34 Myanmar migrant workers return to Myawady

34 Myanmar migrant workers return to Myawady
Myanmar migrant workers seen at reception center in Myawady
Myanmar migrant workers seen at reception center in Myawady
Published 15 November 2018
Ko Shwe Thein (Myawady)

A total of 34 Myanmar migrant workers, who are being exploited by human traffickers, are returned to Myawady on November 14, sources said.

Aung Aung, a broker from Myanmar, demanded Ks750,000 and Baht 2,000 each from the workers to send them to Thailand under Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement. A total of 68 workers went to work in Thailand.

“We went to Thailand from Myeik and Kawthoung on October 31 and arrived in a plastic factory in Mahachai on November 3. We spend a night there and the factory owner made us to run as the police came in,” said a migrant worker.

A total of 21 out of 68 were arrested and 13 of them returned to Myanmar. The rest are rescued by Myanmar labour attaché and Migrant Workers Rights Network (MWRN) in Thailand.

“We are lucky that we contacted U Zaw from the MWRN and informed about us to Myanmar embassy. We arrived in Myawady by the arrangement of labour attaché San Maung Oo,” said Than Naing from Thaekone Village, Paung Township.

Labour attaché Aung Min from Mae Sot said, “They may have six-month prison term in Thailand as they entered in the country illegally. We can help them as they contacted the MWRN. We are cooperated with Thailand authorities to take action on the broker and claim the compensations for them.”