thaizer.com

Yesterday, 54 Burmese people lost their lives when they suffocated to death in the back of a truck in Ranong province, southern Thailand. Altogether, there were 121 people crammed in a container (which normally carries seafood) just over 6 metres long and 2 metres wide. When the ventilation system failed, the workers in the back of the truck tried to attract the attention of the driver. By the time the driver finally stopped many people had already died. Of the survivors, 21 were taken to hospital with the other 46 detained by police. Despite objections from Thai and international human rights groups, the Thai authorities say the survivors will ultimately be deported back to Burma as they are illegal immigrants.

The issue of illegal immigrants is not new to Thailand. In this particular case, a people smuggling ring had arranged the transport from Burma to southern Thailand where the workers were to be employed as labourers in the Thai provinces of Ranong, Phang Nga, Phuket and Krabi. There are an estimated 2 million Burmese migrants in Thailand, with more than 50% believed to be here illegally and doing some of the menial and dangerous jobs that Thais don’t want. The shortage of unskilled labour in Thailand has been a boon for the people smugglers who have a willing and continuous supply of cheap labour from Thailand’s neighbouring countries. Although the majority of migrants are from Burma, significant numbers also arrive from Cambodia and Laos.

This tragedy highlights the plight of many Burmese people desperate to find a new life to help their families. This particular incident isn’t the first of its kind in Thailand. Back in 1996, around 70 Burmese migrants were jammed in the back of a truck which caught fire.