Date: 25 Apr 2009
BANGKOK, Apr 25, 2009 (Xinhua via COMTEX) — Myanmar and Thailand signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) Friday to fight against human trafficking, especially of women and children, with more checkpoints to be set up along their border, Thai News Agency said on Saturday.
Thailand’s Minister of Social Development and Human Security Issara Somchai said he had signed the agreement with Major-General Maung Oo, Myanmar Minister of Home Affairs in Myanmar’s administrative capital of Nay Pyi Daw on Friday. The agreement is aimed at tackling and preventing cross-border trafficking.
Issara said there are now 192 Myanmar nationals in Thailand identified as women and children victims of human trafficking, who will be sent back to their home country as soon as possible.
He said more checkpoints would be set up in the Thai-Myanmar border province of Kanchanaburi to prevent illegal entry of Myanmar nationals as well as to interdict drug smuggling.
Tens of thousands of migrant workers from Myanmar are working in Thailand legally or illegally.
The news agency quoted Issara as saying that Friday’s agreement will complement an MoU signed in 2003 between the two countries which help prevent human trafficking in the form of labour.
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