19 December 2024

Mekong Migration Network Press Release

Neighbours in Need: Call for Comprehensive Protection for Migrants from Myanmar

After joining street protests against the military takeover in Myanmar, sisters May and Khin feared for their safety when news reached them that their faces had been captured in photos and as protests turned violent. With their father’s motorcycle taxi business suspended because of the coup, and with their safety at risk, they made the difficult decision to leave behind their family and university studies to seek refuge and work in Thailand. Today, May and Khin work side by side for eight to ten hours a day, six days a week, cleaning and deboning fish in a factory in Samut Sakhon with 10,000 other workers—most of whom are other women from Myanmar.

Each person’s path from Myanmar to Thailand is unique, shaped by individual experiences and mixed motivations. Whether seeking refuge, employment or both, their stories reflect a wide range of challenges and aspirations.

This International Migrants Day, the Mekong Migration Network (MMN), in collaboration with the Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development at Chiang Mai University, organised a panel discussion and exhibition entitled Neighbours in Need: Migration from Myanmar.

The purpose of the event was to bring attention to the nature of mixed migration from Myanmar since the 2021 coup, to highlight some of the challenges people from Myanmar are facing in Thailand, and to advocate for a comprehensive response from a humanitarian perspective. MMN shared how mandatory military conscription has further created pressure for many to leave the country, and how recent policies of forced remittances and double taxation imposed by the Myanmar military are creating significant challenges for migrant workers who are currently in Thailand.

Talking about migration from crisis-ridden Myanmar, Dr Sirada Khemanitthathai, from the Faculty of Political Science and Public Administration, Chiang Mai University, elaborated on a wide range of causes of mixed migration, including political repression, armed conflicts, an economic crisis, a humanitarian crisis, forced conscription, and an education crisis.

Mr Brahm Press, Director of MAP Foundation, talked about the increasingly precarious status of migrant agricultural workers. Migrant agricultural workers from Myanmar have expressed concern that they cannot afford the taxes required by the Myanmar Consulate when renewing their documents, fearing that this financial burden may force them into an irregular status.

Ms Eve, from Yaung Chi Oo Workers Association, shared the challenges faced by migrants in Mae Sot. She said many employers are taking advantage of the desperate situation of people from Myanmar. In some factories, employers, knowing that there is a constant supply of new arrivals looking for jobs, have lowered daily wages to 150 baht and told workers that the situation in their home country is getting worse and that they can quit if they do not want to earn this amount. She quoted a migrant worker in Mae Sot, who stated: “We are getting poorer while working more.”

Ms Wahkushee, from the Karen Peace Support Network, shared that military airstrikes and the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure have resulted in many deaths and casualties and displaced over a million Karen villagers. Seven Community Based Organisations (CBOs) in Mae Sariang have formed Border Emergency Relief Teams and 11 CBOs in Mae Sot have formed Karen Emergency Response Teams to provide cross-border humanitarian aid to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

Mr Sai Kaw and Ms Mai, who are waiting for the final approval of their permanent residency and citizenship applications, shared their experiences of living in Thailand as stateless people. Following the 29 October 2024 Cabinet Resolution, Sai Kaw and Mai were hopeful that their applications would finally be approved, but little progress has been made. Both Sai Kaw and Mai said that they grew up in Thailand, went to school in Thailand, speak Thai, and that Thailand is their home.

The panel underscored the urgent plight of all migrants from Myanmar, whether they are employed as migrant workers or living in IDP camps. Discussants emphasised the need for comprehensive protection from Thailand, which should include ensuring their safety and access to documentation, healthcare, education, and decent work.

Finally, MMN expressed its hope for enhanced cooperation among various stakeholders, including civil society, academia, and international communities, to promote and protect the rights of all migrants from Myanmar.

 

Announcement: The Mekong Migration Network has set up an exhibition of migrant stories and photos, and it will be on display until 26 December 2024, on the Ground floor of the Faculty of Social Sciences Building, Chiang Mai University. Through the exhibition, the voices of migrants living in Chiang Mai, Pang Nga, Samut Sakhon and Sangklaburi are presented to reflect a range of experiences across various employment sectors and geographical settings.

ABOUT THE MEKONG MIGRATION NETWORK 

Mekong Migration Network (MMN), founded in 2003, is a sub-regional network of migrant support NGOs, migrant grassroots groups and research institutes. The central goal of MMN is to promote the welfare, well-being, dignity and human rights of migrants in the Greater Mekong Subregion and to build mutual support and solidarity among migrants and advocates. To achieve this goal MMN jointly carries out research, advocacy, capacity building and networking.

 

CONTACT INFORMATION   For more information, please contact: Ms. Reiko Harima, MMN Regional Coordinator, at reiko@mekongmigration.org (English or Japanese) or WhatsApp +852 93692244; or Mr. Artid Pabun, MMN Advocacy and Research Coordinator (Thai or English) at: artid@mekongmigration.org or on +66 (0)53283259; or Mr Brang Aung Ja, MMN Advocacy and Communication Officer (Burmese or English) at brangaungja@mekongmigration.org or on +66 (0)53283259.