Wrong.

Trying to convince the world they are going to do it while at the same time allowing a modern day slave trade to continue and line the pockets of both corrupt officials and "business men" is the real priority here.

Smoke and mirrors, as always.

Posted by Herbert on December 25, 2014 22:47

With you 100 percent ''Herbert''...

Posted by robert smith on December 25, 2014 22:53

By deeds not words. By deeds not empty words. By deeds not committees.
Herbert is correct. It is also impossible for the government to convince most people it is serious while allowing criminal defamation actions to proceed against anti-slavery activists such as Alan Morison, Chutima Sidasathian and Andy Hall.
There is a very detailed report written by the Australian barrister, Mark Plunkett that is on the net. It is published by the International Centre for Trade Union Rights and analyses the first criminal trial of Andy Hall. At paragraph 160 it is reported that one of the prosecution witness, being the Human Resources Manager of the Natural Fruit Company could not disagree with the lengthy evidence of Andy's star witness, the forklift driver Aung Kyi. She specifically agreed that deductions from the workers' pay was contrary to law.
Notwithstanding those admissions and the dismissal of the first case against Andy, the Thai authorities are allowing the second criminal defamation case against Andy to proceed!
The tsunami was a terrible natural disaster that shocked the world. Slavery and the slave trade is a far more devastating man made disaster that demands real resolve to stamp out.
According to the global slavery index there are 35.8 million slaves in the world with nearly 500,000 of them living in Thailand, the Land of Smiles.
I respectfully suggest to the Thai authorities that an essential first step for them is to see to it that defamation actions against the anti-slavery activists are withdrawn. Please do not give the world any more smoke and mirrors.

Posted by Ian Yarwood on December 26, 2014 10:05