Burmese migrants' life and death struggle

By Christopher Gunness
BBC's East Asia Today, northern Thailand

"We can take you to where their ashes are", said my Burmese guides, and that is exactly what they did, even though the area is restricted by Thai police.

Just outside the Thai town of Mae Sot, the road becomes a mud track, snaking into the sodden rice fields. In a small bamboo grove, my guides became more agitated as they led me into a clearing. And there was the evidence they had promised - a small area, carpeted with ash, and what appeared to be a charred human bone and pieces of burnt tyre.

The six victims were photographed soon before their deaths

On the night of 24 May, this had been the scene of a vicious murder.

Six Burmese workers, between the ages of 19 and 33, were beaten, shot dead and their bodies covered with tyres and set on fire.

The six men had been attempting to free friends and relatives kidnapped by a local politician. They had no money and so incurred the wrath of the militiamen loyal to this politician and paid with their lives.

The incident has sent a wave of fear through the 100,000-strong Burmese community in Mae Sot. Like many of the one million Burmese migrant workers in Thailand, they have fled political persecution and grinding economic hardship back home.

But once they arrive, their hopes of a better life usually come to nothing. Most do not have papers and are living illegally, open to exploitation by Thai businessmen and worse.

Moe Swe, Secretary of the Yang Chi Oo Burmese workers Association, said that about one migrant worker in the area is murdered every week.

"Their bodies are usually burnt, which makes it impossible for the police to investigate properly."

In the case of the six murdered in May, that certainly appears to be the case.

The local politician allegedly responsible for ordering the attack has been released on police bail while the investigation continues.

But few in the Burmese community believe that prosecution will result.

"They almost never do", said Moe Swe.

At Mae Sot's main police station, Lieutenant Colonel Samloerng Nam rak said the police were doing what they could, but that genuine problems were hampering the investigations.

We will live in fear of being killed. Our woman will live in fear of being raped Burmese exile

"Few of the Burmese speak good Thai, which makes it hard for us to do our work", he said.

But many believe the root of the problem lies in Bangkok.

The Thai Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, is accused of appeasing the military government in Rangoon because of his business interests in Burma.

Last year, registration was introduced for migrant workers. But far from offering protection as had been promised, critics say it has been used to clamp down, not just on workers, but on human rights and democracy campaigners who Rangoon see as an irritant.

One Burmese exile, who was too frightened to give his name, said Thaksin was sucking up to the generals in Burma, and the migrant workers were being squeezed in the middle, without legal protection.

"So for the foreseeable future, we will live in fear of being killed. Our woman will live in fear of being raped," he said.