings of social responsibility in Swedish public procurement of food. Public procurers at county councils and municipalities do not have the routines to set social criteria in their procurement of food. Audits to ensure that their codes of conduct are fulfilled throughout their supply chains are generally not performed due to lack of resources. This means that children and adults in Sweden's public institutions such as schools, retirement homes and hospitals may be served poultry products produced by exploited migrant workers. For this report Swedwatch has also conducted a survey of supermarket chains on the Swedish market. The focus was on house brands containing poultry products. The results show that one out of five food companies included in the survey use Thai poultry in their house brands. This report makes several recommendations. Thai companies should ensure that all forms of unlawful recruitment fees are stopped and ensure that brokers are not charging migrant workers costs leading to debt bondage. As a minimum all the companies should comply with Thai labour legislation. Stakeholders at the Swedish food market that are linked to the import of Thai poultry products should assure that their suppliers follow international labour right standards as expressed in the ILO core conventions. Importers and wholesalers should conduct due diligence on adverse human rights impacts and show with commitment and transparency how potential risks are identified and mitigated, in accordance with the guidelines of the UNGP. Food should be identified as a risk category in trade, not only when it comes to animal welfare and product quality. Details: Stockholm: SwedWatch, 2015. 73p. Source: Internet Resource: Report #76: Accessed October 15, 2016 at: http://www.swedwatch.org/sites/default/files/tmp/76_thaikyckling_151123_ab.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Thailand Keywords: Child Labor Shelf Number: 144878 |
Author: Macdonald, Virginia Title: Drug Control and Harm Reduction in Thailand Summary: In South East Asia, Thailand is lauded for its success in reversing an HIV epidemic in the 1990s, particularly amongst sex workers. Thailand is also known for its success in significantly reducing opium cultivation, and implementing effective alternative development programmes for opium farmers. However, other aspects of the government's response to illicit drug markets in Thailand undermine these successes and have been characterised by the exclusion and marginalisation of people who use drugs, which has fuelled on-going epidemics of HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) among this population. The Thai government's response to drug use continues to be one of 'zero-tolerance', focused on eradicating drug consumption and production with the imposition of harsh punishment for drug-related crimes, ranging from compulsory detention to the death penalty. This response reflects the regional commitment to achieving a 'drug-free ASEAN by 2015'. Details: London: International Drug Policy Consortium, 2013. 15p. Source: Internet Resource: IDPC Briefing Paper: Accessed October 17, 2016 at: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/566349360/library/IDPC-briefing-paper-Thailand-drug-policy-English.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Thailand Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction Shelf Number: 144866 |
Author: Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) Title: Slavery at Sea: The Continued Plight of Trafficked Migrants in Thailand's Fishing Industry Summary: In the last two years, nothing has changed on the issue of human trafficking in fisheries... It just stays the same. Nothing new, no improvements – because the problems are still there. Kyaw Lin Oo, interpreter for victims of human trafficking Thailand is the third largest seafood exporter in the world, • with seafood exports valued at $7.3 billion in 2011. The European Union imported more than $1.15 billion (€835.5 million) worth of seafood from Thailand in 2012, while the value of imports by the United States exceeded $1.6 billion in 2013. The Thai fishing industry remains heavily reliant on -- trafficked and forced labour. It is clear that rising overheads, exacerbated by the need to spend more time at sea for smaller catches due to over-fishing and chronic mismanagement of the fishery will continue to encourage these abuses. As boat operators have looked to cut costs, working -- conditions and wages have suffered, causing many workers to turn away from the industry and forcing some employers to rely on criminal trafficking networks to meet the labour shortfall. NGOs, international organisations, governments and -- industry have identified the Thai seafood sector as an area of high concern for forced and trafficked labour. Thailand has spent four consecutive years on the Tier 2 "Watchlist" of the US Department of State's Trafficking in Persons report and now faces a mandatory downgrade to Tier 3 in 2014 if the major issues are not adequately addressed. To address a series of criticisms made by observers, -- Thailand's Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) released the 2013 National Action Plan to Prevent and Suppress Human Trafficking (NAP). The document itself is broad in scope and undermined by vague objectives. EJF investigations have revealed evidence that the Thai Government is falling far short of critical commitments made in the action plan. Investigations in 2014 document the continued prevalence -- of trafficking in the Thai fishing industry, with operators now taking greater precaution to avoid detection, including transhipping trafficked workers at sea. Corruption remains a major obstacle to efforts to -- combat human trafficking in Thailand. EJF investigations uncovered evidence of continued police collusion in the trafficking and exploitation of migrant workers aboard Thai fishing boats. Further, EJF's investigations reveal that local officials often provide protection and even assistance to unscrupulous brokers and business owners engaged in the trafficking and abuse of migrant workers. The case of the 14 men rescued from a port in Kantang -- first reported in EJF's 2013 "Sold to the Sea report" reveals serious structural failings in how Thai authorities deal with human trafficking victims and cases more generally. After nearly a year in a Government shelter and little progress on their case, the victims told EJF in 2014 that they are frustrated and now more focused on returning home than pursuing their case. Without determined action at the highest levels of -- Government to identify and successfully prosecute criminals, corrupt officials and unscrupulous business operators, alongside the introduction and enforcement of comprehensive measures to regulate Thailand's fishing fleets and recruitment practices, violence, exploitation and slavery will remain an ongoing feature of Thailand's seafood industry. Details: London: EJF, 2014. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 9, 2016 at: https://ejfoundation.org/sites/default/files/public/EJF_Slavery-at-Sea_report_2014_web-ok.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Thailand Keywords: Fishing Industry Shelf Number: 145617 |
