US will not penalise Thailand: Minister
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Deputy Commerce Minister Apiradee Tantraporn expressed her confidence Wednesday that the United States would not come up with any penalties against Thailand though the country remained in the bottom of the latest Trafficking in Persons report.
She said that though Thailand remains in Tier 3, the US government has acknowledged that Thailand has continually tackled human trafficking activities.
Several months before the report was released, the government has enforced a number of measures, she added. Thailand should turn the crisis into opportunities, by speeding up other measures to clear the long-standing problems.
Penalties for countries in Tier 3 are at the discretion of the US President. It could include ban on the countries' products or restrictions on non-humanitarian assistance and funding.
In a related development, Wanchai Rujanawong, chief of the Office of Auditor General's Foreign Affairs Department and spokesman of the OAG, posted on his Facebook page that Thailand remained in the bottom of the report because of the military coup.
He said this ranking was politically motivated. Without the coup, Thailand's ranking could have been lifted to Tier 2 Watch List as the government has done its best in tackling the issue. The US wants this ranking as a political tool to put pressure on the Thai economy and image, he added.
In his post, he said that being in Tier 3, Thailand risks facing product bans from the European Union and other countries. From seafood products, the bans could be extended to other products which could cause more than Bt200 billion in damage. The United States' intention is to put pressure on exports as Thailand relies heavily on exports. Its goal is to attack the economy until the troubled rise againsts the government.
He also mentioned that investigation into Thailand's aviation safety standards is part of this scheme, as this would affect Thailand's tourism industry.
