04-12-2022

Jessica Cook 

Human Rights Researcher 

Global Human Rights Defence

On Friday 2nd of December, Thai child rights activist and secretary-general of the Child Protection Foundation, Montri Sinthaweechai admitted to charges of human trafficking [1]. The charges were filed in Amphawa district, Samut Songkhram province, west of Bangkok. Sinthaweechai and his wife were running a resort in the area and allegedly used children from a nearby care centre for labour. 

Members of Zendai Foundation, which ran the care centre, accompanied children to the police station after learning that Sinthaweechai was beating them and subjecting them to forced labour [2]. This was after a group of university students carrying out voluntary work at the foundation noticed that something was wrong with the children - they asked for food and told the university students how they were forced to work at Sinthaweechai’s resort early in the morning before school in exchange for money [3]. However, the president of Zendai Foundation claimed that he visited the resort but did not see the children being forced to do any work, saying  “Assaulting children and caning children, as punishment for violation of rules, are different in nature” (Thai PBS World, 2022). 

At the moment the foundation has lost its licence, meaning that the future of the child care centre is unknown. The foundation’s president said he would appeal the decision. 

Sources and further reading:

[1] Thai PBS World. (2022, December 4). Child rights advocate charged with human trafficking in Thailand. Thai PBS World. Retrieved on December 4 from: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/child-rights-advocate-charged-with-human-trafficking-in-thailand/ 

[2] Fronde, N (2022, December 3). Child Protection Foundation leader faces child labour charges. Thaiger. Retrieved on December 4 from: https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/crime/child-protection-foundation-leader-faces-child-labour-charges 

[3] The Nation Thailand. (2022, December 4). Child protection foundation chief surrenders over alleged abuse, forced labour. The Nation Thailand. Retrieved on December 4 from: https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/40021689