BANGKOK, Tha. — March 4, 2014 — An environmental and human rights group charged Tuesday that Thailand is not adequately addressing severe abuse against Myanmar migrant workers in the Thai fishing industry.
The British-based Environmental Justice Foundation said in its report that the Thai government has failed to act strongly against human trafficking and that violence is routine in the industry.
‘‘Endemic corruption, poor enforcement, inadequate victim support, unacceptable working conditions and deficient migration policy,’’ have not been tackled by Thai authorities, the group said.
Thai Labor Ministry Deputy Permanent Secretary Boontharik Samiti said the government is making a serious effort to protect workers in the fishing industry.
‘‘Right now, we are aiming to reduce and eradicate human trafficking. For fisheries, all agencies have collectively come together in an effort to prevent this problem in a sustainable and long-term fashion,’’ he told The Associated Press in an interview by phone from Songkhla, a southern seaboard province.
Read the full story from the Associated Press at The Boston Globe