reader Posted March 23, 2020 Posted March 23, 2020 From Bangkok Post Lockdown leaves migrant workers exposed A partial lockdown in Thailand to limit the spread of coronavirus exempts construction, exposing thousands of migrant workers to the deadly disease, human rights groups warned on Monday. Thailand has more than 700 coronavirus cases, a health ministry spokesman said on Monday, the majority in Bangkok. The government has shut down malls in Bangkok for 22 days and extended the closure of schools, bars and cinemas in the capital to curb the outbreak. Several provinces also implemented similar measures. But construction work on high-rise apartments and office complexes continues, with hundreds of migrant workers seen heading to work in the morning, only a few wearing face masks or bandanas around their nose and mouth. "Very little allowance is being made for migrant construction workers — they are not being given masks or hand sanitisers or any information about the coronavirus," said Brahm Press, director of MAP Foundation, a migrant rights charity. "They should be allowed to return home if they choose to without any penalty, and come back when it is safe. They live in such cramped quarters and have limited access to healthcare; if the disease reaches them, it would be disastrous," he said. A spokeswoman for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration did not answer calls seeking comment. Elsewhere in the region, Malaysia has included construction sites in its restrictions, fining one company and asking others to shut down, while Singapore has also allowed building work to continue. Authorities must not overlook migrants who face difficulties in accessing healthcare and in protecting themselves against the virus, a Southeast Asian network of parliamentarians for human rights (APHR) said on Monday. "It is those who are the most vulnerable who will suffer the most. No one should be left behind during this crisis," said Eva Sundari, an APHR member. Thailand has more than 3 million migrant workers, according to the International Organization for Migration, with rights groups putting the figure higher. Construction is the top employer of migrant workers, with workers from Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos making up most of the nearly 600,000 documented migrants in the sector, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). The workers generally live in refashioned containers or shacks of tin and plywood at the sites or nearby, with poor sanitation and limited access to potable water. Thailand has more than 3 million migrant workers, according to the International Organization for Migration, with rights groups putting the figure higher. Construction is the top employer of migrant workers, with workers from Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos making up most of the nearly 600,000 documented migrants in the sector, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). The workers generally live in refashioned containers or shacks of tin and plywood at the sites or nearby, with poor sanitation and limited access to potable water. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1884785/lockdown-leaves-migrant-workers-exposed#cxrecs_s vinapu 1 Quote
reader Posted June 4, 2020 Author Posted June 4, 2020 From Khaosod English Government says Cambodian workers should remain in Thailand during Covid-19 The director general of Thailand’s Employment Department, Suchart Phonchaiwisetkun, says Cambodian labourers should remain in Thailand while the fight against the Covid-19 goes on in the region. He was speaking following a meeting with the the Cambodian Ambassador, Ouk Sorphorn, where they discussed how Thailand would deal with its migrant workforce during the pandemic. According to a report in Nation Thailand, Suchart claims Cambodian workers wish to remain in Thailand and continue working, rather than returning to their home country. He says having them travel across the border now would not only cost money but could increase the risk of virus transmission. He adds that having them remain in Thailand provides reassurance to Thai business owners that they won’t have to deal with a shortage of workers, adding that the Cambodians themselves are in agreement. “The Cambodians agreed to the preliminary principles and want relevant agencies in Thailand and Cambodia to meet in a video conference later.” vinapu 1 Quote
