30 April
The labour attache office in Thailand said 16,324 Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand have registered online to return to Myanmar. They will be returning through the Myawady-Mae Sot at the Myanmar -Thai border on 1 May.
Labour Attache U Zaw Min Htwe said, “They have requested all necessary documents and 16,324 have registered as of 8 pm on 28 April and includes 11,178 males and 5,146 females, 9,000 persons working in the factories and workplaces, 220 persons from agriculture and livestock industry, 2,273 working in construction, 100 working in fisheries, and 4,000 in other jobs.”
Most of the people wishing to return are from Bago Region and constitute 27.3 per cent of registered to return at 4,463 persons. The second highest is from Magway Region making up 15.6 per cent at 2,544 persons, and the third highest is from Mon State at 12 per cent at 1,967 persons.
There are 460 persons wishing to return to Nay Pyi Taw Council territory, 860 to Sagaing Region, 625 to Taninthayi Region, 1,138 to Mandalay Region, 629 to Yangon Region, 1,104 to Ayeyawady Region, 125 to Kachin State, 80 to Kayah State, 26 to Chin State, 1,306 Kayin State, 269 to Rakhine State, and 728 to Shan State.
The labour attache said most of them are returning on their own volition, with 8,013 returning on their own choice, 1,444 returning due to the factories shutting down, 1,164 discharged from employment, 504 returning because they did not receive payment, 1,756 whose visas expired, 472 returning without documents, 202 who are illegal migrant workers, and 2,688 due to other reasons. He said 53 per cent of them have no plans to return to Thailand and 7,626 wish to return to work in Thailand.
Myawady District has 10 quarantine centers prepared for the returning Myanmar migrant workers and will have to comply with the Ministry of Health and Sports’ community based facility quarantine for 21 days and home quarantine for 7 days, a total of 28 days.
Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand can contact Labour Attache U Zaw Min Htwe at +66990592352 for any assistance. In addition, Myanmar people in Thailand for other reasons can contact First Secretary U Zaw Myo Htet at +66636653955 or Daw Mya Theingi at +66987395478, according to the Myanmar consulate in Chiang Mai. —Khin Yadanar (Translated by Zaw Htet Oo)