Author: Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) Title: Pirates and Slaves: How Overfishing in Thailand Fuels Human Trafficking and the Plundering of Our Oceans Summary: The report calls for overfishing, pirate fishing and modern-day slavery in the Thai fishing industry to be addressed as interconnected issues. It examines the complex and multi-faceted problems in Thailand’s fisheries sector and offers recommendations by which the Thai Government and producers, buyers, retailers and consumers of Thai seafood can tackle the root causes of the widespread environmental devastation and human rights abuses in the industry, and collectively secure truly sustainable, well-managed fisheries. Effective fisheries management in Thailand could help combat pirate fishing, halt biodiversity loss, enable ecosystems and fish stocks to recover, and bring an end to human trafficking and devastating human rights abuses. Details: London: EJF, 2015. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 9, 2016 at: http://ejfoundation.org/report/pirates-and-slaves-how-overfishing-thailand-fuels-human-trafficking-and-plundering-our-oceans Year: 2015 Country: Thailand Keywords: Fishing Industry Shelf Number: 140367 |
Author: Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) Title: Thailand's Seafood Slaves: Human Trafficking, Slavery and Murder in Kantang's Fishing Industry Summary: -- Human trafficking and slavery are global problems. It is estimated that as many as 35.8 million men, women and children are currently victims of human trafficking around the world. -- Thailand is the 30th largest economy in the world with a GDP of US$404 billion. -- The Thai seafood industry employs more than 800,000 people, while seafood exports are valued at $6 billion. -- A growing number of independent reports over the past decade have documented abuses of workers trafficked on to Thai fishing vessels, including bonded, forced and slave labour and the use of extreme violence. One report by the United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking (UNIAP) found that 59% of trafficked migrants interviewed aboard Thai fishing vessels reported witnessing the murder of a fellow worker. -- Thailand's fish stocks and marine biodiversity are in crisis. The Thai fishing industry has undergone decades of over- fishing and astonishingly poor fisheries management. Rapid industrialisation during the 20 th Century has resulted in too many vessels using destructive and unsustainable fishing methods to catch too many fish. The overall catch per unit effort (CPUE) in both the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea has plummeted by more than 86% since 1966, making Thai waters among the most over-fished regions on the planet. -- The pressure on Thailand's over-exploited fish stocks has been and continues to be due in large part to the demand for animal feeds and farmed shrimp. The fishmeal industry has masked the true economic and ecological costs of over- fishing by over-valuing the trash fish which constitutes one of its key raw materials. -- The lack of an adequate fisheries management regime and effective enforcement along with extensive corruption have facilitated overfishing in Thailand, which has generated economic pressures that fuel the ongoing, widespread use of slave labour. -- Exhausted fish stocks mean that vessels are staying at sea longer and going further afield, often fishing illegally in other nations’ territorial waters, to bring in diminishing catches. In turn operators are using human trafficking networks and bonded, forced and slave labour to crew their vessels and depress costs. This largely export-focused industry is able to carry on providing cheap products to western markets as a direct result of these human rights abuses. Consumers in the west are eating product contaminated with slavery, 'pirate' fishing, corruption and criminality. Details: London: EJF, 2015. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 9, 2016 at: http://ejfoundation.org/sites/default/files/public/EJF-Thailand-Seafood-Slaves-low-res.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Thailand Keywords: Fishing Industry Shelf Number: 145618 |
Author: Netrabukkana, Pimporn Title: Imprisonment in Thailand: The Impact of the 2003 War on Drugs Policy Summary: The major objective of this study was to analyse the impact of the 2003 war on drugs policy on imprisonment and the prison social world in Thailand. While most studies on the drugs war have focused mainly on the quantitative increase in the prison population in the penal systems as the policy’s main impact, this research further examined the social shifts in Thai prisons driven by the drugs war. The data were qualitatively collected and analysed through documentary analysis, observations and in-depth interviews with forty-six participants: the former Director Generals of The Corrections Department, prison inmates, prison officers, and prison directors from Bangkwang Central Prison, Klongprem Central Prison, The Central Correctional Institution for Drug-addicts and The Women's Correctional Institution for Drug-addicts. Although the Thai government declared a victory in the drugs war by claiming that the drug business had almost been eradicated due to the decrease in the size of the prison population and in the number of drug case arrests, in reality some changes caused by the drugs war within the prison world have been overlooked. The findings of this thesis reveal that the war on drugs produced significant effects upon various spheres of imprisonment. By dividing the framework into several levels for analysis focusing on prison inmates, prison officers and the social relationships behind bars, the lives and experiences of prisoners and prison officers are shown to have been effected in a negative and tougher way. Besides, there have been changes in social relations among prisoners and between inmates and prison officers. Crucially, the key factor leading to the policy impact was the replacement by the more powerful drug dealers in Thai prisons for drug users, due to the Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Act B.E. 2545 (2002), which was a significant feature of the 2003 drugs war. Details: Colchester, UK: University of Essex, 2016. 294p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed March 20, 2017 at: http://repository.essex.ac.uk/16374/1/resubmit_25022016.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Thailand Keywords: Drug Abuse and Crime Shelf Number: 144509 |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Title: Criminal justice response to wildlife crime in Thailand: A Rapid Assessment Summary: Thailand is a country rich in biological diversity, and home to unique and rare species of flora and fauna including the iconic tiger and Asian elephant. In Thailand - as elsewhere - there is a constant battle between conservation and development. Habitat loss, poaching and trafficking, human-wildlife conflict, and domestic use of wildlife has impacted heavily on many of Thailand's native plant and animal species, including those afforded protection under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). These include high-value timber species such as Dalbergia cochinchinensis commonly known as Siamese Rosewood (Appendix II) and fauna species such as the Indochinese and Malayan Tiger (Appendix I), Leopard (Appendix I), Clouded Leopard (Appendix I), Elephant (Appendix I), Sun Bear (Appendix I) and Sunda Pangolin (Appendix I). The objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the criminal justice system response to wildlife crime, given the role of Thailand as a source, transit and destination for CITES-protected flora and fauna. The research is based on a field visit to Thailand, a review of the available primary and secondary data, and interviews with key interlocutors from the government agencies. Interviews were mainly conducted with key players of the criminal justice system such as prosecutors, police, customs and environment/forestry officials involved in law enforcement. Wherever possible, interviews were conducted at the level of departmental