Thai authorities detained nearly 200,000 Myanmar nationals during a 120-day nationwide crackdown on migrant workers who lack proper identification or documentation, Thailand’s Department of Employment said in a report.
Authorities inspected 18,815 workplaces and other locations to check the documents of 256,213 migrant workers, the department said in a Sept. 21 statement.
Among the workers were 193,430 Myanmar nationals, 39,736 Cambodians, 15,281 Laotians, 162 Vietnamese and 7,604 individuals of other nationalities, according to the department, which is part of the Ministry of Labor.
Some 1,830 illegal migrant workers are now facing criminal prosecution, while others have been fined between 5,000 to 50,000 Thai baht (US$153 to US$1,537).
It was unclear how many Myanmar migrant workers have been deported during the crackdown. But on Sept. 5, the military junta announced that Thai authorities had repatriated about 1,000 workers in August.
“In the 20 years I have lived in Thailand, there has never been a record of hundreds of thousands of people being arrested in such a short time,” said Ye Min of the Myanmar Humanitarian Action Center.
“While there were some border patrols and arrests in 2021 and 2022, the number of people detained daily was never this high,” he said.
Specific occupations prohibited
The workplace raids began in June after the Thai government said it had received a large number of complaints about an influx of illegal migrant workers.
The measures were partly aimed at protecting employment opportunities for Thai citizens, the department said.
Migrant workers, including those from Myanmar, are prohibited by Thai law from engaging in 27 specific occupations reserved for Thai nationals, including passenger transport, traditional Thai massage, hairdressing, interpreting and money transfer services.
Thailand is home to about two million people from Myanmar toiling in jobs in agriculture, hospitality, fishing, manufacturing and other sectors. Labor advocates say many live undocumented after arriving through the porous border.
Thousands fled after protesting against the 2021 military coup d’etat and again in early 2024 when the military began conscripting young people into their army.
While many Myanmar workers arrive under an exchange system, others come without paperwork hoping to get a so-called Certificate of Identity, or CI, issued by either a Thai government office or the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok, allowing them to stay and work.
However, in July, the Thai government closed most of its CI offices, sending shockwaves through the migrant community.
Repatriated and recruited
A migrant worker in Mae Sot on the Thai-Myanmar border said traffic police closely monitored people from Myanmar – even following them around on motorcycles – during the 120-day period.
“Personally, I am constantly mindful of the risk of arrest,” she said. “Whether it’s a 120-days or a 60-days crackdown, I treat it as an ongoing, year-round concern.”
Because of the junta’s conscription law and its aggressive military recruitment efforts, the situation in Thailand is particularly concerning for Myanmar nationals who are being sent back to their home country, said Moe Kyo, chairman of the Thailand-based Joint Action Committee for Burmese Affairs.
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Last week, most of the 127 Myanmar nationals who were repatriated after serving sentences in Thailand’s Ranong Prison were immediately transported to an infantry division in Tanintharyi region’s Kawthaung township.
“The situation has deteriorated significantly,” said Thar Kyaw, chairman of the Ranong-based Meikta Thahaya Self Administered Funeral Welfare Association, which helps Burmese migrant workers.
“Initially, people could still meet with their families,” he said. “But now that is no longer the case. Everyone is being taken away. At first, the military council only summoned those they specifically needed for military service, but now they are calling upon everyone.”
Radio Free Asia was unable to reach the office of the chairman of the military junta’s Central Body for Summoning People’s Military Servants, as well as the Tanintharyi region’s summoning authority, for comment on Monday.
The shadow National Unity Government is working to inform Thai authorities that such repatriation poses a serious threat to the lives of those being sent back, spokesperson Nay Phone Latt said.
“The goal is to prevent them from being sent back into the hands of the military,” he said. “Many then go to the front lines, where they lose their lives.”
Translated by Kalyar Lwin. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.