Online Exhibition Forced Labour - Chapter Two: Thailand

Online Exhibition

by MEP Anna Cavazzini

FORCED LABOUR Chapter Two: Thailand Photos by Daniel Murphy for HRW

Migrant forced labour in the Thai fishing industry Daniel Murphy for Human Rights Watch This collection documents the experiences of migrant fishers in Thailand at a time when research from the International Labour Organization (ILO) indicated that almost 1 in 5 migrants employed in Thailand’s fishing industry were victims of forced labour. Many men migrating to Thailand from low-income households in Myanmar and Cambodia end up working in the fishing sector. They may fall prey to deceptive recruitment practices, wage withholding, debt manipulation, excessive working hours, violence, and even execution-style murders.

The opening image in this collection underscores the urgent need for European import controls on goods produced through forced labour. The following photos portray the alienation and confusion experienced by migrant fishers subjected to new government inspections designed to combat labour exploitation; and one of the ways unscrupulous employers easily circumvented these checks. The final images speak to the difficulty of verifying compliance with labour laws and the isolation and vulnerability of migrants working in the sector.

A trawler comes into port. In the 10 months leading up to this image, 34 victims of trafficking were rescued from this company’s vessels, and 17 floating corpses of unidentified migrants were recovered from the waters surrounding the port. The supply chain of the company was traced to a large exporter supplying firms in the European Union.

A migrant worker repairs a fishing net.

When considering working hours, fishers, vessel operators and even labour inspectors often neglect to include time spent repairing nets. Despite this, net repair is a routine activity for many fishers and can consume entire days both at sea and in port. © 2016 Daniel Murphy

Puzzled Burmese fishers are ordered to squat in front of government officials and present identity cards for inspection. © 2016 Daniel Murphy

A bosun (deckhand supervisor) hands out confiscated identity cards to Cambodian crew ahead of a government inspection, with vessel manager seated in background. It is the only time the fishers get to hold their own identity documents. © 2016 Daniel Murphy

A lone Burmese fisher returns to their berth on the boat. Many migrant workers reside in unhygienic, cramped, and hazardous conditions on the boat of their employment. © 2016 Daniel Murphy