More than 400 Burmese migrant workers arrested in Thailand

Friday, 25 March 2011 20:12 Aung Myat Soe

Bangkok (Mizzima) – Thai police rounded up more than 400 Burmese migrant workers at the V&K Pineapple Canning Company Factory in Ratchaburi on Friday morning.

Khaing Zaw Naing, who has legally worked at the factory for three years, told Mizzima that four hundred, ‘maybe 500 workers’ were arrested.

Most of the workers who were arrested did not have work permits or residence permits. Some had temporary passports. Thai authorities said that although some of workers had temporary passports, they had changed jobs without permission and were therefore arrested.

About 1,000 Burmese workers are employed in the factory.

About 812,000 workers out of 2 million Burmese migrant workers in Thailand are legal, according to the Thai Labour Ministry.

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