From Our Eyes: Mekong Migrant Reflections 2000 - MAP Foundation

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other factories too, not just mine. If I have the worker ID card or temporary passport, I can go around freely. I am entled to one day off per month but, as I said, I don’t go out much for fear of being arrested. In the past the police have been flexible and I could negoate travelling from one place to another, today they arrest migrant workers when they find them outside of their working area. When migrant workers are arrested the employer must give a guarantee to the police before they release them, otherwise migrant workers are not released. This is one reason I don’t go out very oen, I worry that my employer will not provide a guarantee for my release if I am arrested. I don’t have a temporary passport but I have applied for one. I don’t think there will be any significant changes by having a temporary passport in terms of increased salary or more benefits. For me a temporary passport means that I can run my own business and therefore I can earn more money. Temporary passports and work permits make life for migrant workers more safe and secure, this I do know but I don’t understand the policies and regulaons involved in this very well. I have never been to employment agencies, social welfare office or immigraon for any informaon about these things, but I have been to the police staon and the labour protecon office once. That was three or four years ago, I went because of a dispute between immigraon officers and workers from the Chit Tun garment factory. That me the workers were supported by the Yaung Chi Oo Workers Association and they received about 3,000 baht each in compensaon. I have never been involved in any criminal cases such as rape or burglary and I have never been accused of anything by my co-workers. If I ever encounter any of these issues then I will request an NGO to help me. I have never been deported but I have been arrested by the police once, when I was out shopping. They held me for 5 days unl my employer provided a guarantee for my release. I haven’t noced much change over the last ten years. In Mae Sot the old buildings and narrow streets have been replaced with new buildings and wider streets. There are many aracve buildings, bridges and roads. As there are lots of people from Burma living and working in Mae Sot we try to celebrate all our religious ceremonies, especially the New Year and Waso fesvals. My previous employer always allowed us to celebrate the religious ceremonies but my current employer doesn’t. 14 From Our Eyes: Mekong Migrant Reflections 2000-2012
I think there are many more job opportunies for migrants workers now than ten years ago, many new factories have opened. I think migrant workers can work in higher posions with higher wages than before. This is because of the changing conditions such as temporary passports, beer relaons between the two governments, and more factories opening. The temporary “One of the biggest changes in the last ten years was that in the past I was afraid to speak openly, I am not afraid anymore. I think this is because of changing conditions like having the temporary passport but also there being more factories to work in and more NGOs to turn to for support.“ passport means workers can travel more freely and migrants are even geng jobs as supervisors and contractors. Many people from Burma are working as supervisors, managers and office staff now. I’m not sure about government policies to provide assistance to migrant workers. There are some improvements in the relations between Burma and Thai governments and I have heard that the Thai government issues visas for migrant workers now, which means they can travel the whole country and receive full payment because of the visa. One of the biggest changes in the last ten years was that in the past I was afraid to speak openly, I am not afraid anymore. I think this is because of changing condions like having the temporary passport but also there being more factories to work in and more NGOs to turn to for support. Also I can speak Thai now so it’s much easier for me to get around. I have decided to stay in Thailand. I don’t want to go back to Burma anymore. It’s more comfortable to stay in Thailand as there is a regular water supply and regular electricity. It’s not like that in Burma. I think most migrant workers will have the same idea, and there is also their children’s educaon to consider. They will have a much beer educaon in Thailand. So I have decided to stay in Thailand for as long as I can. I will only go back to Burma when I cannot stay in Thailand anymore. From Our Eyes: Mekong Migrant Reflections 2000-2012 15
Page 3 and 4: »¡ã¹´ŒÒ¹Ë¹ŒÒ
Page 5 and 6: PREFACE We are migrants from the Me
Page 7 and 8: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We would sincerely
Page 9 and 10: CONTENTS Preface ..................
