US asked to remove Thailand from worst human trafficking watch list

BANGKOK, December 11 (TNA) - Thai fishing operators have asked the United States to remove Thailand from its worst human trafficking watch list. Organizations of Thai fishing operators and employers aired the request at a press conference in Bangkok on Thursday, saying that most local fishing operators have complied with laws and are ready to prove their employment standards with the United States. Present in the press conference were representatives from the Employers' Confederation of Thai Trade and Industry, the National Fisheries Association of Thailand, the Thai Overseas Fisheries Association, the Trat Fisheries Association and eight employers' organizations, including the Employers' Confederation of Thai Business. Somsak Thanomworasin, Chair of the Employers' Confederation of Thai Trade and Industry, claimed that it is unfair for the United States to include Thailand in its worst Tier 3 human-trafficking watch list because most Thai employers do not treat their workers as accused by Washington. Somsak said that the Thai government and employers have also jointly implemented solutions, including the collection of workers' profiles and good welfare for employees. Besides, the Employers' Confederation has studied issues concerning alien workers and seriously advised its members to provide their workers with good wages and welfare. Somsak pointed out that no members of the confederation have violated laws over the past 20 years and the confederation is ready to prove employment standards with US authorities. The operators' organizations proposed, meanwhile, that the Thai government seal government-to-government (G-to-G) labor agreements, set up an alien labor database and an ASEAN alien labor coordination center, take tough actions against human traffickers and import workers from other countries, apart from Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam, to prevent labor shortages in the Thai economy over the next two decades. (TNA)