Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 97115 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
ETRD EAGR ETTC EAID ECON EFIN ECIN EINV ELAB EAIR ENRG EPET EWWT ECPS EIND EMIN ELTN EC ETMIN EUC EZ ET ELECTIONS ENVR EU EUN EG EINT ER ECONOMICS ES EMS ENIV EEB EN ECE ECOSOC EK ENVIRONMENT EFIS EI EWT ENGRD ECPSN EXIM EIAD ERIN ECPC EDEV ENGY ECTRD EPA ESTH ECCT EINVECON ENGR ERTD EUR EAP EWWC ELTD EL EXIMOPIC EXTERNAL ETRDEC ESCAP ECO EGAD ELNT ECONOMIC ENV ETRN EIAR EUMEM ENRGPARMOTRASENVKGHGPGOVECONTSPLEAID EREL ECOM ECONETRDEAGRJA ETCC ETRG ECONOMY EMED ETR ENERG EITC EFINOECD EURM EENG ERA EXPORT ENRD ECONEINVETRDEFINELABETRDKTDBPGOVOPIC EGEN EBRD EVIN ETRAD ECOWAS EFTA ECONETRDBESPAR EGOVSY EPIN EID ECONENRG EDRC ESENV ETT EB ENER ELTNSNAR ECHEVARRIA ETRC EPIT EDUC ESA EFI ENRGY ESCI EE EAIDXMXAXBXFFR EETC ECIP EIAID EIVN EBEXP ESTN EING EGOV ETRA EPETEIND ELAN ETRDGK EAIDRW ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS EPEC ENVI ELN EAG EPCS EPRT EPTED ETRB EUM EAIDS EFIC EFINECONEAIDUNGAGM EAIDAR ESF EIDN ELAM EDU EV EAIDAF ECN EDA EXBS EINTECPS ENRGTRGYETRDBEXPBTIOSZ EPREL EAC EINVEFIN ETA EAGER EINDIR ECA ECLAC ELAP EITI EUCOM ECONEFINETRDPGOVEAGRPTERKTFNKCRMEAID EARG ELDIN EINVKSCA ENNP EFINECONCS EFINTS ECCP ETC EAIRASECCASCID EINN ETRP EAIDNI EFQ ECOQKPKO EGPHUM EBUD ECONEINVEFINPGOVIZ ENERGY ELB EINDETRD EMI ECONEFIN EIB EURN ETRDEINVTINTCS EIN EFIM ETIO ELAINE EMN EATO EWTR EIPR EINVETC ETTD ETDR EIQ ECONCS EPPD ENRGIZ EISL ESPINOSA ELEC EAIG ESLCO EUREM ENTG ERD EINVECONSENVCSJA EEPET EUNCH ECINECONCS ETRO ETRDECONWTOCS ECUN EFND EPECO EAIRECONRP ERGR ETRDPGOV ECPN ENRGMO EPWR EET EAIS EAGRE EDUARDO EAGRRP EAIDPHUMPRELUG EICN ECONQH EVN EGHG ELBR EINF EAIDHO EENV ETEX ERNG ED
KMDR KPAO KPKO KJUS KCRM KGHG KFRD KWMN KDEM KTFN KHIV KGIC KIDE KSCA KNNP KHUM KIPR KSUM KISL KIRF KCOR KRCM KPAL KWBG KN KS KOMC KSEP KFLU KPWR KTIA KSEO KMPI KHLS KICC KSTH KMCA KVPR KPRM KE KU KZ KFLO KSAF KTIP KTEX KBCT KOCI KOLY KOR KAWC KACT KUNR KTDB KSTC KLIG KSKN KNN KCFE KCIP KGHA KHDP KPOW KUNC KDRL KV KPREL KCRS KPOL KRVC KRIM KGIT KWIR KT KIRC KOMO KRFD KUWAIT KG KFIN KSCI KTFIN KFTN KGOV KPRV KSAC KGIV KCRIM KPIR KSOC KBIO KW KGLB KMWN KPO KFSC KSEAO KSTCPL KSI KPRP KREC KFPC KUNH KCSA KMRS KNDP KR KICCPUR KPPAO KCSY KTBT KCIS KNEP KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KNNB KGCC KINR KPOP KMFO KENV KNAR KVIR KDRG KDMR KFCE KNAO KDEN KGCN KICA KIMMITT KMCC KLFU KMSG KSEC KUM KCUL KMNP KSMT KCOM KOMCSG KSPR KPMI KRAD KIND KCRP KAUST KWAWC