Thursday, January 24, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Young Myanmar Photographer Living the Dream in New York

Posted: 24 Jan 2019 06:13 AM PST

New York-based Myanmar photographer Kim, also known as The Street Sensei, has earned coveted opportunities to work with international brands, and has worked in various media including world famous magazines Forbes and Vogue.

The talented young photographer was also one of several street style photographers who appeared as models in Vogue in September 2018 for the "Tom Wood x Kelly Harrington Denim capsule collection". The collection showed the lifestyles and fashions of inspiring young street photographers.

Before the Vogue appearance, she was mentioned in Forbes magazine's #Sheshistory campaign for International Women's Day back in March. And many of her fashion shoots were published in Paper and V magazines.

"I was super honored to be published in Forbes. This was definitely one of the highlights of my life," said the 26-year-old "tomboy".

She added, "When I was growing up in [Myanmar], I could only dream about something like this. So having it come true in real life is such a blessing." Kim shared her special moments with The Irrawaddy while spending some time back in Yangon working on a photography project.

She has worked for various well-known brands including Tiffany and Co., W Hotels, Maybelline, Huawei and H&M fashion, whom she counts among her regular customers, though it was New York Fashion Week that marked the beginning of her long photographer's journey.

Kim left Myanmar at the age of 14 and studied Asian Politics & Culture at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The college requires all students to take one art class, and she chose photography.

"That was the beginning. At that time, I never knew that I would become a photographer one day," Kim said.

Later, she started capturing everything in front of her, as well as making fashion portraits of friends.

"After graduation, I had more time. Before becoming a photographer, I was so interested in fashion. I've always tried trying to stay up to date with fashion weeks and bloggers," she said.

One day in 2015, with New York Men's Fashion Week coming up, she texted the popular young blogger Dathias Godfrey to say she wanted to capture all the moments with him at New York Fashion Week.

"I just tried to reach him and he said yes. That was my very first step into this industry," Kim said.

She added, "That day was amazing and so tiring. Godfrey took me to the after-party and I got a chance to meet many models and bloggers."

Then, she found herself working as a photographer.

"I was so happy—even without drinking. It was physically tiring, but that was when I knew that this is what I love to do," she said.

She started polishing her photography skills that day, learning from inspiring photographers online. She adopted the name "The Street Sensei".

"'The Street Sensei' was given to me by one of my Hong Kong friends. I like street style and culture, and shoot a lot of street fashion photography. And 'sensei' means 'master' in Japanese—most people know this word. So, my artist name became 'The Street Sensei'," Kim explained.

In the beginning, she wasn't paid for her photography because she just collected experiences. All she knew was that she wanted to capture every moment, she said.

 

Kim grew up in Myanmar and now works as a full-time street fashion photographer in New York. / supplied

 

She soon established a network; Godfrey helped her with many things, and they became best friends, she said.

By 2017, she had already been to many New York Fashion Weeks and done a lot of street and fashion photography. Many clients started to notice her.

"The main struggle is that I don't know the pricing, marketing and how to negotiate, but Godfrey helped me loads," she said.

She said clients hire her because of her different points of presentation. They want what she has to offer and what she can do.

"I'm always trying to go beyond the normal," she said.

Kim's style is definitely fashion-focused, but with a street twist and a dash of storytelling. It's somewhere between lifestyle and fashion.

"The clients tell me the concept for the project and give me full creative control. That's amazing. They believe in my vision," Kim said.

Of course, she works with a lot of top local models and bloggers as well. Kim became noticed locally through her fashion videography of local supermodels, and her travel videos.

"I haven't worked in Myanmar before. Supermodels come to New York for fashion weeks and I shoot them. This time, I came here with a few projects," Kim said.

She collaborated with "The Moment" and organized a talent-search event called "Push Your Boundaries". They will choose the best models together. Then, they will train them to become influencers in the future, Kim explained.

"And I have some photo shoots for fashion magazine," she said.

 

Kim with Myanmar supermodels Awn Seng and Nang Kae Mar at the 'Push Your Boundaries' event in Yangon in December / supplied

 

She shared her feelings about working in Myanmar and New York, saying, "Both countries have stress."

In New York, the clients will ask for many things to be done because they have paid you. In Myanmar, if the clients have a budget, their desired marketing strategy is still very traditional, because Myanmar is very religious and very traditional, and she has to respect that.