head or deputy. For the purposes of this report "wildlife crime" refers to the taking, trading (supplying, selling or trafficking), importing, exporting, processing, possessing, obtaining or consumption of wild fauna in contravention of national or international law. This study has placed significant importance on the analysis of the domestic legal framework. The political commitment to use criminal justice resources to target the illegal exploitation and trade in timber and wildlife crime is one of the starting points for this country analysis. Criminal justice systems deal with multiple crimes and face considerable public and political pressure on a range of issues. In practice, criminal justice actors prioritize their interventions to meet the extensive demands on their services in the best way possible, given the limited resources at their disposal. While criminal justice systems are designed in theory to respond to all crimes, the purpose of this report is to map out as far as possible the processes by which wildlife crimes are investigated and prosecuted and by whom. The latter question is critical: Wildlife crime falls in the purview of multiple departments in Thailand, and effective coordination between them is crucial for success. The recommendations of the report are aimed at national policy makers, but also at generating a wider discussion as to how criminal justice interventions could play a more effective role in tackling transnational organized wildlife crime. The opening section provides a brief overview of the illicit wildlife trade in Thailand and the role the country plays in the global trade as a source, transit and destination country. The report then briefly examines the legal framework of wildlife-specific environmental law in Thailand. It illustrates how these laws, although adequate to address internal issues, have created loopholes that have been exploited by criminal gangs to the detriment of flora and fauna originating from countries outside of Thailand. It provides a short overview of the key issues and mechanisms through which criminal justice systems could play a more important role in the response to these illicit trades. It also identifies the key enforcement agencies, how these agencies interact, and their capabilities to undertake complex investigations. It addresses international cooperation and examines the role played by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN WEN) and other platforms. It also addresses corruption, and the challenges faced by Thailand to identify and defeat this pervasive threat. Finally, the report concludes with several recommendations. Thailand can play a major role in tackling the global problem of transnational organized wildlife crime. It has the necessary expertise, and, after some minor (but far-reaching) amendments, it could have the legal framework to seriously challenge the criminal networks plundering the world's natural resources. To achieve this, all that is needed is a shift in focus from the domestic borders towards the broader supply chain. Thailand has shown that it is a leader within ASEAN, now it has an opportunity to accept its place as a global leader in the fight against transnational wildlife crime. Details: Bangkok: UNODC, 2017. 51p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 19, 2018 at: https://www.unodc.org/documents/southeastasiaandpacific/Publications/2017/Thai_Assessment_13_16_May_2017.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Thailand Keywords: Forests Shelf Number: 148880 |
Author: Stiles, Daniel Title: The Elephant and Ivory Trade in Thailand Summary: Asian Elephants and the ivory they carry have been important elements of Thailand's history and culture for centuries. Since the latter part of the 20th century the future of Thailand's wild and captive elephants has increasingly looked uncertain. Human population growth, forest clearance, wild capture for domestication and poaching for ivory have all contributed to the elephant's wild population decline. The elephant is of crucial conservation importance because of the species contribution to forest ecology, national identity and tourism. This report aims to contribute to elephant conservation in Thailand and throughout all elephant range States by presenting the status and trends of elephant and ivory trading in the country. The demand for ivory as a result of rapid economic development during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in East Asia, led to rampant poaching and the serious decline of elephants in many Asian and African range countries. Various measures were introduced under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in the hope of reducing threats to elephant populations through the regulation of international ivory trade. The Asian Elephant Elephas maximus was put in Appendix I and the African Elephant Loxodonta africana in Appendix II at the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) in 1976. By 1989, because of the serious decline in many African Elephant populations, the Parties agreed to transfer the species to Appendix I. This decision of the 7th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES effectively constituted a ban on all commercial international trade in elephants and elephant products, including ivory, except under certain exceptional circumstances. The internal trade of wild elephants and their products from Thailand, and from international sources, is illegal under the Wild Animal Reservation and Protection Act of 1992 (WARPA). Wild elephants are classified as totally protected animals. WARPA and the Wild Elephant Protection Act of 1921 prohibit the killing of wild elephants or their capture without official permission from the government. Domesticated Thai elephants, however, fall under the Draught Animal Act of 1939 (along with cows, water buffalo and other livestock); this Act does not ban the trade of domesticated elephants nor the possession or sale of ivory from domesticated elephants of Thai origin. The field work for this report was carried out in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and the Phayuha Kiri and Uthai Thani area south of Nakhon Sawan from 2 to 23 December 2006 and in Bangkok from 16 to 25 February 2007. A follow-up monitoring and assessment survey was carried out in the same areas from 14 January to 9 February 2008. TRAFFIC recorded the number and types of ivory items seen for sale and obtained a representative set of prices. The vendors were interviewed to ask them where they obtained the ivory, how well it was selling in order to assess turnover, who the main buyers were and if they knew where any ivory carving workshops were located. TRAFFIC then visited ivory craftsmen who could be located and interviewed them in an attempt to find out where they obtained their raw ivory, what prices they paid for different weight and type classes and where they sold their products. They were also asked if they exported their products anywhere or if they sold on the Internet. This study of Thailand's ivory trade raises similar issues to those discussed at the 54th meeting of the CITES Standing Committee in 2006 concerning the Thai governments commitment to CITES regulations and resolutions. The illegal trade in live elephants and ivory still flourishes in Thailand in spite of efforts by both the international community and local authorities to address problems in law enforcement and compliance with existing laws and CITES regulations. Details: Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia: TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, 2009. 