Page 11 and 12: INTRODUCTION We, migrants, have mad
Page 13 and 14: • Access to jusce; • Educaon fo
Page 15 and 16: BACKGROUND ON MIGRATION POLICY IN T
Page 17 and 18: As a way to implement the MOUs, two
Page 19 and 20: Map of key locaons INDIA CHINA Yunn
Page 21 and 22: here, after deductions for food and
Page 23: I had neither a health card with my
Page 27 and 28: Thailand, which industrialised ahea
Page 29 and 30: Workers were frustrated in their ef
Page 31 and 32: Did you know... Polical climate Mig
Page 33 and 34: Pursuant to Secons 10 and 11 of the
Page 35 and 36: “Migrant workers cannot make thei
Page 37 and 38: the workers received their wages di
Page 39 and 40: estricve policies. For example, I h
Page 41 and 42: If there were an emergency situaon,
Page 43 and 44: Did you know… Compulsory Migrant
Page 45 and 46: unnamed Thai employer, ‘would fac
Page 47 and 48: pass to visit Ranong province in Th
Page 49 and 50: I have a naonal ID card in Burma. W
Page 51 and 52: I am worried that the migrant schoo
Page 53 and 54: the head of villages, about every t
Page 55 and 56: NGO Reflection: The Foundation for
Page 57 and 58: “Going out is a risk and I don’
Page 59 and 60: estaurant told us that the police d
Page 61 and 62: Did you know… Mobility restricons
Page 63 and 64: The border pass I got when I crosse
Page 65 and 66: Luckily, the other women gave me a
Page 67 and 68: card. The police found my ATM card
Page 69 and 70: asked us about our work, “Hey pre
Page 71 and 72: Bangkok, the driver got down and ca
Page 73 and 74: Migrant sex workers’ rights The A
Page 75 and 76:
those without documents and without
Page 77 and 78:
“I gave up drugs and was trained
Page 79 and 80:
stayed at the same house knew about
Page 81 and 82:
debt, I returned back to Poipet and
Page 83 and 84:
I used to be arrested many mes but
Page 85 and 86:
“I had many difficules during tho
Page 87 and 88:
According to my experiences so far,
Page 89 and 90:
labour inspectors to inspect and is
Page 91 and 92:
Endnotes: 1 Internaonal Organizaon
Page 93 and 94:
migrants working in Thailand. I did
Page 95 and 96:
I have only one son. My son was bor
Page 97 and 98:
Birth cerficaon The Naonality Act B
Page 99 and 100:
machine operator. My wages also inc
Page 101 and 102:
I don’t have an ATM card. I never
Page 103 and 104:
have helped me. I have been to the
Page 105 and 106:
“My family cannot save enough mon
Page 107 and 108:
My employers always treat me fairly
Page 109 and 110:
I can go up to Phang Nga province b
Page 111 and 112:
I decided not to enrol my daughter
Page 113 and 114:
There has been no improvement in de
Page 115 and 116:
“I know that there is a Thai law
Page 117 and 118:
I don’t have a work permit. I wou
Page 119 and 120:
I have had no contact with governme
Page 121 and 122:
2. States Pares shall take legislav
Page 123 and 124:
have difficules and suffer in life.
Page 125 and 126:
My friend asked me for the money ba
Page 127 and 128:
contracepve pill. I let myself have
Page 129 and 130:
The main difficulty I have is with
Page 131 and 132:
There is a government policy that d
Page 133 and 134:
“We need to solve the atude probl
Page 135 and 136:
We used to live with our employer f
Page 137 and 138:
have migrants been allowed to study
Page 139 and 140:
In regards to cultural expression,
Page 141 and 142:
the hospital first and said that th
Page 143 and 144:
In my opinion, we should have the r
Page 145 and 146:
Aer I shared my experiences in Thai
Page 147 and 148:
Before entering Thailand, I was edu
Page 149 and 150:
Did you know... Medical condions of
Page 151 and 152:
“I have experienced deportaon. I
Page 153 and 154:
Thailand again. I worked (begged) a
Page 155 and 156:
I have experienced deportaon. I was
Page 157:
Arcle 11(2) of the Migrant Workers
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From Our Eyes: Mekong Migrant Reflections 2000 - MAP Foundation

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