VOA慢速英语2015 国际劳工组织批评泰国渔业奴役劳工的行为

 

AS IT IS 2015-01-26 Labor¹ Groups Criticize Abuses in Thai Fishing Industry 国际劳工组织批评泰国渔业奴役劳工的行为

Labor and anti-trafficking groups are calling for more action to reduce rights abuses in Thailand’s profitable fishing industry. The fishing industry often depends on workers from neighboring countries.

The Thai government is taking steps to stop the abuses. But problems remain for an industry long dependent on low-cost labor.

Thailand is the third largest exporter of fish and fishery products in the world. Those exports are worth more than eight billion dollars. But the Thai fishing industry is under attack because of reports of labor rights abuses and human trafficking. Many of the workers come from Cambodia and Myanmar, also known as Burma.

The United Nation’s International Labor Organization reports that up to 20 percent of workers on Thai fishing boats have faced forced labor. Rights groups have reported widespread abuses on Thai boats. The groups say the country’s fishing industry remains² poorly governed and legislated³.  

The American-based Human Rights Watch produced a report on the Thai seafood⁴ industry. The report says labor shortages have led the seafood industry to turn largely to foreign workers. It says recruitment dealers⁵ have targeted men from Cambodia, Myanmar and even Thailand.

Phil Robertson is deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch. He says some men were forced to work in the fishing industry. He says they reported threats of violence and abuse on fishing boats.

“We continually see problems of physical abuse by captains and other officers. Every group of fishermen that Human Rights Watch has talked to said they had seen captains, beating, abusing and in some cases killing⁶ fishermen. The fisherman falls asleep, is sick, is injured. They are compelled to keep going; they can’t stop work. We found beatings with tools, with stingray tails, also shootings.”

Fishermen face long working hours. Some work up to 20 hours a day. There is little time to rest or eat. Only when fishing nets are down in the water and after the fish are caught and sorted can the workers rest.

A Thai labor department proposal to employ prisoners on boats to make up for labor shortfalls was rejected after an international outcry.

Patima Tungpuchayakul is with the Seafarers Action Center and Labor Rights Promotion⁷ Network Foundation. She says some of those trafficked say they were drugged before being put on boats. She says many received little or no pay. She also says the conditions on boats often make people want to leave.

She says people have appealed to return home after being at sea up to three years. Identification documents and passports are often withheld⁸ or thrown into the sea. Many workers fear death if they stay on the boat. So they instead jump ship to survive.

She says many bodies of fishermen had been uncovered in Indonesia. At least nine Thais were confirmed dead. Thirty workers from Myanmar were also found.

Wanchai Penjabat travelled to Indonesia. He says the need for labor is so great that recruiters turn to children and older adults to fill job vacancies⁹ on boats.

He says those tricked into working on the boats work like slaves, or worse than slaves. There are long hours of work. And for many, the conditions are what he calls ‘unendurable’.

Phil Robertson says Thailand’s international image in the seafood industry is at stake.

“Overseas the reputation of Thai seafood is now really brought into disrepute. There are many different companies who are sourcing (seafood) from Thailand, now looking at how‘we’ ensure that the fish products that ‘we’re’ buying here or the shrimp¹⁰ being raised on fishmeal is not tainted¹¹ with forced labor and trafficked persons sweat and tears.”

Last year, the United States lowered Thailand’s rating in its Trafficking in Persons report. U.S. officials placed Thailand in Tier Three, the lowest rating possible. The move leaves Thailand open to financial and other non-humanitarian measures.  

The Thai government has reacted with a campaign to end human trafficking and abuses. Steps include a tightening¹² of rules in the fishing industry and increasing the lowest legal age for workers to 18 years.

The government will also register all boats and require vessel¹³ monitoring systems on all boats by February.

Rights workers say they welcome the legislation and the steps to fight trafficking. But they add the laws will need to be enforced to be really effective.

Words in this Story

profitable – adj. making money

recruit –  v. to persuade (someone) to join you in some activity or to help you

shortfall – n. a failure to get what is expected or needed

outcry – n. an expression of strong anger or disapproval¹⁴ by many people

vacancy¹⁵ – n. a job or position that is available to be taken

1 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 legislated   

v.立法，制定法律( legislate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Congress has legislated a new minimum wage for workers. 国会制定了一项新的关于工人最低工资的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Most member countries have already legislated against excessive overtime. 大多数成员国均已立法禁止超时加班。 来自辞典例句

4 seafood   

n.海产食品，海味，海鲜

参考例句：

• There's an excellent seafood restaurant near here.离这儿不远有家非常不错的海鲜馆。
• Shrimps are a popular type of seafood.小虾是比较普遍的一种海味。

5 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

6 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

7 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

8 withheld   

withhold过去式及过去分词

参考例句：

• I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后，我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There was no school play because the principal withheld his consent. 由于校长没同意，学校里没有举行比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 vacancies   

n.空房间( vacancy的名词复数 )；空虚；空白；空缺

参考例句：

• job vacancies 职位空缺
• The sign outside the motel said \"No Vacancies\". 汽车旅馆外的招牌显示“客满”。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 shrimp   

n.虾，小虾；矮小的人

参考例句：

• When the shrimp farm is built it will block the stream.一旦养虾场建起来，将会截断这条河流。
• When it comes to seafood,I like shrimp the best.说到海鲜，我最喜欢虾。

11 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

13 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

14 disapproval   

n.反对，不赞成

参考例句：

• The teacher made an outward show of disapproval.老师表面上表示不同意。
• They shouted their disapproval.他们喊叫表示反对。

15 vacancy   

n.（旅馆的）空位，空房，（职务的）空缺

参考例句：

• Her going on maternity leave will create a temporary vacancy.她休产假时将会有一个临时空缺。
• The vacancy of her expression made me doubt if she was listening.她茫然的神情让我怀疑她是否在听。