During 20-28 February 2010, Mr. Chirachai Punkrasin, Director General, Department of American and South Pacific Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs led a delegation of representatives from key agencies concerned with issues of human trafficking and child labor to Washington D.C. The trip is part of Thailand’s continuous efforts to provide information and better understanding to the U.S. side in the State Department’s preparation of its annual report on the situation of human trafficking worldwide. The delegation comprises of Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (Mrs. Kanda Vajrabhaya), Director General of International Affairs Department, Office of the Attorney General (Mr. Sirisak Tiyapan), Deputy Director General of Department of Welfare and Labor Protection, Ministry of Labor (Mr. Pakorn Amornchewin), Deputy Commissioner of Central Investigation Bureau, Royal Thai Police (Pol. Maj. Gen. Surapol Thuanthong), and Deputy Commissioner of Immigration Bureau, Royal Thai Police (Pol. Maj. Gen. M.L. Pansak Kasemsant).
The delegation had extensive meetings with U.S. governmental agencies, Congressmen and staffers, and NGOs. The meetings with U.S. governmental agencies included discussion with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in persons (State Department), Acting Director of the Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking (Department of Labor), the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Department of Homeland Security), and Department of Justice. The delegation visited the U.S. Congress and met with Representative Christopher Smith (R-New Jersey), Representative Ed Royce (R-California), and staffers of Representative Eni Faleomavaega (D-American Samoa), and Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin). The delegation also held a briefing for Congressional staffers, which was organized by Friends of Thailand Caucus, on Thailand’s prevention and suppression of human trafficking in Thailand and other current issues. The delegation also visited the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a private, nonprofit organization that provides services nationwide for families and professionals in the prevention of abducted, endangered, and sexually exploited children. The delegation participated in Roundtable discussion with NGO on Thailand anti-human trafficking efforts.
The delegation stressed that the issues of human trafficking and child labor are high on the Royal Thai Government’s agenda. The delegation shared with the U.S. side the progress of the implementation of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act B.E. 2551, the development of subcommittees under the two National Committees on Anti-trafficking in persons, prosecution statistics, victims assistances efforts, public awareness raising and capacity building activities, and cooperation with NGOs, foreign countries and international organizations. The two sides agreed that there should be more cooperation on the exchange of trainings and technical expertise, especially in the area of prosecution, prevention and victim assistance.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th