The leader of a Myanmar migrant workers group in Thailand told DVB that he will file complaints with both police and the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand after he was assaulted during a protest against against Myanmar migrant worker documentation offices, known as Certificate of Identity (CI) centers, outside the U.N. headquarters in Bangkok on Sunday.
“We will report this and pursue legal action,” Suraj Giri, also known as Veera Saengthong, told DVB. “We will continue to defend the rights of Myanmar migrant workers through peaceful and lawful means.”
Thailand’s opposition People’s Party expressed support for Giri and called on police to investigate the assault: “Regardless of whether people agree with the protesters’ demands, everyone has the right to life and physical safety and must receive equal protection under the law without discrimination,” it shared in a statement on Nov. 2.
Giri told DVB that members of a Thai activist group, reportedly linked to the People’s Democratic Reform Committee, disrupted the migrant workers protest and physically assaulted him and other participants outside of the U.N. office in Bangkok on Nov. 1.
“The purpose of the protest was to oppose the CI system, which channels money to Myanmar’s military authorities through taxes and fees, and to call for migrant workers to be allowed to live and work in Thailand using only Thai-issued ‘pink cards,’” he added.
Thailand’s Ministry of Interior issues the “pink card,” which is officially known as migrant registration documents, to foreign workers registered with the Thai government. However, Myanmar migrant workers must first obtain a CI from Myanmar through designated centres in Thailand before they can apply.
Bright Future’s demands reflect a broader campaign by Myanmar migrant groups against CI centers, which verify migrants’ nationality and legal status.
Five of these centres operate in Samut Prakan, Surat Thani, Chiang Mai and Chonburi provinces, home to large populations of Myanmar workers employed in manufacturing, construction, fisheries, agriculture and service industries.
Ye Min from the Aid Alliance Committee, a group that supports Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand, told DVB that the attack on Giri raised concern about freedom of expression for non-Thais in Thailand.
Giri said the attack would not deter Myanmar migrants from advocating for their rights in Thailand. This includes campaigning against the CI centers, which migrants say enables Myanmar’s regime authorities to levy taxes and fees, collect workers’ personal data, and identify individuals eligible for military service under the conscription law.
