Key Actors in Thailand |
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Where We Work
Who is being Trafficked in Thailand? Action being Human Trafficking Related Links in Thailand |
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Counter-Trafficking Action in Thailand
Policy and Coordination
The Thai National Policy and Plan on Prevention and Resolution of Domestic and Cross-border Trafficking in Children and Women (2005-2010) incorporates all types of interventions on human trafficking, at the central and provincial levels. Thailand has strengthened regional cooperation through active involvement in the COMMIT Process; ASEAN Transnational Crime and Bali processes; signed bilateral MOUs on Human Trafficking with Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam; and developed sub-regional MOUs and plans of action in 7 regions of Thailand. Thailand also established a migrant registration policy and signed bilateral employment MOUs with Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar, though challenges in these systems mean undocumented migration is still by far more common than documented migration to meet the labour demand.
Prevention
Prevention activities at source and destination locations include awareness-raising campaigns on human trafficking and safe migration, as well as education, capacity building and vocational training. It also involves advocacy on the incorporation of human rights into school curricula, strengthening the capacities of families, communities and community-based organisations, and the creation of child protection networks and poverty alleviation projects through micro-credit schemes.
Protection
Protection activities in source and destination areas include rescue, identification, rehabilitation, legal assistance, reception and reintegration. There is a network of repatriation support which also aims to prevent re-trafficking at the same time as successful repatriation. In Thailand, this ideally involves a multi-disciplinary approach from police, social workers, lawyers, NGOs and interpreters. The RTG has established a number of shelters to house trafficked persons, and provide physical, psycho-social, legal, educational, and health-care assistance. Thailand has sought to develop effective procedures, both formal and informal, for safe and effective victim repatriation. Repatriation programs have been arranged with Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam and Yunnan Province of China. Repatriation and reintegration activities in Thailand include building and supporting a network for the process of proper repatriation of trafficked persons, the monitoring and supervision of rehabilitation, reintegration, and repatriation programs, and the monitoring and evaluation of repatriation conducted at community, provincial, national and international levels.
The RTG has coordinated with relevant government agencies, non-government organizations, international organizations and Thai embassies overseas to provide shelter, including ensuring safe return of trafficked persons to their countries of origin; trying to ensure the successful recovery and reintegration of trafficked persons, ideally with follow-up and monitoring programs to prevent them from being re- trafficked; and providing victims of human trafficking with vocational training programs to enhance opportunity of alternative means of their livelihood.
Prosecution
Prosecution of traffickers and exploiters in Thailand should strengthen with the recently gazetting of the new Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act B.E. 2551 (2008), which was brought into force on 5 June 2008. It applies to everyone on an equal basis, not only women and children. The key elements of the Act are: 1) heavier penalties on all offenders involved in human trafficking, 2) victims may claim compensation from the offenders for any damages caused by human trafficking, and 3) victims will be provided with shelter and other necessities including physical, psycho-social, legal, educational and healthcare assistance. The Act also stipulates that a Fund be established to support the prevention and suppression of human trafficking as well as welfare protection for trafficked victims. The Fund will draw upon the annual budgets of the government and confiscated assets of trafficking offenders, as well as other donations and foreign aid. In addition to actual criminal justice action against criminals, the National Action Plan also calls for capacity building for personnel involved in combating human trafficking, and developing a network of agencies and organisations involved in legal affairs, especially those working on investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases.
What else needs to be done to combat human trafficking in Thailand and why is it so important?
Given the magnitude of the trafficking problem and its relationship with migration, sometimes there are difficulties in differentiating between and identifying irregular migrants from trafficked persons. A clear understanding of how to identify trafficked persons would improve victim identification, victim protection, and the identification and pursuit of criminals and their prosecution.
Addressing the demand side of human trafficking, including those who exploit cheap labour, societal sexual and gender norms, institutional attitudes to trafficked persons and perpetrators, law and prosecution, is crucial in approaching counter-trafficking in a holistic way.
Assessing cases and the processes of victim protection and the prosecution of traffickers is essential to determine the strengths and weaknesses in the victim protection and criminal justice responses under the new law.
Research on human trafficking in Thailand must be strengthened in sectors other than commercial sex industry, in order to obtain a more accurate picture of human trafficking in the country. Moreover, better-focused research is needed to further improve and strengthen counter-trafficking approaches and targeting.
