THAILAND plans to recruit a new batch of 10,000 workers from
Myanmar to legally work mainly in the country’s industrial
sector, according to Thai Labour Minister Somsak Thepsuthin.
Many Myanmar workers are employed in factories in Mae Sot on
the Myanmar border, and others are concentrated in the fisheries
and food processing industries.
Talks with Myanmar Deputy Foreign Minister U Maung Myint and
Somsak last Monday focussed on bringing more Myanmar workers for
legal employment, mainly in Thai factories, The Bangkok Post reported.
U Maung Myint also held a meeting with Thai deputy prime minister
Chidchai Vanasatidya on Monday in what is being considered a follow-through
to discussions held last month between caretaker Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra and Myanmar leaders when Thaksin visited Nay
Pyi Taw.
As many as one million Myanmar nationals now working in Thailand
must return to their homeland in March next year as their terms
of stay and employment here will expire, Somsak said.
Myanmar authorities want Thailand to legally employ greater
numbers of its Myanmar workers in Thailand, and said that its
officials would help screen would-be workers wishing to take up
employment here, The Bangkok Post said, without naming sources.
Somsak said that Thailand may extend the employment contracts
for some workers when their term expires.
According to Vinai Pakdiyakul, a senior Thai government official,
U Maung Myint said Myanmar would issue special passports to migrant
workers in an effort to stop the number of illegal workers in
Thailand from swelling.
“Myanmar said they will issue passports for labourers
who want to come work in Thailand,” Vinai Pakdiyakul said.
“This measure is to stop illegal workers to come into Thailand.”
Myanmar will set up three centres along the Thai border at Tachilek,
Bayintnaung (Victoria) Point and Myawaddy to issue the special
passports to people who can then apply for a visa to work in Thailand,
he said.
He added that without the passports, they could not legally
work in Thailand, but was unable to give further details on the
scheme.
There are thought to be between 500,000 and 600,000 Myanmar
workers registered in Thailand. There are around one million illegal
migrants from various countries in the kingdom. – TNA,
AFP
