Broken Dreams in the Land of Smiles

Insight Myanmar

Episode #239: Phil Robertson paints a harrowing picture of the plight of Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand. He describes how migrant workers, driven by economic desperation from Myanmar, are ensnared in a system of exploitation and abuse on arriving in Thailand, despite legal frameworks intended to protect them. They face stagnant wages, hazardous working conditions, and an almost complete lack of legal protection. Employers frequently confiscate their passports, binding them to harsh and oppressive labor conditions under threat of deportation or worse.

The Thai police and immigration authorities, far from being protectors, often act as predators. Robertson recounts stories of police brutality, sexual assault, and extortion, with migrant workers viewed not as human beings but as sources of illicit income. The systemic corruption and lack of enforcement of labor laws create an environment where abuse is the norm, not the exception.

Robertson’s call to action is clear: significant legal and regulatory reforms are needed to protect the rights of migrant workers. He emphasizes the importance of international pressure and the role of NGOs in shining a light on these abuses. Only through concerted effort and awareness can the cycle of exploitation be broken, and dignity restored to these vulnerable workers.

“I would hope that there would be an effort to somehow impress upon the Thais that eventually there's going to be peace, and eventually there's going to be a representative democratic government in Myanmar, and the people who run that government are going to be looking at how Thailand treated them and their compatriots during their hard times. Unless Thailand takes some corrective action, then Thai-Myanmar relations are going to suffer in the future because of these kinds of abuses against ordinary people.”