FEAR DEEPENED WOES OF BURMESE MIGRANTS
Vital papers washed away with dreams during tsunami
Story by ANUCHA CHAROENPO, Bangkok Post 18 juillet 2005
For 30-year-old Burmese migrant Soe Naing, the tsunami that hit the coast of
Thailand on Dec 26, 2004 did not just wash away his job, it also left him with an
uncertain future.
The once healthy young man who entered Thailand illegally about a year ago now
has a disability after doctors were forced to amputate his leg from below the knee
due to an acute infection. The infection came about following wounds he sustained
when the giant waves of the Indian Ocean tsunami struck Phangnga province. He is
currently being treated at Takuapa Hospital.
According to doctors, the amputation would not have been necessary had Soe Naing
decided to approach them earlier and receive proper medication.
''I dare not see the doctors at that time because of my illegal status. I did not have a
work permit, or a health card. That barred me from having access to any of the
government's social welfare programmes,'' he said.
Soe Naing had been working as a member of a fishing crew at the port of Tablamu in
Phangnga's Muang district.
Instead of seeking help, he decided to try and take care of himself for several months
for fear of being arrested and deported. He bought over-the-counter medicine which
was inadequate for his medical condition. When his condition began to deteriorate, a
group of his Burmese friends approached the Tsunami Action Group (TAG), a nongovernmental organisation that provides assistance to Burmese migrant workers
affected by the tsunami, for assistance.
His medical bills, which stand at about 90,000 baht, would be covered by Belgiumbased Medicines San Frontieres.
The only hope that keeps Soe Naing going is the chance to return to his wife and two
children in the city of Tavoy in southern Burma.
''As soon as I get an artificial leg, I will go back home. I will find menial jobs or work in
the rice fields there. The doctors told me I could leave hospital within two months, I
miss my family and my home a lot,'' he said.
Soe Naing is among hundreds of Burmese migrant workers believed to have survived
the tsunami catastrophe. Many, like Soe Naing, were injured but refused to see
doctors. Most went into hiding as the authorities conducted a series of crackdowns
and moved to deport them.
''We have tried to persuade these migrants to see doctors over the past six months
but most of them don't dare to come out as they are still afraid of being arrested and
deported. Only a few are willing to receive medication from doctors,'' said
Sutthiphong Kongkhaphol, a TAG coordinator.
According to Mr Sutthiphong, many legal migrant workers are also facing problems.
Although they were registered workers, they had lost their papers when the tsunami
struck. Without their identification papers, they could not apply for a work permit,
which would provide protection under labour law, had no right to the healthcare
system, as well as having no right to stay in the country.
''If they come out without an ID card, they will immediately be classified as illegal
migrants, will be arrested and then deported by police,'' he said.
The TAG has been helping such migrant workers to re-apply for their ID cards. So
far, 330 workers in Phangnga have now received replacement cards, and have
resumed their work. They also have access to the country's healthcare system.
The agency also provides financial assistance to families of migrant workers who are
jobless.
Moe, 34, has to take care of his wife, who suffered serious head injuries after being
hurt during the tsunami. She has been left unable to speak after suffering brain
damage. She was not able to take care of the baby daughter she delivered just after
the tsunami struck.
While her medical bills, totalling one million baht, are covered under labour law, Moe
had become penniless as he was not able to leave his wife and go to work. The TAG
provides him with a daily stipend to cover his expenses.
'' I must thank the Thai government for paying my wife's medical bills, which we could
not afford to pay,'' he said.
He plans to take his wife back to his hometown in Tavoy once her condition
improves. Then he will return to try and find work again in Thailand, he said.
''There are no well-paid jobs in Burma. My family will starve to death if I stay in
Burma,'' he said.