Burmese migrants in Thailand

A story in the Bangkok Post describes an incident in Ranong, Thailand in which a human trafficking event went horribly wrong and resulted in the death of 54 migrants from Burma and says that a Burmese official from Bangkok traveled to Ranong to commiserate with the survivors (Burmese official goes to Rayong to meet the survivors, Bangkok Post, April 13, 2008). This outward show of sympathy comes from a government that is not willing to repatriate its citizens who have been arrested for illegal entry into Thailand and a government whose misrule and mis-management has created the poverty that is the root cause of the exodus. Whatever the proximate causes for the misery of Burmese migrant workers in Thailand, ultimately it is the junta that must be held liable and accountable. Their misrule is a crime against humanity.

Cha-am Jamal
Thailand