Sutthida Malikaew. Impact of provincial decrees on daily life of migrant workers : a case study of burmese migrant workers in Phang-Nga province . Master's Degree(Human Rights ). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2009.
Impact of provincial decrees on daily life of migrant workers : a case study of burmese migrant workers in Phang-Nga province
Abstract:
The management of migrant workers in Thailand under the registration policy has
allowed migrants to temporarily stay and work in Thailand with restriction of their
rights. In addition to the rights restrictions under the national registration policy,
starting in late 2006, some provinces issued and implemented provincial decrees to
manage and control the everyday lives of migrant workers and their families. The
provincial decrees apply only to migrants from three countries namely, Cambodia,
Laos, and Myanmar. Phang-gna as one of the provinces implementing the provincial
decree was selected as the study area. This study explores the background and
implementation of the provincial decree with a focus on its impact on the daily life of
migrant workers in Phang-gna. It also examines how people in the area of study,
especially migrants themselves, respond to the decree. The study finds that migrant
workers in the studied area face particular difficulties in their daily life as a result of
the provincial decrees. It also finds that the provincial decree has been utilized by
some authorities as well as local people to exploit the migrant workers. The provincial
decree can be said to be a catalyst in the expansion of abuse. In fact, the violations are
directly connected with the mindset of Thai citizens that views migrants as the other.
This mindset can be said to originate with the state and is given a life form through the
enactment of policies that differentiate migrants from local people. These
discriminatory policies are issued without any outcry from the local people because
the local people have already been convinced that the migrants are not us, are
different and therefore need the enactment of different, particular policies to control
them. Alongside the promotion of the other, the national security discourse is also
utilized to justify the discrimination policy at different levels, from the national
registration policy to the provincial decree. However, migrant workers and non
governmental organizations working to support these workers do not remain passive in
the face of provincial decree. Migrant workers in the particular deploy different means
to negotiate their survival and limited freedom within this restrictive context.