An interview with labor rights activist and FED’s Executive Director U Htoo Chit about migrant worker rights violations
After the military coup, Myanmar’s political and economic situation has deteriorated, with rising inflation and job scarcity forcing many citizens to seek work in neighboring Thailand.
According to the Thai Ministry of Labor’s December 2023 announcement, there are 2,333,091 legally documented Myanmar migrant workers, which increased to 3,415,744 by March 2024.
The report shows that the number of legally documented Myanmar migrant workers increased by 1,082,653 in just three months. However, migrant worker rights activists claim that the total number of documented and undocumented Myanmar migrants is around five million.
As the number of migrant workers continues to grow, Myanmar workers in Thailand frequently report severe instances of wage exploitation.
To understand who is responsible for protecting migrant workers and how they can be safeguarded from such situations, Kachin News Group (KNG) interviewed U Htoo Chit, Executive Director of the Foundation for Education and Development (FED), a labor rights organization based in Thailand.
Q: First of all, we often hear about wage exploitation among Myanmar migrant workers. What do you see as the primary reason behind these situations?
A: The main issue is that governments have not been directly and actively engaging to secure labor rights for their own citizens. At the same time, as the number of workers increases, employers are taking advantage by hiring workers at very low wages and without respecting their labor rights. They know there are always new workers available. So, I want to emphasize that labor rights violations are happening on a daily basis.
Q: Another issue is that even when workers are exploited, they rarely file complaints. Why is that?
A: The key reason they don’t file complaints is that regardless of whether they approach labor attachés at embassies, officials from the Myanmar government’s so-called labor ministry, or any other organization, workers can’t get any effective action taken. Both the Thai government and Thai employers are aware of this.
They don’t care about what workers say, and only pay attention when labor rights NGOs like ours speak up. That’s why labor rights continue to be systematically violated. If government institutions were to act with genuine patriotic concern, even if these labor rights violations wouldn’t completely disappear, they would certainly be significantly reduced.
Q: So who bears the responsibility for preventing these labor rights violations?
A: In terms of responsibility, it’s the current government. Internationally, it’s recognized that regardless of how bad a government is, the current military regime (military council) bears responsibility. At the same time, given the circumstances, I’m willing to help. If there’s a desire to address labor issues, governments like the National Unity Government (NUG) can also do something about labor-related matters. Even our remaining labor organizations are trying to do what they can.
Since they call themselves a government, I hope they can do a lot. I repeat, the military council bears responsibility. Secondly, organizations like the NUG, which have established labor ministries in foreign countries, also have a responsibility. If they can’t address migrant worker rights even after establishing labor ministries in overseas locations, then one must question what purpose these labor ministries serve.
Q: What advice would you give to migrant workers to prevent exploitation?
A: My advice is first, try to obtain legal documentation no matter what difficulties you face. Second, if you experience any labor rights violations, workplace problems, or issues with living conditions, health, or social welfare funds, seek help from relevant organizations — whether governmental, non-governmental, or international.
At the same time, you can also appeal to the current embassy and government organizations working on labor issues. Above all, I want to emphasize that if you’re in Thailand, you should work to obtain legal documentation.
Q: What means should the current governments use to protect migrant workers?
A: Governments should systematically address migrant worker issues by collaborating with experts. They should also systematically cooperate with labor unions and non-governmental organizations, and take action against labor agencies that are arbitrarily and blatantly violating worker rights.
Q: What else do you want add?
A: Migrant worker issues are a national responsibility for countries like Myanmar, which is facing an armed conflict. We must protect and care for citizens who have migrated, particularly in terms of education, health, and labor rights. In countries experiencing conflict like ours, we hope that migrant workers currently abroad will play an increasingly significant role in future national reconstruction efforts. So, governments should systematically address the development and educational issues of migrant workers, believing that these workers can be effectively utilized in future Myanmar reconstruction efforts. For this reason, I urge treating migrant worker issues as a national responsibility.
Sent by KNG.
