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Thai Trafficked Girls and Women Saved in Malaysia1

Officials from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) and foreign ministries have rescued 20 Thai girls and women forced into prostitution in Malaysia.

Mr. Wallop Polytaptim, permanent secretary for the MSDHS and other officials visited an immigration detention depot in Selangor state after local authorities asked them to assist in the transfer of 20 Thai females charged with entering the country on fake passports.

The Thais, aged between 16 and 19, arrived in Songkhla and were placed in the care of a local women's shelter. They said had been lured to Malaysia with promises of restaurant jobs. Facing debts of up to 50,000 THB each to a trafficking gang, they were forced to perform sex for months. They were locked up and forced to service at least four customers a day in exchange for three meals and 100 Malaysian ringgit (1,082 THB) per customer.

Thailand's labour attaché to Malaysia had also reported that another 70 women suspected to be Thais are in detention and accused of prostitution.

The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security intensified its efforts to help the women in collaboration with Malaysian authorities. Mr. Wallop Ploytubtim said the successful rescue represented the first constructive stem since the May 25 meeting of the government's anti-human trafficking committee, which adopted a policy of bilateral cooperation with destination countries.

Over recent years, Thailand has signed memorandums of understanding with neighbouring countries, Laos, Burma and Cambodia, in order to set guidelines for authorities involved with cased of human trafficking. However, these nations were origin countries.

On May 21, Mr. Wallop led a team of officials from the Department of Social Development and Welfare, immigration police at Sadao border checkpoint, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Thai embassy in Malaysia to visit Sememyih immigration detention center near Kuala Lumpur. The visit was a result of a meeting between Mr. Wallop and senior immigration official in Malaysia to discuss the problem of Thai detainees in Malaysia's immigration facilities.

Both sides agreed that long-term assistance is needed for the victims and that a detention center is not the appropriate place to take care of them.