Speaking after chairing the government’s committee on human trafficking suppression at Government House yesterday (Mar 9), he said the government would speed up prosecution of all suspects thought to be involved in the trade so they can be completed before the end of the year.
The US State Department in June 2014 downgraded Thailand to the lowest status, Tier 3, in its annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report.
The deadline for submitting reports for consideration each year is March 31. After that, US officials work on editing and compiling the report for a June or July release.
Thailand wants to do better for the sake of its international standing. No specific sanctions are set out in the report, though some critics have asked if the US is keeping Thailand on the lowest level for political reasons.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has said he wants results of the government’s crackdown to be clear before it submits the human-trafficking update to the US, especially the part concerning state officials found involved in trafficking cases, said Gen Prawit.
Law enforcement is a crucial aspect of the work because if all key suspects are eventually released without prosecution, nothing will have been achieved at all, he said.
Gen Prawit urged officials to strictly enforce the law against wrongdoers, saying the government is aiming to stamp out human trafficking rings while attempting to improve labour rights protection.
Both elements are crucial in the fight against human trafficking in developed nations, he said, adding that Thailand has to follow the norm set elsewhere.
The government expects all existing human trafficking cases to be wrapped up within a year before Thailand can move to the next step of upgrading anti-human trafficking measures to meet international standards, he said.
Before the report is sent at the end of this month, the committee will meet one last time on Monday (Mar 14), said Gen Prawit.
The report will cover all aspects of human trafficking suppression, namely crackdowns on suspects, an acceleration in prosecutions including those involving child labour abuse and illegal labour, faster progress in passing laws concerning the fight against human trafficking, and the results of prosecutions against state officials found involved, said Gen Prawit.
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