Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 13
in which they are registered may prevent them
from obtaining a higher education or having
access to certain types of work. They need to
obtain permission to travel from the governor of
their province on a case-by-case basis.
Furthermore, in some provinces, the rights of
cross-border labourers are even more limited. For
example, there are announcements by governors
of some provinces imposing a curfew on them
after 20.00 hrs. These announcements are made
without any legal basis, often resulting in
cross-border labourers being forced to work in
conditions that are below the minimum labour
standards, or to become forced labourers.
Mr. Homla-or states: “This is just taking advantage
of people, as the Thai economy is in need of
labourers due to a lack of Thai labourers, and the
fact that Thai labourers prefer not to do
dangerous or dirty jobs. However, at the same
time, we do not recognize the rights of these
people, including their right of movement.”
Mr. Homla-or is of the view that in any civilized
country, asylum seekers are usually entitled to
travel within and even, in some exceptional cases,
outside the country. Many countries also consider
that asylum seekers are generally people with
different political views from the authorities in
their own countries. Asylum seekers in some
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Dignity and Justice for All of Us
countries receive financial support from the
government and can even receive
accommodation provided by the government
because they are considered to be people who
have and promote basic freedoms. However, the
Royal Thai Government does not recognize this
standard or international principle and forces
such people into refugee camps specifically set
up for them.
Mr. Homla-or believes that the legal,
administrative, and judicial arms of the
government should adjust the country’s laws and
regulations in line with international laws and
standards. At present, the Royal Thai Government
is a signatory state of seven human rights
conventions, the latest of which relates to the
rights of the disabled applying to all people,
regardless of nationality.
He asserts, “Thailand is host to the largest United
Nations Regional Centre in the world, so the
United Nations should not be afraid of the Thai
Government to act in accordance with bilateral
agreements. Thailand should have a judicial
system that provides justice and protects its
people based on its international obligations. It is
only when this has been achieved that judicial
reform can be realized”.