Thailand

Burmese migrants suffocate in truck freezer

Fifty-four Burmese migrants died on 9 April after suffocating in a freezer on the back of the truck which was smuggling them into southern Thailand.  Police who investigated the truck also found 67 other Burmese survivors in the truck freezer, most of them sick from dehydration and lack of air. Investigations found that the air conditioning and ventilation in the truck failed, causing the migrants to suffocate.

Survivors said they had traveled by fishing boat into Ranong, a common route for unauthorized migrants.  From there, they were packed inside the airtight freezer of the truck that was supposed to bring them to Phuket.  When some of the migrants started suffocating they signaled the driver to stop by banging on the walls.  The driver fled on foot after discovering the bodies.

Some of the survivors were taken to the hospital, while others who did not need medical care were jailed.  On 11 April, 50 of the 67 survivors were charged with illegal entry and were fined $32 by the court before being deported to Burma.  Fourteen minors were also deported immediately as they were too young to go on trial.  Other survivors remained in the hospital. 

The truck driver surrendered to authorities on 15 April for fear that the human trafficking network behind the incident would try to silence him.  He confessed that he was given 80,000 baht for the job and named members of the trafficking ring.  Police later released arrest warrants for the named suspects.

The incident has drawn criticisms from several human rights and labor rights groups, who said Thailand is not doing enough to ensure the safety and protection of migrant workers in the country. 

On 30 April, Thailand’s labor and social development ministries signed new guidelines to deter the problem of human trafficking in the country.  The guidelines include a trafficking law founded on an existing law to impose sanctions on exploitative recruiters and employers. The law will take effect beginning 5 June.  Thousands of Burmese migrants cross into Thailand unauthorized to find better jobs, but many fall into the hands of abusive employers and recruiters.

Sources: “54 Myanmar migrants suffocate in freezer,” CNN, 9 April 2008; “Burma migrants suffocate in lorry,” BBC News, 10 April 2008; Kocha Olam, “Myanmar migrant survivors fined and deported,” CNN, 12 April 2008; “Thailand: Deaths of Myanmar workers highlight labour problems,” IRIN News, 14 April 2008; “Driver in Burmese tragedy surrenders,” Bangkok Post, 16 April 2008; AFP, “Thailand adopts new guidelines to tackle human trafficking,” The Economic Times, 30 April 2008