Migrante Thailand urges the Philippine government for the immediate evacuation of Filipino migrants in Thailand and Cambodia, as the war between the two countries escalated on December 9. Around 400,000 civilians were evacuated from the Thai-Cambodia border, including 118 Filipino teachers.
According to the group, the Philippine embassy in Bangkok and Phnom Penh must act now to ensure the safety of Filipino migrants. The Philippine government must also deploy personnel to manage the evacuation and provide immediate support to migrants.
The group said the escalating conflict and violence between the countries endangers Filipino migrants. Many Filipinos already suffer the effects of the crisis on their livelihood and status.
The root cause of this crisis is not the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, but the structural injustice that drives Filipinos to seek work abroad. The crisis could have been avoided if only our own government had prioritized meaningful jobs and sustainable wages for our people instead of perpetuating a broken cycle of forced migration and corruption,” the group explained.
“We demand the Philippine government to end the labor export policy that commodifies the labor force of Filipinos at low value. We will not remain silent while our fellow citizens face harm and suffering in other countries. We will continue to fight for the rights, safety, and dignity of Filipinos wherever they are,” Migrante Thailand declared.
