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New Task Force in Thailand Established to Find Missing Children

Authorities need to act quicker against traffickers, says minister.

A special task force to trace missing children by coordinating information from relevant agencies should be set up, Deputy Social Development and Human Security Minister Poldej Pinprateep said yesterday. He said the authorities cannot afford to waste time in their attempts to find missing children, many snatched by human traffickers and forced to work as child labourers, beggars or sex workers.

Ekarak Lumchomkhae, head of the Mirror Foundation's missing persons information centre, said more than 400 cases of missing people have been reported to the centre since 2004. Missing children reported to the centre have ranged from newborn infants and toddlers to children aged 10-12.

Mr Poldej said a centre should be set up specifically to search for missing children and it must be able to work quickly. The more time passes, the slimmer the chances are of finding them and reuniting them with their families, he said.

He was speaking during a visit to three families of missing children in Krathum Baen district of Samut Sakhon. Soraya Dankuekul is the mother of Chaiyapas, or Nong Ten, 12, who has been missing for four months. She said she has not lost hope of getting her son back and believes he is still safe. He disappeared on Dec 16.

However, the ordeal has traumatised Nong Ten's father, Charoen. To him, the four months have been an eternity. He said he has gone through many crises in his life, but nothing like this. He also voiced frustration about the slow response by police who refused to register his complaint hours after the boy went missing. Police said the family had to wait at least 24 hours before they could lodge a missing person's complaint.

Rapid changes in society has contributed to the rising number of children disappearing, Mr Ekarak said. As neighbourhood ties are weakened, fewer people in the same community know or care about each other, he said.

Mr Poldej said his ministry was also floating the idea of establishing a neighbourhood watch network in communities to help look out for strangers and suspicious activities. He said a website and a 1300 hotline would also serve as a centre to receive complaints and useful clues about any missing children.

Adapted from: "New task force urged to trace missing kids." Bangkok Post. 22 April 2007.