The Civic Action for Free and Fair Elections 2020 Project (CAFFE) released a report titled “Forgotten Citizens” on October 31, revealing that 1.6 millon Myanmar citizens are working in Thailand legally. The data was gathered from data from the Thai government’s Worker Ministry.
However, only 37,000 Myanmar migrant workers were permitted to vote in an advance poll held between October 4 and the 18th at the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok.
As a result, 1,563,000 migrant workers will lose their right to vote.
The 40-page report provides insights into the situation for Myanmar migrant workers’. Thailand is divided into 77 distinct districts and migrant workers either reside or work in 64 of the districts. Since 2018, collaborative efforts between the Thai and Myanmar governments have led to migrant workers gaining the right to live and work in Thailand legally, secure a minimum wage, as well as having the right to advance voting while in Thailand. However, that right remains a serious challenge to exercise for migrant workers.
“Migrant workers are spread out in Thailand. Their communication is also not good. Since their education is often low, only a few of them got the Form 15 from the Myanmar Embassy, allowing them to vote in advance for our election. Migrants got the forms from migrant worker organizations, monks and ethnic Parahita groups who helped distribute the forms. Also, it’s difficult for many people to travel to Bangkok. There is only one place to cast the advance vote and the distance is very far for many,” said Nai Kasauh Mon, director of CAFFE Project.
Many Myanmar migrant workers did not receive the Myanmar embassy announcement requiring them to submit Form 15. Many migrant workers are not familiar with the internet, and were unable to download the form, fill it in, and return it to the Myanmar Embassy within the allotted time frame.
The CAFFE report also noted factories and other employers of migrants typically do not allow these workers the time needed to travel in order to exercise their voting rights.
The 2020 Election Agency Committee, assisting Mon and other ethnic people working in Thailand, helped submit about 5,000 form 15 applications. However many of those workers failed to show up for the advance vote.
“Our committee submitted for 5,000 people. But of those only 3,500-4,000, participated. People from Phuket and HatYai submitted their Form (15) but they could not come to vote,” said Nai Saha Mon, a member of 2020 Election Agency Committee.
The Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok announced that more than 39,000 workers, from 7 states and 7 regions as well as Naypyitaw, submitted Form (15) and 37,037 people were granted their advance voting right.
The CAFFE Project reports recommend the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (Union parliament) draft a law providing Myanmar migrant workers with the means to exercise their voting rights. The report also calls for the Union Election Commission to provide accessible polling stations for migrant workers close to where they reside and/or work.