73p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 20, 2018 at: https://testportals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/Traf-107.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Thailand Keywords: Elephants Shelf Number: 115666 |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: Hidden Chains: Rights Abuses and Forced Labor in Thailand's Fishing Industry Summary: Starting in 2014, widespread investigative reporting on the Thai fishing industry revealed systematic trafficking of migrant fishers, primarily from Burma and Cambodia, into conditions of shocking brutality. International condemnation followed, prompting the Thai government to enact reforms. Yet several years on, the government's highly publicized efforts have not curtailed forced labor or other abuses that migrant workers face at the hands of boat owners, skippers, and brokers. Hidden Chains documents the failed regulatory response and ongoing practices that leave migrant fishers highly vulnerable to abuse. Based on interviews with 248 current and former fishers-including at least 95 victims of trafficking-and industry and government officials, the report details the weak implementation of recent government initiatives that has perpetuated a culture of abuse and impunity. New inspection systems and registration processes have enabled the concealment of exploitation and rights violations behind a veneer of compliance. Fishers continue to be trapped in desperate situations without access to protection or remedy. Human RightsWatch calls on the Thai government to enact stand-alone legislation to prohibit all forms of forced labor, which should ensure protections forvictims and accountability for perpetrators of abuse. The government should amend laws and regulations to protect migrants' labor rights, including permitting migrant workers to establish unions. Governments, including European Union member states and the United States, should maintain pressure on Thailand to make substantive progress toward eliminating forced labor. Details: New York: HRW, 2018. 148p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 7, 2018 at: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/thailand0118_report_web.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Thailand Keywords: Fishing Industry Shelf Number: 149017 |
Author: Todd, Matthew Title: Trade in Malagasy Reptiles and Amphibians in Thailand Summary: Wild-caught Malagasy reptiles and amphibians occur widely in Thailand's pet trade. These animals are largely endemic to specific areas of Madagascar and are frequently captured and traded illegally, often for the international market. Loopholes exist in Thailands wildlife legislation that keep legislation from adequately protecting non-native species listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), thus perpetuating trade. During 2004 and 2005, origins of Malagasy chameleons were intentionally mis-declared by Thai wildlife dealers to obtain excessive "legal" CITES import permits covering a maximum of 3738 individuals. This is thought to be the paperwork foundation for the laundering of smuggled animals into trade in recent years. Possession of these permits allows issuance of re-export permits and legitimizes specimens retained in national trade. The Thai reptile industry directly supplies smuggled taxa for domestic trade and may be a major source of laundered Malagasy reptiles into international trade. This trade route (with Thailand as the main hub) for wild caught taxa was also reported to figure prominently in the laundering of South American poison arrow frogs by Nijman and Shepherd (2010). A total of 591 specimens were observed, representing 24 reptile species and seven amphibian species native to Madagascar during covert surveys conducted during January 2010 over 15 days across 32 vendors in Bangkok and eight vendors in provincial areas. Malagasy chameleons and tortoises were the most frequently encountered of all globally threatened wild-caught reptiles during this investigation. Of particular concern was the large scale trade in endemic Malagasy chameleons. These included specimens of both Calumma and Furcifer genera, all species of which are listed in Appendix II of CITES and the Antsingy Leaf Chameleon Brookesia perarmata, listed in Appendix I of CITES. Large scale trade in the Testudinidae family included three endemic and Critically Endangered species, all of which are listed in Appendix I of CITES; the Radiated Tortoise Astrochelys radiata, Ploughshare Tortoise A. yniphora and Spider Tortoise Pyxis arachnoides. By far the most heavily traded of all the Malagasy species encountered, were the Radiated Tortoise (106 individuals), Madagascan Horned Frog Scaphiophryne madagascariensis (67 individuals), Panther Chameleon Furcifer pardalis (60 individuals) and Brown Mantella Mantella betsileo (50 individuals). Traditionally, Chatuchak Market (or Weekend Market) in Bangkok has been the principal location for Thailand's trade in endangered reptilian taxa (Shepherd and Nijman, 2008). However, during this investigation, a decentralisation of trade has been observed with a significant proportion of trade carried out via the internet and from residential addresses. E-commerce was identified in the proceedings of the 15th Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP 15) as one of the most rapidly expanding global threats to endangered species (CITES, 2010c). Trade was also observed to be spreading to provincial cities and to other markets in the Bangkok area. Results of this investigation show that Thailand's reptile trade is rapidly expanding both in volume and by range of taxa represented, despite stable or decreasing availability at Chatuchak Market. The trade in illegal and high value species can effectively be considered "mobile" and operating "underground" in terms of physical location. A now mature and efficient network of dealers as well as both national and international clientele exist (TRAFFIC, 2008). In response to increased detection and surveillance, this network is able to function via the internet and from residential addresses without using public venues such as markets and shops. This has important implications for future surveying, monitoring and enforcement efforts by authorities, enforcement officials and NGOs. Details: Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia: TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, 2011. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 16, 2018 at: http://www.trafficj.org/publication/11_Trade_in_Malagasy_Reptile.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Thailand Keywords: Endangered Species Shelf Number: 149172 |