"I'm OK with it all; I like challenges like that. So, that's the only difference. I literally fight with them to get what I want. Because, at the end of the day, it's my name on the damn things. So, I want to make sure it's good," Kim said.

She added that, "When they do give me full creative freedom, the clients don't have the budget for it."

In Yangon, it's difficult to get quality staff to help her work. This is the other problem; she still struggles to get a good assistant.

The fashion industry in Myanmar is really strong, she says, and she believes some of the supermodels in the country could work on international catwalks.

"I think the talent here is so good. Some models are really professional and they could be on International catwalks. They try so hard, they do research, catch updates and always listen to what's trending," Kim said.

She added that, "Now, social media is really trending and we use it as a positive way to grow ourselves; you use it as a tool for yourself and your brand."

She loves working as a photographer because it doesn't require working in the same place, city or country. It can be done anywhere.

"Now everything is digital; everything is going digital. If we have a good image and network, we can do our work anywhere and earn money," Kim said.

Kim urges local young talents to do what they love and love what they do.

She advises, "If you want to do something, just try. I mean, just focus on the job you want to do and do the research, learn from your seniors or others. If it doesn't work, then you know it, but if you don't try, you'll never know. So, just try."

She plans to go back to New York and shoot, then travel to other cities and work. Then she wants to come back to Myanmar and shoot.

"I will collaborate with other young talents from Myanmar. The young talents are so inspiring because I was there [in the same position]. And then someone found me; I want to, like, give back," she said.

She added, "I want my own cool studios, both in Myanmar and New York. Ha ha! Is that too much? People are really lucky if they get to do what they love. It's really a blessing if people get paid to do what they love. If people get paid to do what they love, that's the dream. Now, it's like I'm living the dream, but then there're more dreams, because you can't just stop," she said.

 

The post Young Myanmar Photographer Living the Dream in New York appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

China’s Six Belt and Road Projects in Myanmar to Watch in 2019

Posted: 24 Jan 2019 05:01 AM PST

YANGON—The Myanmar government recently agreed to begin work on key projects under the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) agreement which is part of Chinese's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative. Experts, including voices from the World Bank, have pointed out that Myanmar's growth will largely depend on major BRI infrastructure projects that get underway this year.

The 1,700-kilometer-long CMEC will start in China's Yunnan Province, go through Myanmar's major economic cities—Mandalay in central Myanmar, the commercial capital of Yangon—and reach the coast at Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Rakhine State. The proposal includes upgrades to three major roads through Mandalay and Muse on the Myanmar side of the border with China, and some other roads in Shan State.

An estimated $2 billion will be spent in the initial stages of the project which is expected to be made up of 24 projects in total.

Among the 24 proposed CMEC projects, Myanmar has agreed to speed up the process of nine major projects, which include the Kyaukphyu SEZ in the west, the New Yangon City Development in Yangon and the border economic cooperation zones in Kachin and Shan states.

Here, The Irrawaddy looks at six projects which are set to be implemented this year and which require careful monitoring—including the controversial Myitsone dam project, on which a final decision could be made this year.

The post China's Six Belt and Road Projects in Myanmar to Watch in 2019 appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Govt Reports 2nd ARSA Attack in Northern Rakhine State This Month

Posted: 24 Jan 2019 04:20 AM PST

YANGON — Three officers were wounded by artillery shells in a two-hour assault on a police post in northern Rakhine State’s Maungdaw Township Thursday morning by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), according to the General Administration Department (GAD).

It was the militant Muslim group’s second reported attack on police in the area in as many weeks.

U Hla Tun Tin, an official with the GAD’s Kyein Chaung office in northern Maungdaw, said the attack near Wai Lar Taung Village began at about 7 a.m., according to an initial police report.

Citing the report, he said about 40 ARSA fighters crossed into Myanmar from Bangladesh near border marker No. 41 and tried to seize the post, which lies some 200 meters from the border. But he said the officers managed to repel the assault with the help of reinforcements from a neighboring regiment after two hours.

"They broke through the border fence and ambushed them with artillery." U Hla Tun Tin told The Irrawaddy.

The police, he added, said the militants were well armed and managed to destroy some structures before retreating back across the border. He said ARSA had also mounted an attack near Maungdaw’s Wat Kyein Village on Jan. 16.

"Some people were confused about [who carried out] the previous attack. But this time we can definitely say that this morning’s attack was carried out by ARSA," U Hla Tun Tin said.

The military and Ministry of Home Affairs initially and wrongly attributed the Jan. 16 attack on the Arakan Army, a claim it immediately denied. The Arakan Army is mostly active in neighboring townships.

