BANGKOK– The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) has elaborated the government’s plan on eliminating human trafficking activities, reassuring the government’s commitment to comply with suggestions made in the latest TIP report from the United States (US).
MSDHS Spokesman Narong Kongkam has made a statement stressing the government’s commitment to tackling human trafficking issues, stating that the Prime Minister has urged all related agencies to step up operations in order to yield a concrete outcome and to address the 11 points suggested in the the US Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report this year.
All related agencies are instructed to pursue their operations and to conclude all remaining tasks by the end of this year.
The MSDHS spokesman has emphasized the issue of migrant workers from neighboring countries flowing into Thailand, as this group is at risk of becoming victims to human trafficking. Thailand has endorsed the conventions to eliminate human trafficking with countries in the Mekong region, and ratified the ASEAN convention on the suppression of human trafficking, particularly among children and women, which have led to actual operations to suppress human trafficking and protect the victims according to human rights principles.
Eight shelters have been established in Thailand to take care of trafficking victims. The MSDHS is also working to produce an in-flight video promoting cultural tourism among tourists to reduce the number of people visiting Thailand with the purpose of sex tourism.
Thailand is working with Laos and Cambodia to establish helping centers for trafficking victims and risk groups, which will provide occupational training so that migrant workers will have opportunities to develop themselves.
Thai authorities and the MSDHS are working to protect children from crimes which include cyber-crimes. The government has established the Thailand Internet Crimes Against Children (TICAC) center in cooperation with the US FBI and Homeland Security Institute (HSI) to address crimes involving children. The TICAC has so far processed 25 cases, most of which are child pornography, followed by sexual exploitation of children, and human trafficking cases.
Three Child Advocacy Center (ACT) have been established in Chiang Mai, Chonburi, and Phuket to provide shelter and help child victims. The ACT and TICAC will also work closely with the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to investigate cases involving children and provide help to the victims.
