<p>Washington, DC: The U.S. Department of State maintained Thailand’s Tier 3 ranking, the lowest category, in its annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, which was released this morning.</p>

<p>Thai authorities should drop charges against a prominent migrant worker rights activist, Human Rights Watch said today. The charges violate the free expression rights of the activist, Andy Hall, and undermine his research into labor rights abuses by companies in&nbsp;<a href="http://hrw.pr-optout.com/Tracking.aspx?Data=HHL%3d8%2c84A8-%3eLCE593719%26SDG%3c90%3a.&amp;RE=MC&amp;RI=4369775&amp;Preview=False&amp;DistributionActionID=82055&amp;Action=Follow+Link" target="_blank">Thailand</a>.<br /></p>

<p>The Thai criminal court has dismissed criminal defamation charges against Andy Hall, a British human rights defender and migration researcher. This is one of the four libel cases filed by a processed fruit company after Hall publicised poor human rights records and abusive labour conditions in the company’s factories.</p> <p>Phra Khanong Provincial Court, Bangkok, on Wednesday morning dismissed the first criminal libel case against Andy Hall, a freelance human rights and migration researcher, due incorrect investigation procedures. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Finnwatch Researcher Andy Hall Detained in Cell by Thai Court on Natural Fruit Charges Prior to Court Approval for Industry Bail Out, Passport Confiscated.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2931/14434350516_e07035d072_z.jpg" /></p> <p><span><em>Andy Hall and his team, with TFFA/TTIA representatives, in front of the Prakanong Court today prior to Hall's detention.</em></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

<div>An estimated 2 million migrants from Myanmar working across Thailand remain anxious to an irrational deadline imposed on permission to work here. The two countries agreed in 2003 that these workers could remain in Thailand only for 4 years before returning home for at least 3 years prior to any possible return.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>This limit on migrant’s stay in Thailand was imposed on ‘legal’ workers who, since 2009, completed a Nationality Verification regularisation process (NV). </div>

<p>On the evening of 28 September 2013, human rights defender and migrant rights activist Mr Andy Hall went to Bangkok's Bang Na Police Station to hear an additional complaint lodged against him by Natural Fruit Company Limited. Andy Hall is a human rights defender working to defend migrant workers' rights in Thailand.</p> <p></p>

<p>Thailand's authorities must immediately launch an investigation into &nbsp;the operations of Natural Fruit and its parent company NatGroup. Human rights issues must be tackled also in the ongoing free trade agreement negotiations between Thailand and the EU.</p> <p></p>

<p>On 22 February 2013, human rights defender Mr Andy Hall was informed that a criminal lawsuit had been lodged against him, at Nakhon Prathom court on 14 February 2013. The case is based on a complaint filed by the Thai fruit processor Natural Fruit Company Limited in Pranburi Prachuapkirikhan Province.</p> <p></p>

<p align="left" class="MsoNormal">The arrested Myanmar male migrant worker (one of 3), aged 27, worked with his wife at aluminium factory for 2 months in Rangsit, Pathum Thani. When the water from floods level reached to chest, &nbsp;the factory was officially closed on 12^th October 2011.</p>

<p>Migrants are one &lsquo;at risk&rsquo; group of people in the terrible floods that are affecting Thais and Thailand at this time for which the government needs to have a clear policy and response.</p>

<p>Mr. Chalermchai Sri-on, the Minister of Labour, on 26 Jan commented on the results of his trip to Myanmar between 22nd to 24th January 2010 to meet Mr Mong Min, the Deputy Minister ofForeign Affairs for Myanmar. The Minister said the trip was intended to discuss the existing nationality verification process (NV) for alien workers that has been proceeding slowly,particularly as a result of border closures.</p>

<p>20th Jan 2010 marks the renewal deadline for the first batch of 70, 000 Burmese, Cambodian and Laotian migrants working in Thailand whose work permits will expire on that day. The next date for the expiry of all the other work permits of migrants from Burma, Cambodia and Laos (approximately 930, 000 officially registered persons) is 28th Feb 2010.</p>