Thongbai Thongpao
A Phuket newspaper reported that 50 public prosecutors serving in the seven upper southern provinces _ Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Krabi, Phangnga and Phuket _ attended a seminar on human trafficking in the province last month. The goal was to familiarise the prosecutors with their roles and duties under the 2008 Anti-Human Trafficking Act.
The new law, which came into force on June 8, is an improved and more comprehensive version of the 1997 Measures in Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking in Women and Children Act, which was aimed specifically at protecting women and children, who are considered the most vulnerable groups.
The new act extends coverage to all people.
It also aims at preventing and suppressing a wide range of activities related to human trafficking, including the procurement or trafficking of people into or out of Thailand for prostitution, forced labour or services, begging, organ amputation for commercial purposes, or any other form of exploitation.
More specifically, the new law is designed to prevent and suppress human trafficking as a form of transnational crime and provides for the setting up of a fund to prevent and suppress human trafficking and help victims.
The new act also imposes heavier penalties on human traffickers. Anyone found guilty of human trafficking will be subject to imprisonment of four to 10 years and a fine between 80,000 and 200,000 baht. Even more severe penalties are prescribed for offences involving children under 15.
According to the deputy attorney-general, human trafficking in Thailand dates back a long time. The increasingly globalised world has facilitated human trafficking and the methods have diversified into transnational crime. World communities are aware of the problem and have urged cooperation from all countries to tackle it.
Sadly, a UN study found Thailand on the ''red'' list of countries most susceptible to the crime as a source, transit and destination country. The victims are also growing in number and type, ranging from women and children to beggars and forced male labourers.
There are frequent reports in Thailand of the illegal entry of foreign women from Russia and as far away as South America who were deceived into becoming prostitutes. Forced male workers are primarily Laotians, Cambodians and Burmese. A recent case involved the deaths of some 50 workers from a neighbouring country who were smuggled into the country in a container.
There are many causes of human trafficking in Thailand. Many argue that Thailand is a destination for human traffickers because of its relative affluence in the Greater Sub-Mekong Region. But as a source country, the main cause is undoubtedly poverty, which makes people in certain parts of the country an easy target for human traffickers.
Although the country has come a long way compared to its neighbours in the region, income disparity remains a big problem, forcing the have-nots to find ways to clear their debts and seek a better life.
A recent survey found that in Udon Thani, young girls share a dream of marrying Westerners after seeing the example of women in their villages. Asked why, they replied that the women who were married to Westerners had a better life than other people in the villages.
They live in big houses, have cars and money to spend and are well respected by everyone. Some women even divorce their Thai husbands to marry foreigners. In other words, they see marriage as a way out of poverty.
A Nakhon Ratchasima newspaper reported on the trend last week, and according to a survey in Buri Ram of 967 women in 21 districts in the northeastern province married to foreigners, 66 per cent are now living with their husbands abroad and only 14.29 per cent are staying in Thailand. The husbands are most commonly Britons, Germans, French and Italians, in that order, their average age is 50 to 60 years old and their average income is 50,000 to 100,000 baht a month.
The survey found that the women married the foreigners ''in search of a better life''. After they marry, they send on average 10,000 to 20,000 baht home a month, totalling 230 million baht each year.
This trend deserves further study and should prompt the government to find out why more Thai women want to marry Westerners. Love is an unlikely reason because of the huge age difference. Most of the husbands are retirees and senior citizens.
The reasons are more likely poverty, hardship and the need to escape from hunger and debt. It's not human trafficking by the definition of the UN but a natural instinct for people to seek a better life.
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