Myanmar woman rescued from forced labour in Bangkok house

A Myanmar woman has been rescued from a house where she had been confined for forced labor for over 13 years, Department of Special Investigation (DSI) dirctor-general Trairit Temahiwong revealed on Sunday.

Dr Trairit said she was freed on Saturday after the DSI was informed by the Labour Protection Network (LPN) Foundation that the woman, 26, had been detained and forced to work in a house in Soi 11 of the Pakamas housing estate in Bangkok’s Suan Luang district.

A team of officials from the DSI’s human trafficking office went to the house and escorted the woman out, exercising their power under Section 27(4) of the Human Trafficking Prevention and Suppression Act of 2008.

Dr Trairit said the woman was exhausted and frightened. She asked the authorities to immediately take her out of the house.

According to her initial statement, the woman had been forced to work in the house for over 13 years without pay. She could not remember exactly what year she arrived. There was sufficient reason to believe that she had been a victim of forced labor, he said.

The woman had been placed in a rehabilitation process. She had received a proper physical examination to make sure she was ready to be interviewed by officials as required by the anti-human trafficking law.

A further investigation would be conducted to prepare for legal action against the wrongdoers, in this case, Dr Trairit said.