Thailand s Trafficking in Persons 2014 Report: Progress & Development
National Priority Thai PM Prayuth Chan-o-cha has vowed to crackdown on human trafficking in the sex trade and fishing industry in 2015 and punish any public officials involved - Reuters 29 Dec 2014 The Government has declared zero tolerance to human trafficking and its nurturing conditions, including corruption and complicity.
Policy, Policy Implementation, and Mechanisms Integration, Coordination and Cohesiveness At the policy level At the implementation level
Policy, Policy Implementation, and Mechanisms At the policy level New Mechanism: Policy Committee to address Human trafficking and Illegal fishing chaired by the PM Establishment of Special Operation Centers in the relevant Ministries including Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Social Development and Human Security
Policy, Policy Implementation, and Mechanisms At the implementation level Ministry of Social Development and Human Security Department of Special Investigation (DSI) Royal Thai Police Ministry of Labour Office of the Attorney-General Ministry of Interior Court of Justice Marine Dept. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dept. of Fisheries
Policy, Policy Implementation, and Mechanisms Government Private Sector Civil Society/ NGOs International Organizations
Integration of Key Dimensions Migrants Workers Human Trafficking Forced Labour Child Labour
Policy, Policy Implementation, and Mechanisms Registration and Legalization of Illegal Migrant Workers Registration & Temporary Work Permit Nationality Verification Work Permit
Policy, Policy Implementation, and Mechanisms Budget Budget for FY 2014: 210.77 million baht (6.5 million USD) Budget for FY 2015: 496.82 million baht (15.53 million USD)
Policy, Policy Implementation, and Mechanisms Measures against Corruption The National Anti-Corruption Commission: 300 million baht (budget) 700 positions (manpower) Establishment of a Center to Combat Corruption within the Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission
Policy, Policy Implementation, and Mechanisms Integration of Database System Database System on Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking
Revision of key laws and regulations MSDHS s revised Thailand s Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act B.E. 2551 (2008) Ministry of Labour s Regulation to Protect Labour in the Sea Fishing Industry and Regulation to Protect Agricultural Workers B.E. 2557 (2014) Marine Department s Regulation on Criteria for Permission to Work in Fishing Vessels of 30 gross tonnage or over B.E.2557 (2014) Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives s Fisheries Act B.E. 2558 (2015)
Addressing Problem at its root cause: establishment of special economic zones Establishment of Special Economic Zones Tak Province Mukdahan Province Sa Kaeo Province Trat Province Songkla Province
Socio-economic development projects in neighbouring countries Center for human trafficking victims at Maw-Lam-Yaing in Myanmar Skill development projects for migrant workers Learning Center for Sustainable Development in Cambodia and Myanmar
Prosecution Measures to improve law enforcement (1) Application of related laws such as anti-money laundering or anti-tax evasion laws (2) More stringent consideration for temporary release on bail (3) Modernization of laws to improve human right protection (4) Better access to policy information and complaint-receiving mechanisms (eg. Damrongtham Centers) (5) Deterrent effects from strong and sustained law enforcement (6) Increase integration, coordination, and cohesiveness among agencies (7) Legal actions and disciplinary punishment against government officials. In 2014, at least 19 public officials/employees were penalized
Prosecution Measures to improve law enforcement (8) Increased exercise of authority by provincial governors to close down or suspend the license of workplaces found to be involved in human trafficking and forced labour (9) More intensive preventive measures (10) Issuance of standard procedures for inspections and interviews for immigration officers (11) Strengthened cooperation with other countries (12) Increased penalty for human traffickers (13) Establishment of the Center for the Protection of Children, Women, Family and Anti-Human Trafficking (14) Strengthened coordination in the judicial process
Prosecution Cases of Human Trafficking No. of offenders 280 374 Gender 172 202 319 Other Nationalities 55 Nationality
Prosecution Traffickers Convicted 104 45.00% 40.00% 35.00% 30.00% 38.46% 40 25.00% 20.00% 15.00% 10.00% 8.65% 23.07% 24 10.58% 19.23% 20 5.00% 0.00% 9 11 Sentencing of convicted traffickers < 1 yrs 1-3 yrs 3-5 yrs 5-7 yrs 7-30 yrs
Prosecution Forced Labour cases in the sea fishing sector 2013 28 15 arrested 5 4 Ship Owners Ship Captains Arrest warrants issued for 2014 3 Ship Captains 11 14 arrested 7 1 Labour brokers Ship captain
Prosecution Rohingya Cases of Human Trafficking Traffickers arrested 5 At least 20 Rohingyas rescued At least236* * The victims claimed to be Rohingya
Prosecution Actions to combat illegal brokers Legal Actions based on the complaints of the job seekers Proactive Investigations No. of illegal brokers 156 Total of illegal brokers 263 107
Prosecution Enforcement of Anti-Money Laundering Law in Human Trafficking Cases No. of Case 107 Example 1 Narathiwat Case Prostitution case AMLO has issued a seizure order with a total value of 2 million baht The case is being tried in court Example 2 Songkla Case Prostitution case with 53 victims The Civil Court has ordered a seizure of assets worth 30 million baht
Prosecution Prosecution of Corrupted Officials 19 No. of prosecuted corrupted officials 15 1 2 Executives 1 Social Police Officers 2 7 Police Colonel Police Lieutenant Colonel Royal Thai Army Officer at Local Administrative Orgs worker
