Thais in Laukkaing call for immediate repatriation
Over 160 Thai nationals working in Laukkaing, a town in Myanmar’s Kokong Self-Administered Zone, on Thursday urged Thai authorities to bring them home within the next 24 hours, saying that the fighting between the Myanmar junta military and ethnic armed groups was moving closer to their camp.
Kokong is in the north of Shan State near the Chinese border.
According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 236 Thais have been stranded by the ongoing clashes after being conned into working for a Chinese call-centre gang in Kokong’s Laukkaing Town.
164 Thai workers were evacuated to a military camp in Laukkaing after fighting broke out in the northern part of Shan State on October 27. The conflict is between Myanmar military and the Brotherhood Alliance, made up of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Arakan Army-AA.
A few stranded Thais told The Nation via telephone that they had been hearing explosions all day and that these were getting closer to the camp.
They said another group of about 50 Thais have been working in a building in Zone 9, where the Chinese call centre had already abandoned its business and left the employees to find shelter on their own. So far only 17 persons of this group have been transported to the camp while the rest are still unaccounted for.
Thai workers also said that the food provided by the Myanmar military was scarce, with only 100 meals per day for 164 persons, while the food quality is also very poor and sometimes spoiled.
“We want the government to take us home in 24 hours, as we are in a dangerous situation,” they said, “The (bomb) shrapnel is falling closer to our roofs. Some had to hide under the bed or in the toilet all night.”
Thai workers also said that they had asked for help from the Thai embassy in Myanmar but received no response.
Earlier on Thursday, Ruj Dhammamongkol, director-general of the Department of Consular Affairs, said that plans are being formulated to bring back 164 Thais in the military camp, including discussions with Myanmar military about the evacuation route.
He added that the identification process could take a long time as these Thais had their passports taken by their employers, and the department must reissue documents for these workers.
Ruj however stated that there is adequate foods for Thais in the military camp thanks to the help of Myanmar authorities, China and NGOs. He added that the Thais workers in the camp have “good morale”.
Ruj said relatives of Thai workers can check their names and status via the department’s hotlines at 06-40198530, 06-40198907 and 09-96164786.
