For Immediate Release: 6th April 2011

Rights Groups Call on Thai Government to Urgently

Rethink Worker Safety, Conduct Investigations and
Provide Effective Remedies As 16 Myanmar Migrants
Die in Truck Tragedy
For further information on this statement, please contact:
*Mr. Chalee Loysong (President, Thai Labour Solidarity
Committee [TLSC]): +66 890 309178 (Thai)
*Mr. Andy Hall (Consultant, Human Rights and Development
Foundation [HRDF]): +66 846 119209 (English/Thai)
*Ms. Preeyaporn Khankamnerd (Coordinator, HRDF’s Migrant
Justice Programme): +66 863 408390 (Thai/English)

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At 7am on 4 April 2011, a two-row seater bus carrying more than 70
migrants from Myanmar was hit by a 10-wheeler truck in the no
parking zone central lanes of a major highway leading into Bangkok in
Samut Sakorn Province in Central Thailand. 16 workers were killed in
this tragedy and more than 50 were treated for their injuries in
hospital.

Every morning and evening, two-row seater buses overflowing with

Myanmar migrants regularly are seen on the streets of Samut Sakorn. These
buses take workers to work and bring them back home again. Some of these
buses are provided free of charge by factories as part of welfare packages.
Many other factories however deduct workers’ salaries for such
transportation. As there are not enough buses provided by factories, each
bus generally carries over 60 workers. This is greatly in excess of legal
limits laid down by the Thai Government (TG) and in case of an accident
greatly raises the risks of large losses of life. No matter how crowded a bus
is, Myanmar migrants must try to get into it to get to work on time because
their already meager salaries will be deducted further if they are late
arriving at their workplaces. With migrants’ low incomes other means of
transportation which cost more are unaffordable to them. In addition, the
TG has a policy that, given apparent national security concerns, migrant
workers cannot apply for personal driving licenses also.

The disturbing and avoidable loss of life in Monday’s incident and in other
bus-related incidents occurring frequently across Thailand is partly
attributed to lack of strict law enforcement. According to Thai regulations,
the bus involved in Monday’s accident was of 24 seats but it carried over 70
passengers. It was also picking up workers when it was hit at a no parking
zone on the central lanes of a main highway heading into Bangkok. The
Land Transportation Act prescribes however that “For the regular route or
non-regular route transportation between provinces or between Thailand
and foreign countries, the licensed driver of a vehicle is prohibited to load
more passengers than the seats specified in the permit.”

Given the frequent yet avoidable loss of lives of innocent workers across
Thailand in vehicle accidents, and particularly in light of this recent
tragedy, the organizations listed below with deep regret and concern request
urgently that:
The TG and relevant provincial agencies strictly ensure
enforcement of bus safety laws in Thailand, specifically relating
to numbers of passengers permitted for each vehicle and to
ensure that picking up and dropping off of workers and
members of the public is conducted in a way to ensure public
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safety and to prevent repetition of the 4 April 2011 tragedy.
The Governor of Samut Sakhon Province and relevant agencies
promptly conduct a fact-finding investigation on the causes of
Monday’s tragedy and provide appropriate remedies for the
injured, deceased and dependents of the deceased. Migrant
workers in Thailand generally encounter severe obstacles in
receiving remedies for such incidents so extra effort should be
applied in this case by the TG to ensure their access to justice.
Myanmar’s Embassy in Thailand provide consular assistance to
its citizens and their families who were injured or killed in this
 tragedy.
Relevant TG agencies ensure future regulation of a standard
means of providing welfare provisions for all workers, Thai and
migrant, particularly relating to travelling to and from
workplaces.

Signatories
Thai Labour Solidarity Committee (TLSC)
Work and Environment Related Patient's Network of Thailand (WEPT)
Human Rights and Development Foundation (HRDF)
Raks Thai Foundation
Labour Rights Promotion Network Foundation (LPN)
Foundation for AIDS Rights (FAR)
Thai Labour Campaign
Cross Ethnic Integration In Andama Project Sathirakoses - Nagapradipa
Foundation
The Mirror Foundation