OPINION

Migrants deserve respect

We are almost at the end of the year. For many, it's the start of a journey home to see the family, to be with friends.

Our journeys may be short but they are long enough for us to reflect on the millions who have set out this year on less happy journeys. Asia is a peaceful continent but it also harbours disparities between rich and poor. Millions are on the move, seeking work and comfort for their families.

Today is International Migrants Day, celebrated under the United Nations theme of togetherness. Our welcome for migrants, our togetherness and solidarity with them, must extend further than simply benefiting from their contributions. We must also accept them into our society and assure them of the rights that we take for granted.

The Asia and the Pacific region hosts the largest migrant population in the world. Between 2000 and 2015, Asia added more international migrants than any other area of the world -- 26 million in total or 1.7 million additional migrants per annum.

Asia's prosperity and growth are built on a culture of migration, on the life stories and contributions of migrants. Asia can lead the world in realising that extending the hand of welcome to migrants brings economic and social benefits.

We need to demand that migrants' rights, under the UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, are given to all migrants, not just the ones we are connected to. If we don't care for the migrants in our midst, how can we demand the same for our children being sent to study overseas?

The contribution of migrants is interwoven in our daily lives. Our shopping is totted up and bagged by migrants. Our meals at restaurants are served by migrants. We wear clothes that were made by the hands of migrants. Our office buildings are often built by migrant workers. The elderly in our ageing societies are supported by migrants.

Migrants are among the best and brightest of their communities and quickly rise to become doctors, lawyers, community leaders and tech innovators.

Why do we stigmatise migrants from whom we benefit so much? Migrants are too often perceived as "they". They are the ones who take the job from us or increase the crime rate or they bring diseases to our workplace and communities. This prejudice cannot be reconciled with the valuable role migrants play in our lives.

The truth is that migrants sacrifice the one thing that we cherish above all other -- our homes. We need to recognise this and ensure we value their contributions while appreciating what they have given up to be with us. Migration is a journey, not an escape. It's a quest for sanctuary, work, a second chance, a new dawn. We can walk that path together.

A local news report said the immigration department has announced a crackdown on illegal activities at tourist sites as the tourist season gets into full swing ahead of the New Year.

The immigration police look for crime in all the wrong places. Of course they may shut down any businesses seen as competitors to some, so the idea is truly hilarious.

For example, I have made over 60 visits to immigration and on every visit I have seen bribes (I mean "tips") given.

On my last trip a Thai woman was standing behind about 40 people but then cut the queue and walked straight to the window and smiled, handing over a foreign passport. The person behind the counter recognised her, gave her a wai, took the passport and worked on it. The woman later handed over a folded 1,000-baht bill for a 1,000-baht fee. But the folded note had 100-baht notes in it.

My understanding is that if you don't want to wait in the queue, pay a tip (bribe) and you will get a special service.

Re: "Know what to ask", (PostBag, Dec 14).

Yanawa David should realise that pledging to do something and doing as one has pledged are two different things.

In the case of the BBC, this media outlet is urged to explain why it has published unverified and manipulated rumours that hurt Thailand's image without checking their authenticity and reliability.

It should also explain why it has become part of the Western world's effort to attack Thailand for being a democracy with a monarch as head of state. In my opinion, being a relatively small and a developing country like Thailand is not easy. All the intimidating powers are in the hands of those big and powerful countries and their media.

All we Thais ask from them is fair treatment and a little respect.

It is reported that the "monks" in Wat Phra Dhammakaya are building a higher wall to keep out police and others.

The police are right in planning to cut off electricity. If the temple wants higher fences in trying to create a concentration camp mentality, then the police should also set up blockades for food and water entering the premises. While boring, this whole saga, lasting a year or more, has the makings of a long-running popular soap opera.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's episode. What will the ever-bragging but no-action-taking police do? Who will win? The suspense is killing me.

Re: "Drunk drivers risk licence, car seizures", (BP, Dec 15).

It was a surprise and a great shame that this subject became a hot media topic. Those measures should have been implemented a long time ago, and we thought that had happened. This news showed a lack of law enforcement by relevant authorities.