The peace and tranquillity at Saphan Plah was cut short and thrown
into chaos by the visit of about 70-80 Thai police on the evening
of November 19, 2002, a sacred Buddhist Day – Loi Krathong
– to be exact, when the Thai Buddhists and Burmese also,
offered Sacred Robes to Buddhist monks, since the days of Buddha.
All Buddhists in the world, including the Thai Buddhists, observed
this day by giving charity and merit making accordingly.
At around 4-5 PM on that
auspicious Buddhist Day, the Thai police turned up in force at Saphan
Plah and ordered the people to fall in line, in the clearing where
the youths used to play basketball or football. And the police officers
checked their work permits. They hauled away some 30 or 40 people
who could not produce their work permits and the police officers
left the scene at around 6:00 PM. The people also returned to their
respective homes.
On their return, the
people were stunned and aghast at finding their abodes with the
doors ajar; they had secured the doors and locked their belongings
when the Thai police officers ordered them to congregate in the
basketball field.
And they found that their
rooms had been ransacked and searched. To their anger and agony
they discovered that their belongings were being rifled and stolen;
safe boxes opened, jewellery and gold missing, and also, audio and
video sets were nowhere to be found. All items of some value were
taken away, except the bulky television sets. The Thai police hauled
away even savings of Ten-Baht coins amounting to more than Baht
8000 at one place, quite a hefty load. All their meagre savings
that they had eked out during years of slavery and sweat were plundered
and hauled away. Not a thing of value was left in the rooms. All
of them broke down into tears and wailed for their lost belongings.
One Karen entrepreneur
named Kyaw Swar who was operating a CD and VDO cassette rental –
a small enterprise of Karen and Burmese music – had his cash
Bht. 47,000 forcibly taken away by the Thai police officers. In
addition he had lost - 2 Baht in weight of gold, VCD player worth
more than Bht. 10,000, phone cards worth more than Bht. 7000 and
CD’s worth more than Bht. 12,000 among others - to the Thai
police.
Likewise, a Karen woman entrepreneur named Ma Khine Khine Soe, who
was running a tea/coffee shop aptly named “Welcoming Hands”,
fared no better also. The police officers broke the locks and took
away more than Bht. 10,000 (daily sales) from her counter. In addition
she was robbed of Baht 2 and a half weight of gold, a CD player
worth more than Bht.20, 000 and a video camera worth more than Bht.
12,000. A computer printer (laser) worth more than Bht. 25,000 was
also hauled away. Even the extension wires were taken away.
According to the migrant
workers the Thai police hauled away more than Bht. 300,000 worth
of gold, jewellery, cell phones and merchandise belonging to the
lot at Saphan Plah on that fateful day.
This testified to the
fact that since at the outset, the Thai police officers had only
intended to plunder the lot at Saphan Plah, under the guise of checking
work permits; they did not fill out the search forms or show search
warrants as required by law.
In a fit of anguish and anticipation, some raised
enough courage to go and complain at the Paknam Police Station,
under whose jurisdiction Saphan Plah rested. The officer in charge
put up a stern face and yelled that nothing had turned up at the
police station and he did not know who went and checked at Saphan
Plah. Under circumstances the poor souls had no choice other than
to beat a hasty retreat before they were hauled into detention and
subjected to further extortion or ramson.
This is only a small tip of the iceberg testifying
to the plight of the migrant workers from Burma striving to survive
in neighbouring Thailand today. There are many cases of migrant
domestic workers (women) being raped and thrown beside secluded
highways where nobody can identify them. And the police take no
notice of the crime other than to carry away the remains in body
bags for disposal.
A case in point was that of a young female domestic
worker alleged as stealing property from the employer. Instead of
reporting the matter to the police the employer chose to take the
law into his own hands. The young woman (a Karen) was severely brutalised
to the point of death. Thinking the young Karen to be dead the employer
took her out in his car and discarded her on the side of a highway
in Bangkok.
Later, it was discovered that she was not dead
yet, and admitted and treated in a hospital. However, after nine
days she succumbed to her injuries and died. The police took up
the case, but nothing came out of it till to this day.
Given this as evidence, it is the whole truth
to say that Thailand is exploiting the prevailing chaos in Burma
to its best advantage. Thailand is colluding with the ruling junta
in Rangoon for its own interests. Also, on the other hand the Thais
are exploiting human labour from Burma, at dirt price too, to enhance
their individual enterprises and the economy of the country as a
whole, at the expense of the resources from Burma and its people.
This scenario augurs ill for Thailand and its people, when the one
time and still the richest country in Southeast Asia regain its
rightful place in the international community, after the soon-to-be
debacle of the outlaw regime in Rangoon.
It is with good will and friendly spirit that
we urge the Thai authorities to reverse their stand on the illegal
ruling junta in Rangoon and also, reinforce rules and regulations
governing on the Burmese migrant workers also, to set things right
in order that justice, law and order and other human values are
upheld for both the Thais and Burmese migrant workers. There is
still time to rectify the situation with a view to enhance the
image of Thailand and its people in the eyes of the people of
Burma specifically, and that of the world in general.
Southern
Star