KTER KCHG KRDP KPAS KITA KTSC KPAOPREL KWGB KIRP KJUST KMIG KLAB KTFR KSEI KSTT KAPO KSTS KLSO KWNN KPOA KHSA KNPP KPAONZ KBTS KWWW KY KJRE KPAOKMDRKE KCRCM KSCS KWMNCI KESO KWUN KPLS KIIP KEDEM KPAOY KRIF KGICKS KREF KTRD KFRDSOCIRO KTAO KJU KWMNPHUMPRELKPAOZW KEN KO KNEI KEMR KKIV KEAI KWAC KRCIM KWCI KFIU KWIC KCORR KOMS KNNO KPAI KBWG KTTB KTBD KTIALG KILS KFEM KTDM KESS KNUC KPA KOMCCO KCEM KRCS KWBGSY KNPPIS KNNPMNUC KWN KERG KLTN KALM KCCP KSUMPHUM KREL KGH KLIP KTLA KAWK KWMM KVRP KVRC KAID KSLG KDEMK KX KIF KNPR KCFC KFTFN KTFM KPDD KCERS KMOC KDEMAF KMEPI KEMS KDRM KEPREL KBTR KEDU KNP KIRL KNNR KMPT KISLPINR KTPN KA KJUSTH KPIN KDEV KTDD KAKA KFRP KWNM KTSD KINL KJUSKUNR KWWMN KECF KWBC KPRO KVBL KOM KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KEDM KFLD KLPM KRGY KNNF KICR KIFR KM KWMNCS KAWS KLAP KPAK KDDG KCGC KID KNSD KMPF KPFO KDP KCMR KRMS KNPT KNNNP KTIAPARM KDTB KNUP KPGOV KNAP KNNC KUK KSRE KREISLER KIVP KQ KTIAEUN KPALAOIS KRM KISLAO KWM KFLOA
PHUM PINR PTER PGOV PREL PREF PL PM PHSA PE PARM PINS PK PUNE PO PALESTINIAN PU PBTS PROP PTBS POL POLI PA PGOVZI POLMIL POLITICAL PARTIES POLM PD POLITICS POLICY PAS PMIL PINT PNAT PV PKO PPOL PERSONS PING PBIO PH PETR PARMS PRES PCON PETERS PRELBR PT PLAB PP PAK PDEM PKPA PSOCI PF PLO PTERM PJUS PSOE PELOSI PROPERTY PGOVPREL PARP PRL PNIR PHUMKPAL PG PREZ PGIC PBOV PAO PKK PROV PHSAK PHUMPREL PROTECTION PGOVBL PSI PRELPK PGOVENRG PUM PRELKPKO PATTY PSOC PRIVATIZATION PRELSP PGOVEAIDUKNOSWGMHUCANLLHFRSPITNZ PMIG PREC PAIGH PROG PSHA PARK PETER POG PHUS PPREL PS PTERPREL PRELPGOV POV PKPO PGOVECON POUS PGOVPRELPHUMPREFSMIGELABEAIDKCRMKWMN PWBG PMAR PREM PAR PNR PRELPGOVEAIDECONEINVBEXPSCULOIIPBTIO PARMIR PGOVGM PHUH PARTM PN PRE PTE PY POLUN PPEL PDOV PGOVSOCI PIRF PGOVPM PBST PRELEVU PGOR PBTSRU PRM PRELKPAOIZ PGVO PERL PGOC PAGR PMIN PHUMR PVIP PPD PGV PRAM PINL PKPAL PTERE PGOF PINO PHAS PODC PRHUM PHUMA PREO PPA PEPFAR PGO PRGOV PAC PRESL PORG PKFK PEPR PRELP PREFA PNG PGOVPHUMKPAO PRELECON PINOCHET PFOR PGOVLO PHUMBA PRELC PREK PHUME PHJM POLINT PGOVPZ PGOVKCRM PGOVE PHALANAGE PARTY PECON PEACE PROCESS PLN PRELSW PAHO PEDRO PRELA PASS PPAO PGPV PNUM PCUL PGGV PSA PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PGIV PRFE POGOV PEL PBT PAMQ PINF PSEPC POSTS PHUMPGOV PVOV PHSAPREL PROLIFERATION PENA PRELTBIOBA PIN PRELL PGOVPTER PHAM PHYTRP PTEL PTERPGOV PHARM PROTESTS PRELAF PKBL PRELKPAO PKNP PARMP PHUML PFOV PERM PUOS PRELGOV PHUMPTER PARAGRAPH PERURENA PBTSEWWT PCI PETROL PINSO PINSCE PQL PEREZ PBS

