On February 24th, Thai authorities arrested 21 Myanmar migrant workers who were en route to Malaysia for work. According to Thai media reports, the arrests took place in Su-ngai Kolok township, located in the Narathiwat province of southern Thailand.
According to reports, the Myanmar migrant workers who were arrested in southern Thailand had allegedly entered the country's Kanchanaburi district through an illegal border road. Their ultimate destination was Malaysia, where they were planning to work.
Ko Saw Maung, who is assisting with Myanmar labor affairs, told the Narinjara that despite officially applying for work abroad through the MOU system, workers are often forced to leave by any means possible due to unexplained delays.
"If it was easy to go legally, they would go legally. Now they are making the easy thing difficult. There are no job opportunities in the country. That's why they go out with the only way to find a job abroad. Because it is illegal, they are arrested," he said.
Among the 21 Myanmar workers, 18 are men and 3 are women. They were caught by the Thai authorities in a forest near Pasir Mas, Su-ngai Kolok town, Narathiwat province.
Narathiwat province is located on the border between Thailand and Malaysia, and is a frequent site where Myanmar migrant workers en route to Malaysia are apprehended by authorities.
