<p>BANGKOK – The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus today called on the Thai government to postpone a December 14 deadline for unregistered migrant workers to enrol with the authorities, and also urged the authorities to investigate claims of state officers’ involvement in human trafficking of desperate Rohingya refugees seeking to get to Malaysia.<br /></p>

<p>On 16 August 2012, the <a href="http://www.mekongmigration.org">Mekong Migration Network</a> and the Asian Migrant Centre co-hosted the launch of the book, From Our Eyes: Mekong Migrant Reflections: 2000 &ndash; 2012, at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand ( FCCT) in Bangkok.</p>

<p>Social activist Adisorn Kerdmongkol, a key person at the Migrant Working Group (MWG), was among five people just named as outstanding human rights defenders by the Somchai Neelapaijit Memorial Foundation. He answered questions by The Nation on Sunday's Pravit Rojanaphruk about the plight of migrant workers in Thailand. Excerpts:</p>

<p>More than 80 per cent of migrant workers in Thailand are from Burma. It was presented to me that in spite of the 2003 MOU and the 2009 nationality verification process to change irregular workers status to legal status through issuing of Burmese passports, migrant workers are still facing frequent and significant rights violations because neither Burma nor Thailand has adopted a rights-based approach to managing migration, as exemplified in numerous ILO conventions, and most importantly, in the comprehensive 1990 UN Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and their Families.</p>

<p>On the 7th of December 2011, the Mekong Migration Network (MMN) launched two new publications, Speaking of Migration: Mekong Vocabulary on Migration and Legally Binding: A Summary of Labour Laws in the Greater Mekong Subregion at the Cambodiana Hotel in Phnom Penh.</p>

<p>Thai activists' letter to UN Secretary General concerning migrant workers during flood crisis.</p>

<p><em>Group says more than a thousand stranded without food, water or shelter; getting calls for urgent aid</em></p> <p>At least 1,500 migrant workers, mostly from Burma, are still trapped in the flood-hit provinces of Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi and lack adequate food, water and live in fear, said Ko Naing, legal coordinator for the Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma (TACDB).</p>

<p>The Mekong Migration Network (MMN) is deeply concerned for the well being and safety of the hundreds of thousands of migrant workers in the flooded provinces of Thailand. Member organizations based in Bangkok and surrounding areas are trying hard to provide relief and support to migrant workers from Burma, Lao and Cambodia, but are finding it impossible to reach all the migrants affected. Many of the industrial estates where migrants worked are now flooded and the factories closed. </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>&quot;Moving toward Thailand&rsquo;s pledge to enhance human rights protections for migrant workers, HRDF urges the Thai Government to consider becoming state party to the Convention on the Promotion and Protection of Rights of Migrant Workers and Members of their Family. To truly uphold the human rights of migrant workers on the ground as pledged, the TG must review domestic practices and policies relating to migrant rights protections, which are in conflict with the TG&rsquo;s international obligations and recognized standards.&rdquo;</p>

<p>The week-long Vegetarian Food Festival, which comes to an end today [4 Oct], should have shed some light on the plight of animals that are advertised as being &quot;happy&quot; to be consumed.</p>