Video footage posted to Facebook on Jan. 19 appeared to show ARSA fighters armed with assault rifles waiting for an approaching police vehicle near Wat Kyein Village and then firing on it. Government media reported that six police officers were wounded in the attack. The militants also used an improvised explosive device.

ARSA has not released any statement about this month’s reported attacks via its Twitter account.

The post Govt Reports 2nd ARSA Attack in Northern Rakhine State This Month appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Yangon Timeout

Posted: 24 Jan 2019 03:29 AM PST

Jazz Week

The French Institute, in conjunction with other top music outlets around Yangon, are organizing a week of jazz and improvised music. French jazz band Splanx have flown in from France and will team up with local jazz acts for a performance in the garden of the French Institute on Friday at 8 p.m. (entry 5,000 kyats). The live music will be followed by an electro swing DJ set. On Saturday at 11 a.m. there will be a masterclass on music improvisation at Gitameit Music Institute followed by a jam session at Atlas Rooftop Bar at 8 p.m. with both French and Myanmar musicians.

Jan. 23 to 26 | Institut Français de Birmanie, Gitameit Music Institute, Atlas Rooftop Bar & Lounge|

Networking Cocktail

A chance to network with like-minded business and commerce experts, this event is organized by the German Myanmar Business Chamber and the Japan Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Myanmar.

Jan. 24 | 6 p.m. | Atlas Rooftop Bar & Lounge | Uniteam Building, 84 Pan Hlaing Street, Sanchaung Township | Tickets $25 for GMBC/JCCM members and $30 for non-members.

Rivers and Tourism in Myanmar

John Farrell, a Myanmar tourism expert who has previously given talks in Yangon on the Mergui Archipelago, will this time have an evening to present the topic of Myanmar's rivers and the tourism potential in connection with rivers and waterways. Attendees to events at the British Embassy Club are required to show I.D. at the entrance.

Jan. 24 | 7 p.m. | British Embassy Club | 46 Gyo Byu Road, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township

113 Year Anniversary of Yangon Zoological Gardens

Yangon Zoological Gardens is this year hosting a three-day festival in celebration of its 113th year. This event is not to be missed by families with young children who love animals. Extra entertainment will be organized at the zoo, including a magic show, games and animal and bird shows. There will be music performances and a food and product fair to interest the young and old alike.

Jan. 25 to 27 |Yangon Zoological Gardens | Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township

How to Get Startup Ideas

Phandeeyar will host yet another interesting and informative talk for those interested in the world of tech entrepreneurship, business and startups. Joao Dutra will be the speaker and the event is set to be an interactive and engaging way to learn about techniques for generating ideas for tech businesses—a key skill in the startup world.

Jan. 25 | 6 p.m. | Phandeeyar | 10th Floor, Royal Riverview Condo, 628/636 Merchant Road

Myanmar Ethnics Culture Fest

The traditions and cultures of many of Myanmar's ethnic groups can be seen at this six-day festival. Go there to enjoy a diverse range of food and drinks and see traditional dance performances and fascinating and intricate costumes from across the country. Entry is free of charge.

Jan. 25 to 30 | 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Kyite Ka San Stadium | Yangon

Kirin Night & 90's Kids

Step back in time to the golden age of 90's music and feel the unstoppable urge to sing and dance with friends just like in the old days. One of Yangon's favorite DJs, Master Bay Tar, will pump out the 90's beats and the beer drinking competition is sure to be entertaining. Kirin promotions will be available before 8 p.m. and the dress code "black and white" applies.

Jan. 25 | 7 p.m. | The Beat Bar | Corner of Bo Myat Tun and Merchant Street, Yangon

Yangon Pride

This event gets bigger and better every year and this year, it even features a boat parade which departs from Botahtaung Jetty on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. On Friday evening and Saturday and Sunday afternoon and evening, Thakin Mya Park will be the venue for an exciting lineup of games, music, films, a drag show, hero awards and an interactive disco as well as the legendary drag Olympics. For the full schedule, see the Yangon Pride event page on Facebook.

Jan. 25 to 27 | Thakin Mya Park | Ahlone Township

Wa Hta Ga La Tha–Art Exhibition

Contemporary Myanmar artist Soe Naing will show a collection of his work created between 1994 and today. The exhibition opening will feature poetry readings and live musical performances by Raywai & ROA. The artist's book of the same name will also be launched at the opening with signed copies available.

