Thailand to keep on upgrading labor standards

BANGKOK, January 26 (TNA) - The Thai government is determined to keep on working together with all relevant parties, including those in the public and the private sectors and the international community, to upgrade the country's labor standards in order to meet international principles. Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Busadee Santipitak, who is Director-General of the ministry's Department of Information, told journalists of the Thai government's stance on January 25, in response to a report released by the US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) earlier this week on remaining labor problems in the Thai fishery sector. The spokeswoman stated, however, that the Thai government disagrees with the HRW January 23-report, which has proposed the European Union (EU) to maintain imposing its "yellow card" on Thailand for remaining illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing issues, including allegedly forced labor cases. The spokeswoman said, as Thai Ambassador to Brussels and Head of Mission to the EU Manasvi Srisodapol (มนัสวี ศรีโสดาพล) has already explained, her ministry has informed the EU in a recent letter that the Thai government, in cooperation with all the relevant parties, has made considerable progress in the solution to illegal laborers in the local fishery sector through the establishment of fishery centers along the country's coastal areas to monitor problems, as well as prevent, protect and assist victims. The spokeswoman insisted on the Thai government's firm position on advancing the solution to the IUU issues concretely, taking suggestions and comments of all the relevant parties into account. The spokeswoman pointed out that many proposals raised by the HRW on Thailand's IUU issues, based on data and information during 2012-2016, need more updates, noting that the complete solution to the IUU issues take times and requires integrated moves of all concerned countries and organizations in order to upgrade the standards of Thai labors in the fishery and all other sectors to meet the international principles. (TNA)