Author: International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) Title: Behind the Walls: A look at conditions in Thailand's prisons after the coup Summary: Thailand's prison population has steadily increased over the years and the country has the dubious distinction of having the largest prison population and the highest incarceration rate among Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states. For more than a decade, United Nations (UN) human rights mechanisms have expressed concern over prison conditions in Thailand. Regrettably, successive Thai governments have failed to make any progress in the implementation of the UN's recommendations and to uphold their own commitments to improve prison conditions. In addition, since the 2014 military coup, Thailand's junta has enforced measures that have caused conditions in the prisons to deteriorate. The junta also increased the use of military facilities to detain civilians. As documented in this report, Thailand's ongoing failure to enact a comprehensive prison reform has created conditions for human rights violations to be rife in its prison system in breach of the country's obligations under international instruments to which it is a state party. The Thai Department of Corrections' motto, 'Caring Custody, Meaningful Rehabilitation, International Standard Achievement', could not be further from the reality of the Thai prison system. Research conducted by FIDH and UCL on two large prisons in Bangkok suggests that Thailand's prison conditions fail to meet international standards and to create an environment conducive to the rehabilitation of prisoners. Overcrowding remains the most pressing issue in Thai prisons. Thailands average yearly prison population has steadily increased over the years and, aside from the periodic royal amnesties, no other effective and sustainable measures have been adopted to significantly reduce the population. Based on a standard to provide a surface area per prisoner of 2.25m , available official statistics representing 74% of Thailand's prisons and 91% of its overall prison population show that these prisons are operating with a prison population of more than double the intended capacity - with an occupancy level of 224%. Inadequate access to medical treatment, insufficient food and potable water, and poor sanitation facilities continue to plague the prisons examined in this report. It is likely that similar conditions exist in other prisons across Thailand. Medical care and special arrangements for pregnant women are particularly lacking. Prisoners are often subjected to exploitative labor practices characterized by harsh working conditions and insufficient remuneration. Punishment in prisons contravenes international standards and, in some cases, may amount to torture and ill-treatment. Prisoners' statements indicate that restraining devices, such as shackles, have been excessively used. Finally, inmates have reported unreasonable restrictions placed on visits and correspondence with family and friends. While procedures for making complaints exist, prisoners are afraid to lodge complaints out of fear of retaliation at the hands of prison officials. The situation has not improved since the 22 May 2014 military coup. Under the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) access to prisons has become more difficult. In addition, based on interviews with former prisoners and families of current inmates, FIDH and UCL were able to document that prison authorities have enforced stricter prison regulations and further curtailed prisoners' rights. Of particular concern is the increased use of military bases to detain civilians, which do not afford detainees many of their basic rights. The use of the Nakhon Chaisri temporary detention facility inside the 11th Army Circle base in Bangkok illustrates this trend. Since the establishment of Nakhon Chaisri less than two years ago, there has been a lack of access for independent monitors, two custodial deaths, and allegations of torture have surfaced. This report recommends numerous measures to improve detention conditions, including providing independent inspection bodies unfettered access to all prisons and allowing non-governmental organizations with a relevant mandate to conduct visits to places of detention, interview inmates, and assess conditions without undue hindrance. Details: Paris: FIDH, 2017. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 4, 2018 at: https://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/rapport_thailand_688a_web.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Thailand Keywords: Human Rights Abuses Shelf Number: 150332 |
Author: TRAFFIC Title: Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the Use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Thailand Summary: The prevalence of illegal wildlife trade on social media platforms is clearly increasing, facilitated by the rapid growth and widespread use of the internet, and the difficulties enforcement agencies face in tackling this rapidly growing crime. Online wildlife trade is on the rise across Southeast Asia, and perhaps more so in some countries, including Thailand, which has long been a hub of illegal wildlife trade. This is further illustrated by the sporadic arrests of illegal traders conducting business on online platforms such as Facebook. However, an assessment to determine the scale of this problem in Thailand has not been conducted, and therefore TRAFFIC carried out a rapid assessment of wildlife trade occurring on Facebook from June to July 2016. From the 12 Facebook groups monitored, a total of 1,521 live animals from at least 200 species were offered for sale. These were recorded over a 23-day period for just 30 minutes a day, from a total of 765 Facebook posts. Mammals accounted for a larger proportion of animals found advertised (516 individuals), though the highest number of species advertised were birds. Sunda Slow Lorises Nycticebus coucang were the most numerous (139 individuals) of all live animals recorded, followed by the African Spurred Tortoise Centrochelys sulcata (115 individuals). Slow lorises are a common sight in the streets in various locations in Thailand, particularly popular in some tourist locations as photo props. While groups generally focused on single species/products, or species groups, some offered a broader variety. Just over half of the species offered for sale are protected by law in Thailand under the countrys Wild Animal Reservation and Protection Act B.E. 2535 (1992) (WARPA), while the remaining species are currently not protected nor regulated by law. The highest proportion of species being offered for sale that were protected by WARPA involved birds, followed by mammals and reptiles. Reptiles constituted the highest proportion of species not protected by law. The vast majority of the live animals recorded are also assessed by IUCN -International Union for Conservation of Nature. Only two Critically Endangered species, the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil and Siamese Crocodile Crocodylus siamensis were recorded, both of which are protected by law in Thailand and listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Although only one Helmeted Hornbill was found to be advertised for sale during the survey, this Critically Endangered species is already highly threatened by poaching for trade and any offtake, even in minimal numbers, will have serious implications for the survival of the species in the wild. Five non-native CITES Appendix I listed Black Pond Turtles Geoclemys hamiltonni were also recorded for sale. This species is of high concern as it is currently experiencing illegal poaching and trade levels like never before. TRAFFICs past research showed that 1,865 Black Pond Turtles were seized between January 2013 and March 2014, with 57% of these occurring in Bangkok alone, and more recently between April 2014 to March 2016, close to 2,000 turtles were seized in just six cases in Thailand. This assessment shows how active wildlife trade is on Facebook in Thailand. It is an issue that needs immediate attention and action, particularly from law enforcement agencies and Facebook, who has since joined the Global Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online and is working with TRAFFIC and partners to address the issue. Despite the recent seizures and arrests of some traders in Thailand, the trade clearly continues to have an appeal to some sectors of Thai society. With at least 200 species advertised involving over 1,000 live animals, many of which are globally threatened and protected species, this problem deserves a far higher degree of concern and intervention. In July 2018, TRAFFICs research into these 