Protection Victims Identified 595 In Shelters 303 Thai Foreigner 67 236
Protection Victim Identification Process Multi-disciplinary team Thai/local NGOs (eg. LPN ) 11 International NGOs/ organizations Jesuit Foundation Prison Ministry (JFPM), the Office of Immigration Doctors, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), International Organization for Migration (IOM), Marryknoll Thailand (MT), Catholic Office for Emergency Relief and Refugees (COERR), Grace Baptist Visiting Group (CVG), Alliance Anti-Trafic (ATT), Foundation for Women (FFW), Living Water Center (LWC), and Evangelical Church of Bangkok
Protection Victim Care 9 Shelters Medical Service Legal Assistance Interpretation Service 6 Main Languages
Protection Temporary Stay and Employment for Victims Foreign Victims are allowed to work In 2014, 196 Foreign victims have worked inside and outside shelters
Protection Remedies and Compensation Financial Aid from the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Fund approved aid for 463 victims of 3.7 million baht (117,125 USD) Civil Compensation 76 victims of 31 million baht (937,826 USD) Criminal Compensation 53 victims of 1.5 million baht (49,687 USD) Unpaid Wages 39 victims of 758,527 baht (23,700 USD)
Prevention 1,626,235 Formerly illegal migrant workers registered G-to-G MoUs: 494,812 workers Myanmar 180,147 workers Laos 51,411 workers Cambodia 263,253 workers Establishment of One Stop Service
Prevention 5 inspection measures : Visiting, Verifying, Labour Inspection, Searching Inspection and Raids Joint inspections by all agencies concerned
Prevention In 2013, inspection of 113 fishing vessels in high risk areas in 22 coastal provinces led to prosecution of 28 human trafficking cases. Consequently, 5 ship captains were arrested, 3 warrants were issued for 3 more captains and 4 ship owners were prosecuted. 1 Oct 2013 31 Dec 2014, MOL inspected 696 fishing vessels, 10,426 employees, 4 fishing vessels failed to comply with labour laws and were ordered to comply. 5 Jan 18 Feb 2015, Special Force inspected 349 fishing vessels, 21 fishing vessels failed to comply with laws; those employed children faced with legal actions
Prevention Training and Capacity Building Training for law enforcement officials including attorneys and judges Training for other government officials, NGOs and other stakeholders Training for victims, potential victims, migrant workers and public
Protection of Workers in the Fishing Industry: Holistic Efforts Amendment of the Key Laws to provide better protection Sea Fishing Worker Administrative Centers Interagency Joint Inspection Vigorous registration for vessels and workers Vessel Control and Monitoring System Improved database and filing system
Protection of Workers in the Fishing Industry: Holistic Efforts 7Pilot Labour Coordination Centres Sea Fishing Worker Administrative Centers 22Sea Fishery Worker Administrative Centres Key functions 1) Labour management 2) Fishing Vessels Management 3) Labour Protection 4) Inspection and Law enforcement 5) Assistance, remedy and compensation
Bangkok Pattani Ambon Island
Labors and/or Victims Illegal Broker Sending labors Fishing Companies/ Fishing Vessel Owners Sailing to Indonesia s Sea Territories Transportation vessels taking labors to fishing area Fishing vessel - Captain - Crewmen - Labors or victims Fishing vessel - Captain - Crewmen - Labors or victims Fishing vessel - Captain - Crewmen - Labors or victims Ambon Island
Partnership and International Cooperation & International Cooperation Other countries Regional Framework NGOs/Civil Society International Organization
Partnership and International Cooperation Flourishing Partnership Internal Partnership International Partnership
Partnership and International Cooperation Flourishing Partnership Internal Partnership: Interagency Cooperation Government Private Sector Civil Society/ NGOs
Partnership and International Cooperation Flourishing Partnership International Cooperation MOU between Thailand and Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos Thai Police Attache in Myanmar, Cambodia, Yunnan China Border Liaison Officers Cooperation between law enforcement agencies
Partnership and International Cooperation Flourishing Partnership Cooperation with International Organizations ILO IOM UNTOC Others
Partnership and International Cooperation Flourishing Partnership Australia-Asia Programme to Combat Human Trafficking (AAPTIP) 7 countries in South East Asia Law enforcement Victim Care Thailand to host a regional AAPTIP Workshop between 7-9 April 2015
Partnership and International Cooperation Flourishing Partnership Thailand US Cooperation Polaris Project will share experiences and undertake capacity building activities with 10 Hotlines in Thailand in March 2015 ILEA (International Law Enforcement Academy) will organize 2 regional training courses on human trafficking issues and 1 for Thailand starting in June 2015
Partnership and International Cooperation Flourishing Partnership Regional Cooperation Workshop on Bali Process in Thailand in March 2015 Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS): The Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking (COMMIT) drafting Plan of Action to combat TIP (2015-2018) ASEAN ASEANPOL ASEAN Convention on Trafficking in Persons (ACTIP) Regional Plan of Action to Combat TIPs (RPA)
Partnership and International Cooperation Future Work Increase coordination among the Police, Attorney-General Office and the Court Database system Speed up the implementation of the holistic measures in tackling the labour issues in sea fishing sector Provide more interpreters for the 10 Hotlines etc.
Partnership and International Cooperation Suggestions Possible Thailand EU Cooperation EJF/more NGOs contribution/cooperation Tripartite Cooperation: Thailand-EU-Third Countries
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