New film reveals murders of Burmese fishers

9 October 2008

A shocking film with testimony of exploitation and murder of Burmese seafarers will be revealed at the ITF Fishers Conference in Pusan, Korea today (Thursday). Called ‘Abandoned, not forgotten’, the film captures eyewitness accounts of appalling maltreatment of Burmese emigrants working in the fishing industry, particularly in Thailand.

The film can be seen at www.itfglobal.org/fisheries/film.cfm.

Thousands of Burmese leave their country each year, fleeing political repression and economic collapse. More are expected following cyclone Nargis, which left 2.5 million people destitute. Most settle in Thailand where the only work open to them is usually in construction, agriculture, the sex trade and the fishing industry. An estimated 250,000 Burmese migrant fishers and women fish-processing workers are employed in Thailand’s billion-dollar, export-driven fishing industry. But only 70,000 are legally registered. With little or no legal status or protection many face brutality and near slavery.

The film is grim viewing. In it one fugitive ex-fisher describes an assault: “I think our Burmese boatman die like dogs and pigs.”

He then tells how a cook beat a young crew member with an iron bar. “The skipper asked if the guy was dead or not. I told him: ‘He hasn’t died yet, leave him alone, I’ll look after him’. The guy was hit at the back of his head and his brains spilled out. He took an hour to die.”

President of the exile ITF-affiliated Seafarers’ Union of Burma (SUB), Aung Thu Ya says that employers “torture our seamen, but their wealth and prosperity is based on us.”

The ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) commissioned the film and, along with its 186 affiliated seafarers’ unions, including Burmese, Thai and Indonesian unions, will be calling for the following:

• Action by the Thai authorities to tackle the systemic exploitation and abuse
• Action by the flag states of the vessels to fulfil their obligations and ensure that the rule of law is upheld on their territory
• Action by all buyers and companies involved in the buying, processing and exporting of the fish stocks to ensure that decent conditions are upheld throughout their supply chains
• The commissioning of a tripartite investigation mission by the ILO (International Labour Organization)
• Recognition of the SUB by the Thai authorities

ITF General Secretary David Cockroft commented: “This film is a sometimes sickening but very necessary addition to the evidence that many Burmese citizens forced to flee their country are being appallingly treated. This is a 21^st century scandal, and everyone involved - including those who wittingly or not buy or sell fish products tainted by this horrible exploitation - must examine their consciences and act.”

ENDS

For more information contact ITF press officer, Sam Dawson.
Direct line: + 44 (0)20 7940 9260.
Email: dawson_sam@itf.org.uk

International Transport Workers' Federation - ITF:
HEAD OFFICE
ITF House, 49 - 60 Borough Road, London SE1 1DS
Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7403 2733
Fax: + 44 (0) 20 7375 7871
Email: mail@itf.org.uk
Web: www.itfglobal.org

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