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 09BANGKOK1376, Thai Government Plans Migrant Worker Amnesty

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #09BANGKOK1376.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09BANGKOK1376 2009-06-09 00:08 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Bangkok
VZCZCXRO3669
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHBK #1376/01 1600008
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 090008Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7225
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
INFO RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 6646
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BANGKOK 001376 
 
Department for EAP/MLS DRichelsoph, DRL/IL MJunk, DOL/ILAB for 
Brandie Sasser 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB PHUM BM TH
SUBJECT: Thai Government Plans Migrant Worker Amnesty 
 
BANGKOK 00001376  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
Sensitive But Unclassified.  For Official Use Only. 
 
Ref A: Bangkok 1319 (Unemployment) 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary: Thailand will soon implement an "amnesty" plan to 
register illegal migrants from Burma, Laos, and Cambodia who are 
employed in certain sectors of the Thai economy: fishing, 
fisheries-related work, construction, farming and livestock, and 
domestic work.  While details of the plan are still being developed, 
the process envisioned would require these migrants to register by 
July 25 of this year and verify their nationality with the 
government by February 2010.  The plan, while still not well 
understood by international or local observers, has elicited a mixed 
(but mostly negative) response so far.  Some have lauded the plan as 
a positive initiative, noting any registration of illegal migrants 
is better than none.  Still, others are quick to point out expected 
operational problems and potential for abuse that the process may 
open.  Given the difficulties companies and laborers will likely 
face through participation in the registration, none of the 
observers that we consulted expect this registration process, as 
currently proposed, to successfully attract a large number of 
participants.  End Summary. 
 
Background and Rationale 
------------------------ 
2.  (SBU) On May 26, the Royal Thai Government (RTG) cabinet 
approved a plan to open a new round of registration for unregistered 
migrant laborers in Thailand.  While the plan and the procedures it 
envisions have not yet been formally announced, according to the 
Ministry of Labor (MOL) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) 
officials we consulted, the registration process will cover illegal 
migrants from Laos, Cambodia, and Burma who arrived in Thailand 
after 2004 and are employed in five sectors: fishing, 
fisheries-related work, construction, farming and livestock, and 
domestic work.  According to the plan, unregistered migrants in 
these economic sectors must apply for identification cards (that 
will act as work permits) and complete a citizenship verification 
process by February 2010.  Thai officials have stated the government 
may, at some later date, expand the registration to include workers 
in other sectors of the economy should the government see a need to 
do so.  Migrant workers (from Cambodia, Laos, and Burma) who had 
previously registered to work temporarily in Thailand may continue 
to renew their work permits. 
 