12 Facebook groups showed that at least 9 of these groups remained active, selling both protected and non-protected species including those not native to the country. One of the 12 groups changed to become a Secret Group. The highest number of members in a group also increased tremendously - exceeding 68,000 members in 2018 compared to the 27,503 members recorded in 2016. This is reflective of the overall increase in membership for all groups - from 106,111 members in July 2016 to 203,445 members in July 2018. In view of this, TRAFFIC makes the following recommendations: Given that more than half of the wildlife recorded during this study is protected by law where trade is not permitted, enforcement efforts are critical in ending illegal trade. In April 2017, the Thai government established a dedicated unit to tackle online wildlife crime, locally known as "Yiaw Dong" or the Wild Hawk Unit which is a specialised taskforce under the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP). The unit is authorised to search, seize and arrest individuals linked to illegal possession and trade of wildlife in Thailand. Any effort to provide law enforcement support should therefore be done in co-ordination with the Wild Hawk Unit. Thailands primary wildlife protection legislation, WARPA, has many loopholes with very low penalties and is unable to stem illegal trade effectively. This aspect of the law is more acute where it concerns live animal trade. In fact, excluding corals, sea fans and giant clams, WARPA only lists 12 non-native speciesseven mammals, one bird, three reptiles and one butterfly. The perception that the WARPA is weak in Thailand could therefore be a motivating factor in sending a message that these animals can be traded at ease with few repercussions. TRAFFIC recommends that the current effort by the Thai government in revising the WARPA considers the inclusion of more species threatened by trade (but not included in the law at the moment) in the schedule of protected species, particularly non-native CITES-listed species. The revision must also consider a more robust regulation of the trade through a rigorous acquisition and licensing system. Importantly, given the rampant manner in which trade is occluding online, the law should specifically include a clause that criminalises the advertisement and/or sale of wildlife online without a valid licence or permit. Penalties for violating the law must also be increased to create a deterrent effect, especially for species that are threatened by trade, such as tigers, bears and pangolins. Thai authorities should establish a close working relationship with Facebook and develop joint strategies to online wildlife trafficking. Importantly, the public should be encouraged to report crime, given the ease of gaining membership and access to groups that trade wildlife illegally. The following reporting methods are currently available: 1. A report to law enforcement agencies at a national level such as the DNPs Wild Hawk Unit, or the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division; 2. A direct report to Facebook: Facebooks Community Standards has a policy against any illegal activity, including wildlife crime (https://www.facebook.com/help/181495968648 557?ref=community_standards). Reports can involve posts, messages, groups and other elements that can be a violation of legislation; 3. A report through TRAFFIC, including via the Wildlife Witness App that can be downloaded for iPhone (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wildlife-witness/id738897823?mt=8) or Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.taronga.wildwitness). Details: Malaysia, 2018. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 23, 2018 at: https://www.traffic.org/publications/reports/trading-faces-a-rapid-assessment-on-the-use-of-facebook-to-trade-wildlife-in-thailand/ Year: 2018 Country: Thailand Keywords: Cybercrime Shelf Number: 151585 |
Author: Fortify Rights Title: We Fight to Protect our Home: Reprisals Against Environmental Defenders in Loei Province, Thailand Summary: SUMMARY Around 10 p.m. on May 15, 2014, an estimated 150 masked men armed with knives, batons, and guns surrounded the small village of Na Nong Bong in Thailand's northeastern Loei Province. Eight months earlier, local residents erected barricades to block the only road to a controversial gold mine located near the village. During the next six hours, the armed men tore down the barricades and detained and beat dozens of local residents while trucks transported ore out of the mine operated by Thai mining company Tungkum Limited. Residents repeatedly called the local police for help. No one intervened. The attack left at least a dozen residents of Na Nong Bong village and other surrounding villages injured and terrorized. On May 31, 2016, the Loei Provincial Court convicted an army lieutenant colonel and a retired army lieutenant general for their involvement in the attacks, sentencing them to 36 months and 24 months in prison, respectively. The Court ordered the payment of compensation ranging from 2,600 to 25,000 Thai Baht (approximately US$80 to US$750) to nine residents. On September 25, 2017, the Appeal Court upheld the conviction of the two military officers and increased their sentences to 60 months' and 40 months' imprisonment, respectively. Unfortunately, the injustices faced by communities surrounding the gold mine in Loei did not end there. This violent incident shed a spotlight on the decade-long struggle of the Khon Rak Ban Kerd Group (KRBKG) or "People Who Love Their Homeland," a community-based organization whose members are residents living in six villages surrounding the gold mine. Including respected elder women from the six villages, KRBKG has been advocating for the closure of the gold mine as well as remedies for health and environmental impacts they say are linked to the gold mine, and its members have long faced violent threats, intimidation, and criminal prosecutions as a result of their nonviolent and legitimate activities. Fortify Rights conducted a three-year investigation into the attack, reprisals, and judicial harassment against KRBKG and environmental defenders in Wang Sa Phung District, Loei Province. The investigation included 59 interviews with survivors and eyewitnesses, government officials, and others in multiple locations in Thailand. Fortify Rights also monitored 22 legal proceedings brought by the Thai authorities and Tungkum Ltd. against environmental defenders involved in opposing the mining operations and its impacts. In addition, Fortify Rights obtained and analyzed more than 1,900 pages of evidence, including legal documents, and more than 500 videos and 1,000 photos. This report reveals that Thai authorities and Tungkum Ltd. committed and contributed to serious human rights violations and abuses against members of KRBKG and environmental defenders in Wang Sa Phung District, Loei Province. Violations and abuses include the arbitrary detention of human rights defenders and violations of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, a healthy environment. In addition to the May 2014 attack, this report documents threats and intimidation, including death threats, against KRBKG members and other environmental defenders in Loei Province. Following protests organized by KRBKG, Thai military officers summoned KRBKG members for "attitude adjustment," which in some cases involved the authorities arbitrarily detaining and interrogating members of the community in unofficial locations. Fortify Rights also collected firsthand testimony about an alleged attempt by a local politician's driver to hire a hitman to target and