Thailand: Racism at the Leadership Level

Thailand's Samut Sakhon Governor accused of race bias for forbidding Cambodian, Lao and Burmese migrants from holding cultural events
Governor accused of race biasWed, November 7, 2007Pennapa HongthongThe Nation (Thailand)

Leading labour rights groups yesterday came down on the government for its policy of strictly controlling foreign workers after the Samut Sakhon governor sent a letter to all employers in his province directing them to forbid migrants from holding cultural events."The letter demonstrated the governor's lack of cultural sensitivity, which is needed when dealing with people from foreign countries," said Sompong Sakaew, director of the Labour Rights Promotion Network.Governor Veerayuth Yea-mampar - in his circular of October 26 to the Employment Office, employers and factory owners - said they should strictly manage and monitor their workers from Burma, Laos and Cambodia and not allow them to organise cultural ceremonies at any event at all."These activities should not be supported because it will make the community feel that these people are the owners of the community, and that could create security problems. It is against the government's purpose for them to be just temporary workers," he said.Sompong criticised the governor for his "racial prejudice"."There's nothing wrong with foreign workers, just the government's policy trying to control them. We're pressing down on them by not allowing them to demonstrate their identity out of fear that they might dilute our culture. What's diluting and what's to be diluted?" he said.Sompong wants the government to reconsider the policy. He said the government should think positively, in that allowing migrant workers to celebrate their culture would strengthen Thai culture due to the similarity and relationship of their traditions and beliefs in the region."There are many Thai Mon residents who observe their Mon culture in Thailand. What's the difference between cultural ceremonies put on by Thai Mon residents and those who are Mon workers?" he asked.Veerayuth was not immediately available for comment.Manoon Punyakiriyakorn, director-general of the Employ-ment Department, distanced himself from the controversy, saying it was the mandate of the governor to regulate alien workers in his province.