Prison breakout shows rising foreign threat
EDITORIAL: The Nation
WHEN police commandos sprayed bullets at nine prison escapees nearly 24 hours after their violent jailbreak in Samut Sakhon - killing all as they attempted to take three hostages into Burma - the crack of rifle fire served as another rude awakening about the threats to public security.
Of the nine mowed down in the pickup used as their getaway vehicle to Kanchanaburi, eight were Burmese imprisoned for an assortment of criminal offences. The way they broke out of jail - after killing an official, with assistance from unknown elements who smuggled in lethal weapons for their escape bid - was justification enough for the police unit to end the nerve-wracking crisis after many hours of negotiations.
Unbearable prison conditions or inhumane treatment might have been reasons for jailbreaks in the past, as well as on Wednesday. But the incident should lead to improvement in all areas and, most importantly, security arrangements to prevent a recurrence.
With only one hostage critically injured, and still precariously hanging on to life, the ambush could be rated as highly successful. The Thai crack units handling such crisis situations have achieved a relatively impressive track record. That is possible only through tough training, clever tactics and, at times, luck.
While their efficiency is commendable, the latest crisis is a grim reminder that members of the public face an increasing threat from criminal acts committed by hard-core or petty foreign criminals. They come from everywhere - Europe, Africa, Asia - and they have been thriving with impunity and audacity.
But these criminals remain relatively few in number. They are conspicuous enough for police to track them down. The real threat is from illegal and legal workers from neighbouring countries who have found Thailand to be a place where they can earn a living with little, if any, disturbance from law-enforcement authorities.
There is no precise figure for the low-wage foreign workers and illegal immigrants here. But a fair estimate is well over one million, with the largest concentration in provinces where they are allowed to work as factory workers, fishing crew and farmhands.
There have been news reports of foreign workers murdering their employers because they were desperate and thought committing a crime to earn quick money would be easy - particularly if they could cross the border and get back home. There is no proper record of these people. It is also difficult to distinguish them from local people. Even in Bangkok, illegal immigrants work at petrol stations and small factories because they can stand hellish conditions and low wages.
The jailbreak on Wednesday will not be the last violent incident committed by immigrants from neighbouring countries. In Samut Sakhon alone, there are about 140,000 Burmese toiling on fishing trawlers. They account for about one third of the province's population. They live in what can be described as "Little Burma", and frequently engage in violent quarrels with local Thais. Bloodletting and deaths are usually the result.
Thai nationality can be gained with the assistance of corrupt officials. Fake ID cards have been found on many illegal workers, not to mention Thai passports.
There are several reasons for the swelling number of foreign low-wage workers. They are willing to accept low wages and substandard working conditions. Selfish business operators try to avoid paying the minimum wage to local Thais to keep their costs low and make greater profits. The foreign influx is also due to lax security measures and monitoring of illegal workers.
The government has to seriously weigh the economic benefits of foreign workers with other factors such as long-term national security and the social burden the country has to bear. It would not be easy to even gradually repatriate the legal and illegal workers because there would be a hue and cry from business people who care more about their operations.
If nothing is done, there will certainly be more horrifying consequences. The sieges at the Burmese Embassy and Ratchaburi Hospital were early warnings. The jailbreak was another dreadful one. There will be more, if the government does not take some action.