kill Loei residents involved in KRBKG, offering 500,000 Thai Baht (US$15,000) per target. The plot, which was unfulfilled, allegedly aimed to assassinate six women and three men. Thai authorities and Tungkum Ltd. have also targeted environmental defenders from the community and others with time-consuming and costly lawsuits that infringe on basic rights and freedoms. For example, in 2017, Thai authorities initiated three criminal complaints against 14 members of KRBKG for engaging in protest-related activities connected to the gold mine. Tungkum Ltd. also filed at least 19 criminal and civil lawsuits against 33 Loei residents and members of the KRBKG as well as against a freelance journalist between 2007 and 2017. One case involved a complaint against a local 15-year old girl. Through its four civil suits, the company demanded 320 million Thai Baht (US$9.8 million) in compensation from residents for allegedly damaging the company's reputation. Six out of these 19 lawsuits involve criminal defamation charges that carry sentences of up to two years' imprisonment and a fine of up to 200,000 Thai Baht (US$6,000). Two of these cases involve charges under the 2007 Computer Crimes Act, which carries a sentence of up to five years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to 100,000 Thai Baht (US$3,000). Available evidence indicates serious environmental contamination in areas surrounding the gold mine. Government testing of local streams and rivers in Loei Province found unsafe levels of cyanide, arsenic, and manganese-known by-products of gold mining processes - as well as cyanide, arsenic, manganese, cadmium, and lead in underground water supplies. A Cabinet Resolution issued on February 8, 2011 by the Office of the Secretary of the Cabinet under the Office of the Prime Minister acknowledged "the health and environmental concerns related to the gold mining operation of Tungkum Ltd. in Loei Province," citing concerns about air pollution and water contamination. The Cabinet Resolution ordered the Ministry of Industry to suspend consideration of any mining application by Tungkum Ltd. until the authorities established the cause of contamination and cost implications. The Cabinet also ordered stricter monitoring and evaluation of the company's mining operations and procedures to prevent cyanide leakage. Although the government has not connected the contamination to Tungkum Ltd.'s operations in Loei Province, a 2007 government report found that Tungkum Ltd. allegedly failed to meet 13 environmental safeguards in conducting its mining activities in Loei Province, including failures to adequately manage cyanide contamination and its detoxification tanks. Local residents in affected communities surrounding the gold mine largely rely on farming and the natural environment for their livelihoods and sustenance. Water and soil pollution has adversely impacted their daily lives and livelihoods. Residents have also complained about health conditions that are consistent with cyanide, mercury, and arsenic poisoning. Government tests conducted in 2007, 2014, and 2015 revealed that some residents had high levels of cyanide, mercury, and arsenic in their blood. These elements are commonly used in gold-mining processes. International law protects the work of human rights defenders, the rights to liberty and freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and the right to a healthy environment. When a person is subjected to human rights violations or abuses, international law calls for effective remedies. However, Thai authorities have failed to protect the rights of the community in Loei Province or ensure remedies for the violations and abuses experienced by environmental defenders. Human rights defenders are typically the first line of defense against human rights violations and abuses. This report highlights the efforts of Thai human rights defenders who have long stood up for the rights of the community and the environment in Loei Province, including KRBKG, and public interest lawyers working with the Community Resource Centre Foundation. Details: S.L.: Fortify Rights, 2018. 90p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 20, 2019 at: https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/report-launch-and-panel-discussion-we-fight-to-protect-our-home-reprisals-against-environmental-defenders-in-loie-province-thailand Year: 2018 Country: Thailand Keywords: Environmental Crime Shelf Number: 155480 |
Author: Department of Fisheries. Thailand Title: A National Policy for Marine Fisheries Management, 2015 - 2019 Summary: Marine fisheries are important both socially and economically for Thailand. However, there are a number of challenges that, unless addressed urgently, could have serious impact on the future of these fisheries. These include severe degradation of the fish resources through overcapacity that has resulted in lower catch rates, large quantities of small low value/trash fish, including juveniles of larger commercial species, and Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU). Critical fish habitats (mangroves, sea grasses and coral reefs) degradation has contributed to this decline. This situation has occurred mainly as a result of a lack of control of an ever increasing number of vessels and uptake of new technologies over the past 30 years, resulting in excessive fishing capacity and fishing effort. The amendments to the Fisheries Act Fisheries Act B.E. 2558 (2015) recognize the significance of managing the fisheries resources of Thailand sustainably and requires the development and implementation of a fisheries management plan. This Marine Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) 2015-2019 outlines the nature of the management challenges facing Thailand and details what actions and management measures are required to transform what is now essentially an open-access fishery into a limited-access fishery based on balancing the fishing effort with the productivity of the resources (maximum Sustainable yield (MSY)). The Marine Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) of Thailand is closely linked to the National Plan of Action to prevent, deter and eliminate Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing 2015 (NPOA-IUU) and the National Control Plan (NCP) 2015. The FMP recognizes that there are many threats to the sustainable management of marine fisheries in Thailand, but based on a risk assessment it has identified the high priority issues as (i) Overfishing and overcapacity, especially the commercial fleet and (i) IUU fishing. The FMP aims to reduce the fishing capacity and fishing effort over the next 3 years. The specific capacity reductions targets include (i) for demersal fish; 40% in the Gulf of Thailand and 10% in the Andaman Sea by 2018 and (ii) for pelagic fish; 30% in the Gulf of Thailand and 20% in the Andaman Sea by 2018. The main measures to achieve include: - the removal of currently illegal fishing vessels; and - reducing the total allowable fishing days. The FMP is also designed to reduce the level of IUU fishing to reduce the level that can be controlled through regular MCS arrangements in the future. Specific management measures to achieve this include: -strengthening Monitoring, Control and Surveillance measures through institutional changes and increased resources and capacity for MCS; and -improving the licensing and registration system as that all vessels are registered and licensed. Any vessel with a history of IUU will not be registered.The FMP details all management measures needed to meet the FMP's objectives as well as key performance indicators and timelines. It also specifies how the measures are