PHUKET: Ten Burmese workers have been incarcerated in Phuket Provincial Prison for a month because they refused to make an illegal payment of 5000 baht each to a group of Phuket police, Phuket's Governor was told today.
The extortion demanded by the officers from Tungtong Police Station puts at risk the entire labor supply of workers from Burma (Myanmar) to Phuket, said a senior Labor Department official from Bangkok.
The official, Pakorn Amornchin, was in talks with Governor Tri Augkaradacha today with a delegation of Phuket employers at Phuket's Provincial Hal after consulting the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok.
According to Khun Pakorn, the 10 Burmese were arrested and charged with being in Thailand illegally after they refused to pay 5000 baht each to the police on February 10.
The Phuket employer of the men, Prasan Boontantrawat, said that all their paperwork was in order and the only reason the men had been jailed was because they could not raise the 50,000 baht to pay the bribe demanded by the police.
He said he had written a letter to Provincial Hall officials about the matter, but received no response, so the Labor Department and the Burmese Embassy decided to send representatives in person to Phuket.
A check shows the men have done everything legally and are perfectly entitled to work on Phuket under an MoU between Thailand and Burma, Khun Pakorn said.
He added that Burmese officials were irate at the extortion bid and there was talk of ending the deal between Burma and Thailand if such behavior was permitted.
Governor Tri said that he would have the matter investigated. The police were not at today's meeting to respond to the serious allegations.
The extortion demanded by the officers from Tungtong Police Station puts at risk the entire labor supply of workers from Burma (Myanmar) to Phuket, said a senior Labor Department official from Bangkok.
The official, Pakorn Amornchin, was in talks with Governor Tri Augkaradacha today with a delegation of Phuket employers at Phuket's Provincial Hal after consulting the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok.
According to Khun Pakorn, the 10 Burmese were arrested and charged with being in Thailand illegally after they refused to pay 5000 baht each to the police on February 10.
The Phuket employer of the men, Prasan Boontantrawat, said that all their paperwork was in order and the only reason the men had been jailed was because they could not raise the 50,000 baht to pay the bribe demanded by the police.
He said he had written a letter to Provincial Hall officials about the matter, but received no response, so the Labor Department and the Burmese Embassy decided to send representatives in person to Phuket.
A check shows the men have done everything legally and are perfectly entitled to work on Phuket under an MoU between Thailand and Burma, Khun Pakorn said.
He added that Burmese officials were irate at the extortion bid and there was talk of ending the deal between Burma and Thailand if such behavior was permitted.
Governor Tri said that he would have the matter investigated. The police were not at today's meeting to respond to the serious allegations.
Are we really about to see the changes that so many want and Phuket needs?
Posted by phuket madness on March 9, 2012 14:43