Jan. 26 to 28 | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Gallery 65 | No. 65, Yaw Min Gyi Road, Dagon Township

 

Chef Fest @ Yangon Zay

Yangon Zay ups its game this weekend with the first ever edition of Chef Fest featuring top local and international food talent. Myanmore Chef of the Year 2018 Chef Orng of Orng's Kitchen, Myanmar's Master Chef Sharky, British-Thai chef John Chantarasak of AngloThai and other reputable chefs from near and far will offer a number of diverse and delectable dishes alongside the usual Yangon Zay fare and entertainment.

Jan. 26 | 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. | The Tea Factory | Kanyeiktha Street, Kabar Aye Pagoda Road, Yangon

We Rock for Justice

Some of the biggest names in Myanmar's music industry will perform on one stage this weekend. Zaw Win Htut with Emperor, Wai La, Phyu Phyu Kyaw Thein, Chan Chan, Eaint Chit, Thar Nge and T-Zin will perform at this free concert organized by Let's Talk in conjunction with My Justice which is funded by the European Union and the British Council. The event aims to raise awareness of the importance of justice, fairness and equality for all.

Jan. 27 | 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. | Shwe Htut Tin Event Park |East Horse Race Course Road, Tamwe, Yangon

 

The post Yangon Timeout appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Yangon Ditches Campaign Ban on Party Logos For Local Elections

Posted: 24 Jan 2019 01:56 AM PST

YANGON — The Yangon municipal election commission has reversed an order banning candidates for the March 31 local polls from using their party logos while campaigning.

"We have reversed our previous decision and announced that the logos of political parties, big or small, the Union Solidarity Development Party or the National League for Democracy, can be used to ensure a free and fair election," commission chairman U Aung Khine told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday.

The commission originally said that political party members could contest the elections but could not use their party logos and emblems in their campaigns.

Not everyone was please with the about-face.

"There are countries that allow the use of party logos in municipal elections. But it is not good that [the municipal election commission] changes its decision often," said Daw Thin Thin, a Sanchang Township resident who is monitoring the polls.

A total of 105 seats will be up for grabs: three in each of the city's 33 townships and six for the executive board of the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC).

The elections will be held under the new YCDC Law, which came into effect on June 28 and supplements the 2013 Municipal Law. One of the six elected committee members will be named vice mayor, a post created by the new law to ease the workload of the mayor of Myanmar's largest city.

Candidates have until Monday to submit applications to contest the elections. The list of qualified candidates will be announced in the second week of February.

The first-ever municipal elections were held in Yangon in December 2014.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

The post Yangon Ditches Campaign Ban on Party Logos For Local Elections appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Man Shot Dead Outside Home in Rakhine’s Minbya Township

Posted: 24 Jan 2019 12:46 AM PST

SITTWE—A resident of Pann Myaung village in Rakhine State's Minbya Township was shot dead in front of his house on Wednesday evening, according to township police.

U Maung Aye Thein, 56, was shot five times at close range at around 9 p.m., Police Captain Mya Zaw told The Irrawaddy.

"He saw somebody trying to open the gate in his fence. Thinking it was a guest, he went outside and approached the gate. He was shot near the fence," the police officer told The Irrawaddy.

U Aye Maung Thein sustained five gunshot wounds and died on the spot. His body was sent to a local hospital for a post-mortem examination.

The motive for the killing was not immediately clear. The victim, who made a living by doing odd jobs, was an ex-member of the Union Solidarity and Development Party and formerly served as a 10-household administrator and auxiliary firefighter, Pol. Capt. Mya Zaw said.

"Villagers didn't see anything. They said they heard something like a firecracker. His wife said she saw the gunman. She said he is not a local," he said.

There are over 1,400 households in Pann Myang village, and locals have been in a state of panic since the murder, he said.

"We are still gathering information. So we still don't know the motive for the murder. And we are still investigating the type of bullets used," he added.

U Khin Than Maung, a member of the Central Executive Committee of the Arakan League for Democracy (ALD), was murdered at his residence in Kyar Inn Taung village in Rakhine State's Myebon Township on Dec. 24 last year.

The post Man Shot Dead Outside Home in Rakhine's Minbya Township appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

What We Can Hope For From the 70th Anniversary of Karen National Resistance Day

Posted: 23 Jan 2019 10:08 PM PST

The Karen National Union (KNU), the oldest ethnic armed group in Myanmar and a signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), plans to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Karen National Resistance Day at its headquarter in Law Khee Lar, Karen State, on Jan. 28-31.