to be implemented and by whom in a Work plan for implementation 2015/16. Other lower priority issues are being managed through a number measures that are relevant to these challenges. The high catch of juveniles of larger commercial species is being managed through mesh size limitations and spatial and temporal closures. Conflicts between sub-sectors are being managed through declaration of exclusive fishing rights to different zones (distance from the coast). Critical habitats will be restored through increased collaboration and cooperation with other agencies that are mandated to protect and conserve the marine environment. The FMP also recognizes the importance of better data and information to inform management decision making and proposes several important changes on research, data and information that can be used in the future management of Thailands marine fisheries. Lastly the FMP recognizes the need for institutional changes and strengthening the human capacity to improve future fisheries management. The implementation also requires the provision of the adequate financial, technical and human resources. The Thai Government commits to allocate funding as well as increase significant number of personnel for various activities of FMP implementation. The FMP will be reviewed every year with a report on progress against the objectives. A major evaluation and review of this plan will be carried out every 2 years, and if appropriate, the issues, goals and objectives will be modified. Details: Bangkok, Thailand: Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Thailand, 2015. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 10, 2019 at: https://www.iotc.org/documents/marine-fisheries-management-plan-thailand-national-policy-marine-fisheries-management-2015 Year: 2015 Country: Thailand Keywords: Environmental Crime Shelf Number: 156391 |
Author: Issara Institute Title: Not in the Same Boat: Prevalence and Patterns of Labour Abuse Across Thailand's Diverse Fishing Industry Summary: Thailand, as the world's third-largest seafood exporter, exported 1.7 million tons of seafood globally in 2014, valued at over US $6.7 billion. A total of 42,512 active Thai fishing vessels were recorded in 2014, catching 1.34 million tons of seafood and employing 172,430 fishermen, 82% of whom were migrant workers. It is recognized that a significant but unknown proportion of the Thai fishing fleet has been comprised of unregistered fishing vessels, which may not be fully captured in government statistics. Investigative journalists and advocacy-oriented NGOs have conveyed a picture of work on Thai fishing vessels as being fraught with daily violence, extreme working conditions, debt bondage, and threats to life. However, the data collected by these efforts has not allowed for a clear measure of magnitude and severity of the labour conditions across the entire Thai fishing fleet. In order to gain a more nuanced and objective understanding of the patterns of labour recruitment and management on Thai fishing vessels, Issara Institute designed and implemented a representative survey of trafficking and exploitation on Thai fishing vessels, as a part of its larger body of work in this industry, with support from International Justice Mission and Walmart Foundation. An Issara Institute field research team conducted structured surveys with 260 Burmese and Cambodian fishermen across 20 key Thai fishing localities in 2016 - Nakhon Si Thammarat, Pattani, Ranong, Samut Sakhon, and Songkhla - collecting information on 434 fishing jobs they had held in the past five years. 248 of these 260 interviews were eligible for further analysis of the prevalence of trafficking into the Thai fishing industry in the past five years (fishing between March 2011 and March 2016). After presenting the research methodology and profile of the fishermen in the sample, this paper presents three key analyses: the first explores the means of control and exploitation of Burmese and Cambodian fishermen on Thai fishing vessels, providing a nuanced picture of the nature of exploitation at sea. The second analysis applies rigorous statistical modeling methods to estimate the prevalence of human trafficking in the Thai fishing industry, as well as key risk factors. The third analysis explores differences in risky labour practices across different types of commercial fishing vessels in the Thai fishing industry, in recognition of how the diversity of fishing operations and gear creates variation in working conditions, treatment, and other key aspects of work. Key findings of the three analyses include: -Illegal overwork and underpay seem to be the norm, with 74.2% of respondents reporting working at least 16 hours per day, and only 11% of the sample receiving more than 9,000 Baht per month, the legal monthly minimum wage in Thailand. 96.1% reported having to work overtime regularly, but only 3.8% reported ever receiving overtime pay; -The reported average pay received monthly, inclusive of all overtime and deductions, was 5,957 Baht/month (US $166.80). -18.1% of fishermen interviewed reported experiencing physical violence while working on the fishing vessels; this abuse was three times more likely to occur on boats that transshipped catch at sea; further, 100% of fishermen on boats that transshipped crew suffered physical abuse; -76% of fishermen interviewed had been in debt bondage; -37.9% of fishermen interviewed were clearly trafficked, while an additional 49.2% were possibly trafficked; 12.9% of the sample reported fair labour conditions at sea and experiencing no exploitative recruitment; -Burmese and Cambodian fishermen on vessels that also had Thai general (non-supervisory) crew were over 70 times more likely to be exploited and abused than Burmese and Cambodian fishermen on boats without Thai crew; and, -Trafficking cases were 11 times more likely to be found on trawlers, as compared with purse seine and other vessel types, and pair trawlers had nearly double the number of physical abuse cases (29.4%) as single trawlers (16.9%). In line with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (also known as the Ruggie Principles), global brands, retailers and importers, Thai-based businesses, government, and civil society all have constructive roles to play to address and improve the working environment in the Thai fishing industry. Fundamentally, there is a need to drive behavior change among vessel owners, boat captains, and net supervisors, as well as among government duty bearers. Identifying incentives and disincentives to bring about desired changes is critical to achieving industry-wide change - specifically, legal and fair business operations, monitored improvements verified by workers, and enforcement of laws - all leading to the elimination of labour exploitation. Three categories of recommendations are provided - international responses, law enforcement and regulatory responses, and on-the-ground responses - with clear, constructive roles that can be played by civil society, governments (source and destination), local business (suppliers and recruitment agencies), and global business. It is hoped that this study, and the voices and experiences of the 260 men contributing to this study, can make a meaningful contribution to efforts to drive improvements in the Thai seafood industry, informing policy, programming, and responsible sourcing. Details: Bangkok, Thailand: Issara Institute, 2017. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 27, 2019 at: https://www.ijm.org/documents/studies/IJM-Not-In-The-Same-Boat.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Thailand Keywords: Exploited Labor Shelf Number: 156718 |