A new investigation by a British newspaper is once again putting a spotlight on human trafficking in the fishing industry in Thailand, this time establishing a link between Thai fishing and a system of slave trade that smuggles laborers from Myanmar into the industry.
The article describes a vast operation that includes picking up slaves by boat from Myanmar, and keeping slaves in jungle camps in Thailand before sending them to work under inhumane conditions in Thailand’s fishing industry.
“So profitable is the trade in slaves that some local fishermen in Thailand have been converting their boats to carry Rohingya migrants instead of fish,” the Guardian wrote, referring to Myanmar citizens of the Rohingya ethnic group, the principal target of the operation. The Rohingya are fleeing the country to escape ethnic cleansing operations by the Myanmar government.
Past articles from the Guardian and the Associated Press (pictured, file photo) have linked products of slave labor to the supply chains of major retail chains in both the United Kingdom and the United States. The latest article does not name any specific companies, but refers to the “likelihood” that slave labor is being used to support otherwise legitimate seafood operations.