For the first time, the KNU will mark the event with a military parade joined by its splinter groups: the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA); Karen National Liberation Army-Peace Council (KNLA-PC); and Border Guard Force (BGF). The KNU has been observing the anniversary for decades, but this is the first time the Karen armed groups will mark it together.

The decision to celebrate the anniversary together came about when they met on Oct. 8, when they agreed to work together on securing self-determination for the Karen people.

According to a senior KNU official, the group has invited all ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) to the ceremony. It has also invited the Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, the Union government, political parties and some foreign diplomats. Surprisingly, U Aung Min, head of the Myanmar Peace Center and a peace negotiator under ex-President Thein Sein, is among the invitees as well. All those invited are expected to attend.

The KNU’s reasons for inviting them all boil down to two reasons.

First, the KNU wants to solve the many territorial disputes among the EAOs. Clashes over territory continue to occur between the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) and Shan State Progress Party (SSPP), the RCSS and Ta’ang National Liberation Army, and the KNU and New Mon State Party. The RCSS and SSPP are engaged in heavy fighting right now; they are expected to discuss their dispute at the anniversary.

Second, the KNU wants to talk about the stalled national peace process and set it on the right track. The KNU temporarily pulled back from the peace process in October, and the RCSS followed suit the next month. They said a recent high-level meeting with the government and Tatmadaw had failed to achieve a breakthrough on key obstacles.

It appears that all NCA signatories are disappointed with the peace process. After several meetings with the government and Tatmadaw and three rounds of the 21st Century Peace Conference, signatory EAOs now believe that the current trajectory will get them little.

The fact is that the NCA also cannot guarantee any ceasefires between the Tatmadaw and signatory EAOs. Recent clashes between the Tatmadaw and KNU, over the Tatmadaw's alleged deployment of patrols to facilitate a road upgrade, highlight the weakness of the NCA.

General Yawd Serk, a leader of the RCSS, accused the Tatmadaw of not abiding by the terms of the NCA after the Myanmar military attaché in Bangkok blocked a meeting of the Committee for Shan State Unity in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2017. The Tatmadaw and RCSS clashed the same year.

As all the EAOs — NCA signatories and non-signatories alike — share a common vision to build a federal union, they will surely discuss the stalled peace process and at least try to devise a new strategy to move it forward.

It appears the KNU also wants U Aung Min to give them some advice on how to do that, and possibly even broker future negotiations. In 2015 the KNU signed the NCA with seven other EAOs after several dialogues with a negotiating team led by U Aung Min. The NCA signatories and U Aung Min undeniably used to have good relations; the KNU now wants to revamp the relationship.

It is also undeniable that Myanmar’s peace process is faltering. Achieving peace and ending the conflict in the near future seems impossible, in spite of a four-month unilateral ceasefire the Tatmadaw called in late December.  Heavy fighting between the Tatmadaw and Arakan Army continues in Rakhine State.

Meetings between the EAOs and Tatmadaw are key to ending the conflict and solving the problem. But before any meaningful peace talks can happen with the Tatmadaw and government, the EAOs must settle the territorial disputes between each other. Thus, we hope all EAOs attend this year’s anniversary and meet in order to solve their disputes and forge a new path to peace.

Joe Kumbun is the pseudonym of an analyst based in Kachin State.

The post What We Can Hope For From the 70th Anniversary of Karen National Resistance Day appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Huawei Executive Has Strong Case to Fight Extradition: Canadian Envoy

Posted: 23 Jan 2019 09:06 PM PST

OTTAWA — A top executive from Huawei Technologies Co Ltd being held in Canada can make “strong arguments” against extradition to the United States, in part due to President Donald Trump’s politicization of the case, Canada’s ambassador to China said.

Canadian envoy John McCallum’s comments to Chinese-language media, which were broadcast on Wednesday, are the most explicit sign yet from a Canadian official that Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer, may not be sent to the United States.

Meng was detained on Dec. 1 in Vancouver at the request of the United States over alleged violations of U.S. sanctions on Iran. She is currently under house arrest and China is demanding that she be freed.

In a clip shown by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp, McCallum said Meng had “quite good arguments on her side,” the first of which was “political involvement by comments from Donald Trump in her case.”

Trump told Reuters last month he would intervene in Meng’s case if it served U.S. national security interests or helped close a trade deal with China. Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland quickly warned Washington not to politicize extradition cases.

