Thailand for formal anti-trafficking mechanism with Bangladesh

Thailand has shown interest to work together with Bangladesh to put in place a formal anti-trafficking mechanism by signing a cooperation agreement.

Thai Minister for Social Development and Human Security Adul Saengsingkaew expressed the desire when Bangladesh ambassador in Bangkok Saida Muna Tasneem met him at his ministry on Monday.
 
He said Thailand had signed MoUs with its neighbouring countries on anti-trafficking cooperation and wished to ink similar agreement with Bangladesh.
 
The ambassador thanked the minister for his interest to work with Bangladesh, and also proposed setting up of an “institutional forum” between the security and law enforcement agencies of the two countries.
 

The forum would cooperate and exchange information regularly under the umbrella of the Foreign Office Consultations between the countries, she proposed.

The Southeast Asian country is a source, transit and destination for men, women and children trafficked for the purpose of forced labour and commercial sexual exploitation.

Many Bangladeshis have been detained over the years by Thai authorities.

Ambassador Tasneem also thanked the minister for the Thai government’s “continued support and humanitarian assistance” to the victims of trafficking from Bangladesh.

She told him that the Bangladesh embassy would continue to remain “actively” engaged for quick repatriation of the Bangladeshi victims of trafficking.

So far, 769 trafficked victims have been repatriated in recent years while another approximately 300 are awaiting repatriation.

Both sides reiterated the need for “humane treatment” of the victims of trafficking, and discussed future areas of bilateral and regional cooperation to address this common challenge.

The Thai minister informed this was part of their national agenda.

He has also expressed readiness to cooperate with Bangladesh in the areas of women empowerment, and self-sufficiency as proposed by the ambassador.

The ambassador briefed the minister about Bangladesh government’s flagship agenda of women empowerment, girls’ education, different social protection schemes and programmes for prevention of human trafficking.

She proposed a visit of a Bangladeshi women entrepreneurs’ delegation, comprising government sponsored women handicraft manufacturers, to Thailand.

Minister Adul Saengsingkaew readily agreed the proposal.

He said it could be “an excellent area of partnership to further bolster cooperation between the countries in the social sector”.

Bangladesh has focussed in recent years on its relations with Thailand, an active member of the Southeast Asian countries grouping, ASEAN.

Thailand is also showing interest to work together with Bangladesh in different fields.

Thai cultural minister has participated in the Bengali New Year celebration earlier this month for the first time by any minister of the ASEAN countries.