Lip service alone won't end migrant labour misery, say activists
A first-ever meeting to tackle human trafficking in the seafood industry among politicians, government officials and NGOs was a positive step, but without a clear government plan Thai companies _ and the foreign giants who source from them _ will continue profiting from exploitation
- Published: 1 Jul 2012 at 00.00
- Newspaper section: Spectrum
Thailand and multinationals benefiting from the export of cheap seafood are facing increasing pressure from the international community to address human trafficking abuses in seafood and other industries.
SINKING FORTUNES: Migrant workers sort fish on a Thai fishing boat in Sattahip, Rayong province. Many of the men on such boats are unwilling and forced to work in brutal conditions.
On June 6 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, over 30 representatives from the Royal Thai Government, seafood companies, international retailers and the UN met to discuss the long-standing and escalating problem of human trafficking in the seafood industry. The meeting, which was organised by the United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking (Uniap), focused on finding solutions to the human trafficking issues through public-private sector collaboration. It was the first meeting of its kind.
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