3.  (SBU) Economic migrants from Cambodia, Laos, and Burma, as well 
as those seeking to escape the Burmese regime, began crossing into 
Thailand in great numbers in the 1980s.  Technically under Thai law, 
all such entries are illegal as are efforts to aid and assist 
illegal migrants.  Recognizing the value of these migrants to the 
Thai economy, however, the government in 1992 began a series of 
amnesty registrations that allowed for those illegal migrants 
already working to remain in Thailand for a limited period to work 
legally.  Limited amnesty registrations (by sector, geographic area, 
or for renewals only) continued until 2004 when a blanket amnesty 
was provided for all working illegal migrants from Cambodia, Laos, 
and Burma.   Every year since, these registered migrants have been 
allowed to renew their work permits.  The number of registered 
migrants has gradually declined, however, from approximately 1.26 
million in 2004 to approximately 540,000 today.  Reasons given for 
this decrease include the changing of employers by migrants (who 
then thereby lose their registered status) and the lack of perceived 
benefits of registration by many migrants who often face poor 
treatment and discrimination.  Today, the RTG estimates that in 
addition to the 540,000 registered migrants, between 1.3 and 1.5 
million additional illegal migrants reside within Thailand. 
 
4.  (SBU) RTG discussions about a new registration process have been 
on-going for months.  Plans for a registration last year were put on 
hold out of concern for rising unemployment due to the global 
economic crisis.  The Thai government conducted several job fairs at 
which only a few Thais applied for jobs in the sectors covered by 
the registration.  In light of this excess labor demand, the plan 
for a new migrant registration went forward. 
 
The Process As Envisioned 
------------------------- 
5.  (SBU) While the Thai Cabinet has approved the registration plan, 
various aspects of it, including the related citizenship 
verification system for those claiming Burmese nationality, still 
need to be developed.  This citizenship verification process is 
expected to take at least a few months to be implemented.  Some 
aspects of the plan have apparently been established and will 
require action by laborers, employers, and government offices by the 
following deadlines: 
 
- The Ministry of Interior (MOI) must issue an official notification 
(much like a USG Federal Register Notice) that allows illegal 
 
BANGKOK 00001376  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
migrants from Laos, Cambodia, and Burma to temporarily reside in 
Thailand.  The RTG plans for this to happen within 30 days of the 
cabinet decision (possibly by June 25). 
 
- The MOI's Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) must 
receive all applicants for registration (from employees or their 
employers) within 30 days after the MOI issues its notification. 
 
- The Ministry of Public Health will need to conduct health checks, 
and register migrants for health insurance by no later than 45 days 
after the DOPA registration. 
 
- The MOL's Department of Employment (DOE) must receive from the MOI 
the names of the migrant workers applying for work permits and 
provide the MOI authorization for them to be issued.  This is to be 
done within 60 days after DOPA first receives a migrant's 
application for registration. 
 
- After DOPA receives proof of health screening from the MOPH and 
authorization from the DOE, DOPA will issue a migrant 
identification/work permit card (within 60 days after receiving 
authorization from the DOE). 
 
- While migrants can receive work permits prior, they must complete 
a nationality verification process by February 2010. 
 
6.  (SBU) According to the current plan, spouses and children of 
migrant laborers will not be allowed to register, unlike the 2004 
registration.  Migrant workers registering in this round, regardless 
of which of the five listed employment sectors they enter, will 
receive work permits that prohibit them from working outside these 
five sectors.  In order to change jobs within the five listed 
sectors, laborers (or their employers) must first transfer 
registration documentation from one employer to the next, and file 
the documentation with government authorities. 
 
 
Citizenship Verification - A Necessary Evil 
------------------------------------------- 
7.  (SBU) One key component to the registration process, which even 
RTG officials admit is fraught with difficulties, is the 
verification of citizenship, at least for those claiming Burmese 
nationality.   For those claiming citizenship from Laos and 
Cambodia, the RTG plans to (in collaboration with the governments of 
Laos and Cambodia) set up one-stop service centers in various 
locations in Thailand where migrants can go to verify their 
nationality.  After doing so, migrants will receive a temporary 
passport and visa, allowing them to live and work in Thailand for 
two years.  Registered migrants will generally be required to return 
to their country of origin to receive a permanent passport and visa 
(to replace the temporary ones received in Thailand) and then return 
as legal, temporary migrants.  However, the RTG will allow migrants 
who do not want to return to Cambodia or Laos for the new passport 
to apply for a temporary passport extension at their embassy in 
Thailand. 
 
