Border closure brings workers jobless

Chan Aie

Independent Mon News Agency

June 3, 2005

The closure of Thai-Burma border affected to about one thousand furniture and lacquer workers in Three Pagoda Pass on Burma side according to the members of a furniture association.

Thirty five registered and around 40 unregistered furniture and lacquer factories workers in town became jobless after the banning of exporting timber, furniture and lacquer to Thailand, according to a member of the association.

The workers had to cut their daily expenses. A furniture worker, Ko Thin Htut said that they usually spent 50 Baht a day for 3 people (husband and wife with a child) in his family. Now, they have to cut down to 20 Baht for one day meal. "I cannot think (what to do). No one can employ us even though we want to work. There is no work at all," he added.

Some workers have to find other jobs such as digging the soil, cleaning the bushes in the garden and doing anything whatever they could earn.

The main business in Three Pagoda Pass was exporting timber (for making windows and boats) and the furniture to Thailand. A man, who sells Thai supplies in Burma side said, they cannot transport goods to anywhere and all goods are withhold in the shop.

Both of Burmese and Thai authorities had closed Three Pagoda Pass border on May 19 and the employees in Three Pagoda Pass became jobless. Three Pagoda Pass is divided into Thai side and Burma side. For the Burmese merchants, Three Pagoda was a good place to get Thai supplies for southern Burma.

But, few workers are luckier than most of them. Some workers who have good employers can still earn some money for their families.

U Lin, an employer of furniture business, lets his employees repair his house to keep employing the workers and give the wages of 110 Baht as before. "Can't sell and can't export even tough there is many supplies. It'll not be only one month. It's going on for a year and don't know how to deal with it," he added.

The soaring of the basic commodity prices also trigger the jobless workers lives difficult. The petroleum price increases from 20 Baht (1 liter) to 28 Baht and diesel price is growing up from 18 Baht per 1 liter to 26 Baht which further increases the price of basic commodities.

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