Social Action for Women

Arbitrary indictment on fifteen Burmese migrants including the underage children

December 17, 2008, News

15 Burmese migrant workers from the plastic bag factory in Phalangsong in Bangkok, were sentenced to four and half year imprisonments for holding fake workpermits. They were arrested in October 28, 2008 and detained in Ban Mao prison. They faced trial at the Htongburi Ban Mao court in December 16, 2008 and sentenced to the prison.

The migrant workers were asked to pay 6,000 baht by the owner to do the work permit and the owner made them workpermit inside the factory. The labours held those workpermits as they already paid for the fees. However they were arrested by holding fake ID when the Thai authorities raided to the factory. The workers faced trial at the Ban Mao court. At the court, despite the fact that they explained they paid fees for real workpermit to the owner, the owner denied making those fake IDs and he won. Over 40 workers were arrested and the migrants without IDs were released but the 15 Burmeses and 2 Laotians accused of holding fake IDs were sent to the prison. 13 of 15 Burmeses migrants are women and most are the young girls age between 16 and 18.

The detained migrants are from Myaint Gyi Ngou, Apaung, Kyaikmayaw, Mawlamine and Kawkarike and the factory they worked is Witsanphttic pulse factory, which is situated in Phalangsong, Sinhtatlaywinhtwe, 26 street, soi 2/3. Following is the list of young girls, women and men, who were sentenced to prison,

Ma Khaing (age unknown)
Aye Nyein Khet (15 yrs)
Ma Pu Tu (16 yrs)
Ma Khaing Tha Zin (16 yrs)
Ma Phyu (27 yrs)
Naw Tadar (29 yrs)
A Phyo (17 yrs)
Nwam Ja Aye (age unknown)
Naw May Phaw (20 yrs)
L Khu Shee (19 yrs)
A Khaing (20 yrs)
Adar (32 yrs)
Amar (30 yrs)
Maung Thar Nge (23 yrs)
Maung Shwe Lin Aung (18 yrs)

Burmese Association in Thailand, which is the organization helping migrant workers' issues said that they will cooperate with the Thai human rights activists in Thailand to release all of them.

Social Action for Women (SAW) was founded in June 25, 2000 to assist displaced women from Burma who are in crisis situations after having fled to Mae Sod, Thailand. SAW is based in Mae Sod and was established to support women facing difficulties through the provision of shelter, health education, rights awareness, counseling, and vocational training for unskilled women.