About 21 Myanmar migrant workers at a tuna factory in Maharchaing, Thailand, were arrested by police after being accused of illegal gambling, said the Thailand-based Aid Alliance Committee (AAC) for Myanmar migrants yesterday.

Ko Ye Min, a member of the AAC, told The Myanmar Times that all the workers were sent to the police lock-up, where they were asked to pay Thai baht 3000 (about US$85) for their release.

He claimed that Myanmar migrants are often singled out by Thai authorities and become targets for extortion.

“There is a kind of police force in Thailand that watches Myanmar migrants who play football, and uses this as a reason to arrest them. Now, our migrants are afraid of playing football in Thailand,” he said.

Under Thai law, any form of monetary compensation in sports is deemed to be gambling, which other than betting on horse races or the government-sponsored Thai lottery, is prohibited.

The Myanmar Times could not reach Myanmar embassy officials in Thailand for their comments yesterday.

By: Zaw Zaw Htwe, Myanmar Times

Published on: 7 February 2017