“We’d like to solve the problem of Thailand because there’s no doubt commercial interests have created much of this problem, and it will be to the commercial aspects of the industry that the solutions will have to come,” says Bob Miller.
The Guardian’s findings come at a crucial time for Thailand. After being warned for four consecutive years that it was not doing enough to tackle slavery within its borders, Thailand now risks being downgraded to the lowest ranking on the US state department’s human trafficking index, which evaluates 188 nations according to how well they combat and prevent human trafficking. A relegation to Tier 3 would put Thailand on a par with North Korea and Iran, and could lead to a downgrade in Thailand’s trading status with the US.
The Thai government told the Guardian that it was “committed to capturing, prosecuting and convicting unscrupulous actors in the fishing industry to hold them accountable for their crimes”. But when we presented the Royal Thai navy with the exact coordinates and details of slave ships no immediate action was taken.
The Thai government insists that it has formed task forces, increased trafficking prosecutions and coordinated inter-agency efforts to tackle slavery within its borders.
“Thailand is committed to combating human trafficking, making it a top national priority,” said Vijavat Isarabhakdi, the Thai ambassador to the US. “We know a lot more need to be done, but we also have made very significant progress to address the problem.”
“To maintain momentum on convictions, we need more than stories of atrocities. Thai enforcement action can happen when receiving all necessary information and cooperation from all stakeholders and in particular when we have names of vessels and those who have committed crimes.”