An 11-year-old girl was the youngest victim of human trafficking crimes that were found mostly in Chaing Rai, Samut Sakhon, Songkhla and Pattani while immigrant workers were continuously lured to serve on fishing boats, as there was a 10,000 position labour shortage in the industry.

At the yesterday seminar at Bangkok’s Asia Hotel, Minister of Social Development and Human Security, Issara Somchai, said he would represent Thailand to sign an agreement on April 24 with the Burmese government to tackle human trafficking issues including the Rohingya boat people case that Thailand was accused of torturing them.

At this same event participated by state official and public organisations from 29 provinces, International Labour Organization (ILO) official Suvajee Good reported that ILO had rescued 649 child workers facing severe treatments from 2008-2009, 48 per cent of whom were human trafficking victims in fishery industry.

As child workers were used in illegal businesses, prostitution and drug trade in the past 34 years, the youngest victim was found to be only 11 years old being used as a house maid working long hours without proper meals or payment, she said.

Such child workers were found mostly in major provinces such as Chiang Rai, Samut Sakhon, Songkhla and Pattani, she added.

Ekkalak Lumchomkae, official at the Mirror Foundation’s Operation Center against Human Trafficking, said that 70 workers were rescued and identified as human trafficking victims in fishery while another 145 workers were being determined if they were also the victims.

He further revealed that there were at least 30 human traffickers especially in the fishery industry which suffered a shortage of 10,000 positions.

Not only adults were taken, but also boys aged 15-17 were lured to work on fishing boats by various ways such as convincing words, sleeping pills in drinking water, or treating to prostitutes until suffering overwhelming debt.

Pol Lt Col Chokchai Ngamwong from Children Juveniles and Women Division said that a recent police search at a house detaining human trafficking victims in fishery industry discovered a record of July 2008 which the gang reportedly earned Bt150,000, as the house took in 23 newcomers per day, each of whom was sold to the gang at Bt2,000 before being sold to a fishing boat at Bt4,000.

Citing the good profit and low risk of getting caught as major attractions for criminals to turn to human trafficking, he said it was of lower risk compared to the drug or weapon trades that had clear evidences for prosecution.

He said that Bangkok’s Sanam Luang and Hua Lampong Train Station had seen the most cases of 23 people being lured on daily basis and that police was requesting arrest warrants for such criminals.

By Poungchompoo Prasert