Workers are fired for greeting Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

On June 13, 2012, Ko Bo Bo Kyaw and his wife came to PVA and reported that they both were fired by Ma Soe’s sewing factory, where they worked for one year and two months, without any compensation. According to them, while they were working and listening to Burmese radio as usual, they had learnt that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi would pay visit to Mae Sot and other refugee’s camp on June 4, 2012. Therefore, the couple and other workers decided to go and greet her by taking day off on that day. And, they took half day off to greet her and came back at 3 pm. As a result, most of the workers showed up to work late on that day. The employer assumed that listening to the radio had caused them to take the day off and come back late. Therefore, the boss ordered all the workers not to listen to the radio while working. However, the couple and some others refused to obey it and kept listening to the radio while working. Thus, the couple along with Ko Bo Bo Kyaw and his wife was fired finally. PVA ordered the employer named Ma Soe to come to the office and negotiated. It also transferred the case to the Sawadeekan office so that all of these workers could claim for their grievances in this regard. Meantime, it had provided the temporary foods and shelters for Ko Bo Bo Kyaw and his wife, who had nowhere to go, and helped looking for another job for them.

July 23, 2012

Two sisters died in hit and run automobile incident

On May 30, 2012, Ko Thein Toe came to inform PVA that his two sisters namely Ma Nilar Soe (19) and Ma Htay Htay Win (21) were hit by a blue car when they were on the way to buy some foods from work, the Top Form factory, at 9 pm on May 29. Ma Htay Htay Win was died on the spot and Ma Nilar Soe died at the hospital later. There were 5 bystanders coming to visit to Mae Sot from Myawaddy witnessed the incident. However, they were afraid to speak out about it. Thus, no one took responsibility about it. The factory owner assured him that it would pay for the funeral costs and guarantee for the death-compensations at 35,000 baht a person via the factory manager. Their passports were held by the factory who promised to return them to him after the funeral according to him. On May 30, PVA had performed the funeral service for them and met the responsible person for their compensations. By the help of Thai authorities and Labor Law Clinic(LLC), it also was looking for the blue car driver who committed the crime for further legal action.

An appeal to join the worthwhile charity

As an organization with its own principle to help the citizens of Burma at any rate, PVA now is attempting to open a school for the children living in Phratot village and neighboring areas in Maeramat Township, on time for 2012 academic year, with the help of the earnest donors and local residents. However, it still needs your help. Therefore, PVA would like to urge the citizens of Burma to donate it for our future, the children’s future, the future of Burma and the future as a whole. 

Contact Numbers: 087 6953100, 084 3195771, 082 4044262 

Email...............: pvamaesod@gmail.com 

Account No.....: 6040206233, Kyaw Tay Za, Krung Thai Bank

Injustice follows where the underdog goes

On April 29, 2012, a resident of Mae Sot named Ma Chaw Su came to PVA office and claimed that her niece Ma Hnin Aye (17) had become a victim of human trafficking. According to her, her niece, a resident of Alantayar quarter in Thathon, Burma, was brought and let to work for a clothing shop in Naunbwa near Mae Sot by a carry two months ago. Later, the owner of the shop shut down the shop and moved to Bangkok without paying her salary. In addition, the owner sold her to a massage place according to her claim. Therefore, the PVA officials went to the massage place and demanded to bring her back. PVA could manage to convince the owner of the massage place that it’s a serious crime involving in the human trafficking related to human rights violations especially in the case of a minor. He finally agreed to return her with PVA officials.

May 7, 2012

Two motorbike thieves arrested

On May 9, 2012, by the help of a responsible citizen, PVA officials from the leading committee no.1, regional.7 in Maepa could manage to arrest two motorbike tourists, who stole a motorbike in the region, in front of Golden New hotel in quarter no.1, Maepa at 12 midnight. The incident occurred when they hid a stolen motorbike (W.100), which was changed into 821 in lead color, in a bathroom at Ma Aye residential line in front of Tawya monastery in Maepa on May 5 at 12 midnight. The motorbike was stolen by them from Golden New hotel, no.1 quarter in Maepa. By the report of a responsible citizen, who saw them borrowing a screw driver in order to switch the license plate, the PVA officials went there and made the arrest on the spot on May 9 at 3 pm. The PVA members led by U Kyaw Htet, a member of the leading committee.1, confiscated the stolen motorbike and the license plates as well. The thieves namely Kyaw Moe and Sai Htwe Aung along with the evidences were handed over to Thai authorities for further action by PVA finally.

From May 12, 2012

From May 12, 2012

Prosperity requires the security first

On April 4 at 2:45 am, 2012, PVA regional no.10 and the paramilitary troops from Maepa had arrested Min Oo (29), Thagi, U Ye Myint, U Chit Hlaing in total of 20 people coming from Myawaddy in Karen state, Burma for human trafficking. There were 70 victims, who were about to engaged in a long walk in the woods to get a job at a glue factory in Bangkok, as promised by the traffickers, by bringing the foods, medicines and rations for the long journey. They entered into Mae Sot from a place called Tatmaan in Myawaddy. PVA could manage to stop them at a quarter in the western Kyuntaw, Maepa. With tremendous experience of human trafficking including the case of the migrant workers, who were sold to the fishing boats in Ahchaung region, Chunburi, PVA had determined to fight against human trafficking at all costs. Thus, it had handed the detainees over to the district administration office in Mae Sot. The office had repatriated them to Myawaddy on the same day. Due to the poverty and the lack of employment opportunity in Burma, the migrant workers had been flooding into Thailand in many ways by risking their lives. By taking advantage of their vulnerability, some of the carries and human traffickers had destroyed their lives by extorting, raping, killing and selling them to the unsafe workplaces like the fishing boats. Therefore, PVA strongly believe that it has the responsibility to protect the Burmese migrant workers in accordance with its stand. It also would like to urge the citizens of Burma to get involve in the anti-human trafficking activities. 

 

An underage girl was tied and beaten up

On May 5, 2012, Soe Moe Aung aka Chit Aung, a resident of Kappiban, reported to PVA that his wife, a 15 years old teenager was disappeared after they had an argument. The couple was married about a month ago. Even though the wife was an underage girl, the mother had permitted her to get married. On April 30, the couple got an argument after the husband found out that the wife had kept a man’s phone number. At that point, the husband threatened her to beat up and kill if she did it again. The wife had run away after that. After he found out that the wife was nowhere to be found, the husband came to PVA and asked to help looking for his wife. However, on May 6, he found her on his own and brought her back home. When arrived to home, the wife was tied up with a rope, laid down on the house floor and beaten up severely by the husband. The wife’s mother was cheerleading the incident, according to neighbor. The wife’s elder sister finally reported to PVA in this regard. When arrived to the residence, PVA witnessed that the wife still was on the floor and tied up with a rope. Therefore, PVA brought the couple and the mother to Irrawaddy office. Hence the case was under the concern of both PVA and Irrawaddy organizations, PVA requested to Irrawaddy to solve the case. Irrawaddy sent the wife to a women and children protection center for her physical and mental rehabilitation, in accordance with the protection of children’s rights. It also educated both the husband and the mother that such action had met with a punishable crime. And, finally, it warned them not to repeat the same mistake again in the future.

From May 9, 2012

From May 9, 2012