8.  (SBU) For migrants originating from Burma, the RTG has been 
negotiating with Burmese government officials for months with the 
hope of establishing a process similar to that established for 
migrants from Laos and Cambodia (Minister of Labor Phaitoon 
Kaeothong traveled to Burma the week of May 18 for this purpose). 
The Burmese government initially insisted that those claiming 
Burmese citizenship should travel to Burma to verify their 
citizenship, but has since backed away from this stance.  According 
to a Thai MOL official June 5, the Thai and Burmese governments have 
agreed (at least in theory) to a plan that will require Thai 
employers to bring the Burmese migrant laborers to (yet to be 
established) Thai processing centers along the Burmese border for 
processing.  Once registered at the Thai center, the migrant would 
then cross to another processing center on the Burmese side of the 
border to receive a temporary passport with which to cross back into 
Thailand.  Once back on the Thai-side of the border, the migrant 
would then receive a non-immigrant visa from the Thai center and 
would be able to proceed to their place of employment.  A Thai labor 
official claimed this entire process could be done in a day. 
 
9.  Several logistical hurdles stand in the way of this 
implementation, however.  Currently, registered migrant laborers are 
not allowed to leave the province in which they are employed without 
seeking permission from the provincial governor.  Also, under Thai 
immigration law, immigration police are obligated to deport 
unregistered illegal migrants whom they encounter.  As such, MOL 
officials are discussing with MOI and Immigration police officials 
how to establish procedures that will allow for unregistered 
migrants to cross provincial lines and national borders in order to 
verify their nationality. 
 
 
BANGKOK 00001376  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
Reaction Mixed, But Mostly Negative 
----------------------------------- 
10.  (SBU) Observers from international organizations (the 
International Labor Organization and International Organization for 
Migration) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have little 
knowledge of the details of the plan.  Some, including a 
representative from the International Organization for Migration 
(IOM) and a prominent labor activist, believe the registration is a 
good initiative.  The IOM official plainly stated, "Is it a move in 
the right direction?  Absolutely."   Nonetheless, others are 
critical of the plan: the timeframe in which migrants can register 
is too short; migrants cannot change employers when they wish 
(potentially tying them to labor abusers); the nationality 
verification process (for Burmese) is overly burdensome on employers 
and laborers in terms of cost and time, and may require a reliance 
on potentially unscrupulous labor brokers. 
 
11.  (SBU) One NGO activist who works with ethnic minorities from 
Burma who reside in Thailand noted the communities he assists are 
confused by the lack of detail on the registration so far.  He 
stated that virtually none of those he works with plan to 
participate in the registration, fearing they or their families in 
Burma will face extortion or other abuse should they have contact 
with the Burmese regime in order to verify nationality.  They also 
fear for their fate in Thailand if this is to be the last 
registration of migrants, as RTG officials have reportedly stated. 
In short, many echo the sentiments of a May 29 editorial in the 
Bangkok Post on the topic that "the short deadline and complicated 
system with its old constraints will fail to attract these 
underground workers."  As one contact put it, perhaps a bit less 
eloquently, "same whiskey, different bottle." 
 
Comment 
------- 
12.  (SBU) Should the Thai government's plan go forward as described 
to us, we should not expect Burmese migrants to flock in droves to 
apply for registration.  The intransigence of the Burmese regime is 
to blame for what may very well be the most costly, complicated, and 
prone-to-abuse aspect of the plan - the verification of Burmese 
nationality.  Thai officials with whom we spoke appeared genuinely 
frustrated when discussing negotiations with the Burmese government 
on the issue, nevertheless feeling that the registration process as 
envisioned is the best that can be hoped for under the 
circumstances.  At the same time, aspects of the plan over which the 
Thai government has full control, for instance, the inability of 
spouses and children of migrants to register, also invite criticism 
for limiting benefits to the illegal migrant community in Thailand. 
We will seek opportunities, however limited, to urge our contacts 
both in government and in civil society to develop registration 
procedures in ways to maximize their success, at least to minimize 
vulnerabilities of those laborers who choose to participate.  End 
Comment. 
 
13.  (U) This cable was coordinated with Embassy Rangoon.