Myanmar migrants ‘need more protection’ in Thailand

06 April 2015
Myanmar migrants ‘need more protection’ in Thailand
Myanmar migrant workers check and fold the fishing nets after they  unload the catch at the fishing port on Si Rae island, off Phuket, southern Thailand. Photo: Barbara Walton/EPA

Efforts are being made to improve the rights and protection of Myanmar migrants working legally in Thailand, according to a report in Myawady on April 3.
The stipulations contained in the MoU on Myanmar workers need additions and amendments for their advancement, said a top official of Labour Department. 
All angles were considered in drafting this MoU, but like all other contracts, it needs changes to be updated, said Director-General U Myo  Aung of the  department. Currently, they have already discussed with the Thai side the stipulations which require amendments, he added.
The number of Myanmar workers sent to Thailand to date under the MoU has reached over one million. These are legally registered workers.
The amendments are aimed at guaranteeing more rights for the Myanmar migrants workers than are currently in place.
As the number of migrant workers is high, Myanmar is in need of a specific policy for these people. At present the government is sending migrant workers under MoUs signed with the host country. The emergence of the Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies Federation is an important step in this direction, according to the report.