For the first time Thailand's anti-slavery law has been enforced,
despite slavery being widespread and having been a criminal
offence for over 50 years.
On 25 April, Wipaporn Songmeesap was sentenced to seven years
for enslaving a 13-year-old girl as a domestic worker, and three
and a half years for inflicting severe physical harm. She was
also ordered to pay the girl 200,000 baht (US$617) in compensation.
Chand (not her real name) was forced to work from 4.00am to
midnight, seven days a week with no holiday. She had to carry
out all domestic work for the family of five, including cooking
all meals, cleaning, doing the laundry and washing the family
cars. She received no pay and was only given two meals a day
comprising cold rice with leftovers.
She was prohibited from leaving the house or contacting her
parents and was regularly beaten.
After a year, Chand was returned to her village due to being ill as a result of her maltreatment. Shocked by her condition,
the village head sent her to the local hospital.
Despite slavery being a criminal offence punishable by up to
10 years in prison, the law has never been applied. According
to reports, this is largely due to there being no legal precedent
to follow and police reluctance to recognise cases where people
are in slave-like conditions without being chained as slavery.
This case marks an important step forward. It makes it more
possible for future slavery cases to be tried as slavery rather
than as lesser offences, as has been the case to date. It also increases
understanding of the realities of modern-day slavery.
It is crucial governments make eradicating slavery a priority
and enforce anti-slavery laws.
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