Permanent Secretary of Justice Ministry urges  solutions to human trafficking problems involving government officials

Permanent Secretary of Justice Ministry urges  solutions to human trafficking problems involving government officials

       On May 11, 2022, at 8.30 a.m., Adjunct Professor Wisit Wisitsora-At (the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice as the Chairman of the Subcommittee for Monitoring Disciplinary Actions and Prosecution against Government Officials to Avert Involvement in Human Trafficking) assigned Pol.Lt.Col. Supat Thamthanarug (Deputy Director-General of the DSI) as the secreatary of the said Subcommittee to invite the Subcommittee’s members comprising of representatives from various government agencies, namely, the Office of the Cout of Justice, the Office of the Attorney General, the Royal Thai Police, the Anti-Money Laundering Office, the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, to attend the Subcommittee’s meeting no.1/2565 via video conferencing.

       The meeting monitored the progress of the proceedings against government officials involving themselves in human trafficking. For the statistics since 2012 until the present, there have been 81 government officials involving themselves in human trafficking (6 civil servants, 8 military officers, 52 police officers, 15 local politicians), 85 criminal cases prosecuted (4 government officials prosecuted for 2 cases each), disciplinary proceedings against 78 officials. (no disciplinary information of 3 officials) and properties worth 42.9 million baht seized. Major cases under inquiry by the DSI now included the case of distortion of facts in the inquiry files, the case of demanding protection money from karaoke bars in Kanchanaburi Province and the case of distortion of facts in inquiry files for aiding The Best bar (alleged offender) in the jurisdiction of Bang Sue Metropolitan Police Station. Additionally, the Director of the Bureau of Human Trafficking Crime of the DSI reported the case being monitored by the Subcommittee that was the case of Deputy Director-General of the Department of Children and Youth accused of obstructing the investigation, litigation or prosecution of human trafficking case, regarded as a special case and a case of government officials involving themselves in human trafficking.

       Adjunct Professor Wisitsora-At underlined that the government by the Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan has prioritized the solution to human trafficking problems, particularly the case of government officials’ involvement. The problem of involvement in human trafficking by government officials is one of the key problems mentioned every year in the TIP Report, impacting the ranking of nations regarding trafficking in persons. In 2021, Thailand was ranked as a Tier 2 Watch List nation. Therefore, in 2022, the government is determined to reinstate Thailand as a Tier 2 nation.

Dated March 17, 2022