From the Thai-language press: Thairath editorial: The gang to exploit poor people - October 13, 2005 Although it is quite late, it is not too late for the Investigation Commission of which Gen. Thanu Sriyakul, is Chairperson, to specify that employment agencies and many government officials of the Labour Ministry who took a high brokerage fee from 1,700 Thai workers. The amount taken was more than the law allows (which is 90,000-150,000 baht). The total extorted from the Thai workers is 60 million baht. This made us believe that there was cooperation between the owner of the employment agency and the middle level government officials of the Department of Employment who are in the North and Northeast of Thailand. The ingenious way is avoid detection is to send a large number of workers, but less than 50 workers in order not to be require approval from the high chief. The riot of Thai workers in Kaoshuing, in the south of Taiwan, to protest the employers’ oppression in August, urges the Taiwan government and Thai government to investigate urgently. Taiwan moved faster than Thailand in making their Labour Minister and Lord Mayor of Kaoshuing resign to take responsibility. The investigation specifies that there was a gang formed to oppress and exploit Thai workers. At first it was understood that only Taiwan was at fault for this, but the investigation of the Thai Labour Ministry found that the Thai employment agent company was also responsible. 60 million baht was fleeced from the workers’ sweat by people of the same nationality as the workers themselves. This was a large amount of money to take from poor people. Some must sell their land or take a mortgage or go to the pawnshop to get the brokerage fee. This 60 million baht is likely money from the 1,700 workers. This excludes thousands of other Thai workers in Taiwan. Thailand sends more workers to Taiwan than any other country. Many countries solve this problem by having the government handling sending workers overseas or giving loans with low interest to workers. Thailand as well seems like it may try to solve this problem with this method, but as it is controlled by the Labour Ministry already, many workers are oppressed and exploited by people of their same nationality. So it is hopeless now on how to solve this problem. At first, we must penalize those involved and clear up the system. From the Thai-language press: Thairath editorial: Dialogue is not bad - October 12, 2005 It is not clear if PM Thaksin Shinawatra is afraid Malaysia will become involved in the three southern border provinces making it a problem between nations or if he is afraid to lose prestige. For whatever reason, he denied to open a dialogue with Malaysia that was proposed by the Foreign Ministry of Malaysia and said he has no agenda to ask for cooperation in solving the problem. Although Thai government always confirms the unrest in the south is a domestic problem, solving the problem will not succeed if we do not get cooperation seriously and sincerely from Malaysia. This is because our border connects to Malaysia and both peoples have similar nationality, language, religions, and relationships as we often visit to each other. But when the misunderstanding happened when 131 Muslims fled to Malaysia, both governments should have a quiet dialogue and not necessary argue back and forth. The Thai government should thank Mr. Anand Panyalachun, Chairperson of the National Reconciliation Commission, who used his status as a former of PM and old diplomatic agent to privately discuss with PM Badavi and Ex-PM Mahathir at Kuala Lampur and get confirmation that Malaysia did not support the separatism. It is normal that Thais may doubt, but the way that the Defense Minister accused Mahathir as being a backer of the separatists should have been considered in a circumspect manner. Mahathir was Malaysian PM for 20 years and the southern situation was at peace. Recently Mahathir also condemned the bombs at Bali saying it was not the Islam way and this damages Islam. We have to understand Malaysia has a problem with Muslim violence as well. The UMNO Party of the government is opposed to the opposition PAS party and it is the government that governs Kalantan State that is next to Thailand. The PAS Party wants to govern with the Islam way but UMNO separates the religious domain from the state and controls religious teaching so it will not incite violence. Dialogue with Malaysia is not bad. On the contrary, it makes a closer relationship, more understanding, and cooperation. In the past, our government cooperated to solve unrest in the south. The best example is the solving of the Malaya Communist Terrorist Party or, as we call it, the Chinese Thief Communist Movement. More: Unlocking the Thai world: Thai-language newspaper headlines