Child ‘slaves’ in Thailand

Press, 22 September 1977, Page 6

Child ‘slaves’ in Thailand

NZPA-Reuter "" Bangkok' The Thai police have ar-' rested a factory owner for employing more than 30, children under what they describe as slave-labour conditions, the authorities in Bangkok have said. A spokesman said yesterday that the police had rescued the 33 children, aged between five and 16, after receiving a tip-off from a resident living near the factory, outside Bangkok. The owner of the factory, Mrs Vilairat Thamathon, was taken into custody on charges including resisting arrest, operating an illegal factory, and mistreating children.

the children are reported o have told the police that hey were forced to wake be-

'fore dawn every day and had to wrap sweets until late at might for two meals a day. Any child found sleeping during the working time was beaten, according to the police. The police said most of the children came from poor north-eastern provinces and had been recruited by factory agents who promised that the families would be paid about $lB5 a year if they allowed their children to work ini Bangkok.

Mrs Vilairat claimed that she had to force the children to work hard because she paid a large amount of money to acquire their services, according to the police. The children were taken to the Government child-care [centre in Bangkok, police 'said.