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Jefri, who has lived mostly in London after leaving Brunei in 2004, reached an out-of-court settlement with the government in 2000 following a lawsuit filed against him over US $16 billion that vanished from Brunei's coffers while Jefri headed the agency. (AP)

 

 

Wednesday, 08 February, 2006

 

New Round of Migrant Worker Registration Nears

 

Thai labor officials are preparing for a new round of migrant workers’ registration in March by setting up “one-stop service points” at ten locations in Bangkok and on the Thai/Burmese border in Mae Sot, Tak province. Immigration police, labor officers and public health officers will be on hand to receive license applications from employers and interview migrant workers from Burma, Laos and Cambodia. Applications will also be taken for public health insurance. An amendment to the existing migrant worker registration procedure, which first came into effect in 2004, means that employers will now have to pay a cash guarantee of up to 50,000 baht (US $1,250) for each employee.

 

Last year the total number of registered migrant workers in Thailand was close to one million, with most—more than 200,000—based in Bangkok, according to figures from Thailand’s Department of Provincial Administration. Next to Bangkok, most migrant workers—over 120,000—were registered in Tak province. After March 30, migrant workers discovered without the necessary documentation will be detained and face repatriation, a Mae Sot labor official confirmed to The Irrawaddy today.

 

China-Burma to Sign Economic Deals

 

China will sign economic and trade agreements with Burma when the prime minister, Gen Soe Win, visits Beijing next week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday. China is a key diplomatic and economic partner for Burma’s isolated military leadership.

 

The United States and international aid groups have criticized Burma for lack of progress toward democracy and improved human rights and have called on its trading partners to stop doing business with the junta. Asked about human rights concerns, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said it was an “internal affair of Myanmar [Burma]. We think this should be resolved by Myanmar’s people and government through consultation. China and Myanmar are friendly countries that have a time-honored, traditional friendship.” (AP)

 

 

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

 

Burmese in Europe Concern over EU Move

 

A group of Burmese exiles in Europe has voiced “deep concern” over the EU’s decision to reconsider its visa ban on high-ranking Burmese government and military officials.