Maw is a Burmese housekeeper at my apartment. When I talked to her for the first time, I was very impressed by her ability in speaking Thai. She told me that she has been in Thailand for over a decade. After I talked to her, I realized that I knew very little about Burmese migrant workers.
Maw and her friends entered Thailand at Ranong Province . She paid 4,500 baht for one way transportation from Ranong Province to Phuket Island . The money was given to a Thai policeman, who gave them a drive. And later the money was divided among other policemen at each checkpoint all the way to Phuket. “It is all about money. They (policemen) work together,” she said.
When arriving in Phuket, she did not have enough money to afford the government registration fee for immigrants. So she worked illegally for a few years. Several Burmese who came with her were arrested and deported. These were years of great fear for her.
She started her first job at a fishery company. Her duty was to select and weigh fish. She worked 12 hours a day and received 80 baht without any holidays. She did not get sick leave either and sometimes did not get paid, all of which violates Thai Labor laws. And the worst incident involved her being threatened by her employer with a gun and being raped.
However, she could not sue for any justice. If she had raised her voice, she probably would have been sent back to Burma. So she had to bitterly struggle with the way people unfairly and cruelly treated her.
Two years later, she registered to get a work-permit document. She dreamt that this would improve her working condition. But this dream was just that and it never came true.
Migrant workers must pay 4,450 baht registration fee every year, according to the Human Rights Sub-Committee on Ethnic Minorities, Stateless, Migrant Workers and Displaced Persons and the Lawyers Council of Thailand
But in reality, she had to pay as much as 7,500 baht to a village headman. There was no explanation where the additional costs came from. And she had very little understanding of the payment procedure. Moreover, she had to pay 3,500 baht every time she changed jobs. What for? She told me that the money was for a signature from the new employer. Without a new employer's guarantee, she would immediately become an illegal alien after she left her former job and would be deported under the Thai Labor Laws.
I didn’t understand how some unscrupulous people could take advantage of an underprivileged person like her. Why were they so pitiless? This reminded me of a Thai saying: “These people are taking blood from crab.” I felt truly sorry for her that she had gotten involved with such self-interested and malicious people. The more I knew what she has been through for years, the more upset I became, and the more I learned how heartless people in my country could be.
Here was a woman who was forced by poverty to be away from home. She had no idea what her future life would be. The only desire she had was to support her family that was left behind. She worked hard to earn money. Why didn't we feel sympathy for her?
At the present time, I personally know only one immigrant person who is being treated unfairly in Thailand . There are millions of other migrant workers who have suffered from injustice and inequality. My country has treated them shoddily. In Thai culture, people are divided into "we" and "they."
When I was young, I used to distrust and dislike Burmese people. I thought they were poor people who often turned into criminals. They smuggled drugs into Thailand and many Burmese women were prostitutes. I always had negative attitudes towards them, mostly based on accounts in the media and from the education system.
When I was a young student, I was taught that Burmese people viciously burned down our stunning ancient capital city of Ayutthaya . This information was repeated over and over during my high school years until I believed it completely.
From my culture, I learned hatred and prejudice. But now I am confused whether this really is what my society wants me to feel. Shouldn't everyone be equal whatever nationality they are? Would it be possible to not be affected by the media and schools anymore? This would be extremely difficult since we mostly just believe in what we are taught.
Today I have already changed my negative attitudes towards Burmese and turned them into positive ones. As an adult, I am mature enough to know that all humans are equal.
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