McCallum also said extradition “would not be a happy outcome,” a comment that could irritate the Trump administration, which has generally cool relations with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government.

Huawei declined to comment on McCallum’s remarks.

The envoy’s comments, which were made in English on Tuesday, are potentially awkward for Canada’s government, which insists it cannot intervene because of judicial independence.

Trudeau sidestepped questions about the matter on Wednesday, telling reporters in Saskatchewan that under Canadian law Meng would have a chance to mount a strong defense.

The Liberals may face a tough reelection fight this October against the opposition Conservative Party, which said McCallum’s actions raised “questions of political interference.”

David Mulroney, an ex-Canadian ambassador to China, tweeted that McCallum’s comments were “almost impossible to understand.”

Possible options

McCallum noted Canada has not applied the same sanctions against Iran as the United States.

“Canada does not sign onto these Iran sanctions. So I think she [Meng] has some strong arguments she can make before a judge,” he said.

The U.S. Justice Department has until Jan. 30 to file a formal extradition request and Canadian officials will then take up to a month to decide whether an extradition hearing is warranted. Legal experts say they expect a hearing to be held.

“Canada respects its international legal commitments, including by honoring its extradition treaty with the United States,” Freeland spokesman Adam Austen said in an email.

Meng’s arrest has hurt Canada’s relations with China, which subsequently detained two Canadians last month, citing national security concerns. Additionally, a Chinese court later retried a Canadian who had been jailed for drug smuggling and sentenced him to death.

McCallum said he saw three possible options for resolving the case. One would be Meng’s extradition, which he said “would not be a happy outcome and that would take years” given that she could lodge legal appeals.

The second would be for the United States to make a deal with China whereby the extradition request would be dropped. The third would be Meng’s release by a Canadian court on the grounds the U.S. request was not warranted.

McCallum, 68, a former Liberal cabinet minister, has made headlines in the past with offhand or colorful comments.

The post Huawei Executive Has Strong Case to Fight Extradition: Canadian Envoy appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Focus on Thai Fishing Distracts from Worker Abuse in Other Sectors–Researchers

Posted: 23 Jan 2019 08:51 PM PST

BANGKOK—Millions of migrant workers in Thailand’s construction, agriculture and livestock industries suffer from exploitative practices, but a focus on the fishing sector has distracted attention from them, researchers said on Thursday.

Migrant workers in several industries get few protections, including a minimum wage and overtime pay, and contend with unsafe working and living conditions, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a report.

While Thailand has taken steps to clean up its multibillion-dollar seafood industry after it came under international scrutiny for slavery, trafficking and violence on boats, it has done little to regulate conditions in other sectors, it said.

“The singular focus has diverted attention away from similar problems occurring elsewhere in Thailand,” the IOM said in the report released in Bangkok.

Exploitative practices have been recorded in domestic work, sex work, construction, agriculture, livestock, hospitality, garment manufacturing and other sectors, “yet they have received much less effort and investment to improve conditions.”

There are about 4.9 million migrants in Thailand, making up more than 10 percent of the country’s workforce, according to the IOM. Most are from poorer neighboring countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

Since taking power in a 2014 coup, Thailand’s ruling junta has taken a more restrictive approach to the foreign workforce.

The country has also taken some steps to tackle abuse, eliminating recruitment fees paid by workers, and banning the practice of withholding identification documents.

Yet because recruitment systems and governance frameworks are not effective, workers are “vulnerable to exploitation at various points during the migration process,” the IOM said.

The agricultural sector has high levels of informal work combined with low wages and use of child labor, while sex workers face harassment and the threat of arrest because they are not covered by Thailand’s labor laws, it said.

One activist said extensive media coverage and the financial implications of a ban on seafood exports had led the Thai authorities to act, even as abuses in other sectors remained unreported.

“Perhaps people believe slavery at sea to be more compelling than slavery on land,” said Debbie Stothard, secretary general at the International Federation for Human Rights, an advocacy group.

“So there’s been far less outrage and attention to abuses in other industries,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Earlier this month, the European Union withdrew its threat to ban Thai fishing imports, saying it recognized the country’s efforts to tackle human trafficking and improve labor conditions.

In a rare victory for migrant workers, Thailand’s highest court last week ordered compensation be paid to 14 migrant laborers from Myanmar whose accusations of abuse at a chicken farm sparked a landmark legal case.

The post Focus on Thai Fishing Distracts from Worker Abuse in Other Sectors–Researchers appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)