Mizzima-Feb 21
Thai authorities raided the office of the Aid Alliance Committee (AAC) on 18 February, ordering its closure and imposing a fine, according to U Khaing Gyi from AAC. The AAC has provided free assistance to Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand for decades. During the inspection, Thai authorities found 86 migrant workers at the AAC office. These migrants had been sent to Thailand under a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) facilitated by Myanmar’s junta. However, upon arrival, they were unable to secure jobs and were left in distress. Consequently, Thai authorities took action against them for violating Thai laws. Under Thai law, the AAC was not registered as a non-governmental organization (NGO), making it subject to legal action.
“The problem with Thai law is that if employees are suffering and want to file a complaint, they must do so through their employer, even if the employer is the one causing their suffering. This situation is extremely harmful to us. If someone files a complaint on behalf of the victim, the government may accept it, but at the same time, the authorities target the person lodging the complaint,” said U Khaing Gyi. The AAC emphasized that, as an aid organization, it cannot turn away workers seeking help. Instead, it has provided them with shelter, assisted with their legal cases, and sought new job opportunities for them. “The key issue is that these are MOU workers. Shwe Yu Lwin and the junta officially sent them. We have asked Thai authorities to investigate why these workers ended up here. They were brought by Thai and Myanmar agencies, but upon arrival, they found themselves unemployed. If we were to turn them away, then I might as well not do this job at all,” said U Khaing Gyi. Under Thai law, authorities have fined each worker 4,000 baht and each AAC employee who assisted them 1,600 baht. Given the number of people involved, the total fine amounts to approximately 400,000 baht. Failure to pay could result in legal action. The AAC office was first established in 2015. During the previous National League for Democracy (NLD) government, Thai authorities attempted to close the office, even bulldozing its fence. However, following an intervention by a Myanmar embassy official under the directive of then-State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the issue was resolved. Mizzima is continuing efforts to contact the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok for an update on the current situation and possible actions regarding the plight of MOU migrant workers in Thailand. Read more at: https://eng.mizzima.com/2025/02/21/19409
