“We were treated like slaves, all day and all night we had to work. I don’t want anyone else to have to face the same ordeal.” Nayto, Survivor
In late June 2016, 14 migrant workers escaped a chicken farm in the Lopburi region of Thailand. Their reports of harsh treatment, exhaustive hours and despicable work conditions made instant headlines.1
The 14 workers told Migrant Workers Rights Network (MWRN) that they were subjected to abusive supervisors, working hours that stretched through the day and night. With little to no time off, they endured terrible living conditions – sometimes forced to sleep alongside the hatchlings. Trapped on an isolated farm, workers could only leave for a single two-hour supervised trip per week. Their passports were confiscated, preventing them from leaving.
“I worked for 4 and a half years, often cramming 2 days’ work into one. I’m tired now and want to go home.” Myint, Survivor.
Betagro is one of Thailand’s largest chicken exporters, supplying chicken for pet food and ready-made meals, used to buy from this farm but recently cut ties.2 Yet by cutting off this supplier, there is little leverage to rectify abuses and promote improved labor protections down their supply chain.
Since launching this campaign in 2016, Thai courts have ordered compensation for the workers, but they and other human rights defenders are not in the clear just yet.
The farm owner continues to press defamation charges against Nan Win — one of the 14 workers — and Thai human rights activist Sutharee Wannasiri for speaking out about the abuses.3
Based on on-the-ground reports, exploitation is a chronic problem across Thailand’s poultry industry. Farm workers and their allies should never face industry retaliation for exposing labor violations.
Stand with migrant workers in the Thai poultry industry who fight for justice and demand an end to their harassment.
Nan Win’s Story
Nan Win grew up in Myanmar, earning a meagre living growing rice and beans. With a need to provide more for his family, he made the decision to migrate to Thailand to work for a commercial chicken farm. But it was far from what he expected.
“I think it is like modern slavery, because we had to work so hard and got so little money.”
Nan Win’s passport was taken, his movements were controlled, and he worked 19 hours for at least 40 consecutive days, receiving just a fraction of what he was owed — the equivalent of just 45 cents an hour. He slept in a room next to 28,000 chickens, constantly monitoring the power supply to industrial fans to ensure the chickens didn’t overheat.
His opportunity to escape came when he spotted something on social media from local organization MWRN. He made contact, which led the way for the escape of all 14 workers.4
Photograph by Maximillian Scott-Murray
Maximilliansm.com
Notes:
- https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/aug/01/thai-chicken-farm-workers-slept-on-the-floor-next-to-28000-birds ↩
- https://coconuts.co/yangon/news/modern-day-slavery-thai-food-giant-drops-chicken-farm-over-abuse-myanmar-workers/ ↩
- https://www.fidh.org/en/issues/human-rights-defenders/thailand-judicial-harassment-of-ms-sutharee-wannasiri-and-mr-nan-win ↩
- http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-01/case-of-chicken-farm-slaves-highlights-thai-labour-problems/7561714 ↩
Joanna F.,
Jeanette K.,
John R.,
line v.,
maurice j.,
Over the years I have given many Australian dollars to Thailand as both a tourist and donator – I may choose to donate and travel elsewhere
Fantastic result! Now let’s help the chickens whose lives are 100% brutality and exploitation. Another way we make living beings into puppets for ‘the love of money’ and ‘how it makes us feel’. There is of course the interim problem of employment for chicken workers but we can and must transition to kind ways of making food.
Freedom is the birth right of every person, We should walk with the effected people .
People who make others slaves are inadequate themselves, why for they have to use and abuse people for their own pleasure. That includes making money, they have not the decency to employ them and give a living wage and profit is their motive.
Slavery in any form is against humanity. Though humans do it to other people for the love of money and how it makes them feel. Which is a selfish ego feeling. Humans should help others to their best potential and they should not make people into puppets for their pleasure or fear.