NEW DELHI: The National Human Rights Commission said on Monday that it has taken note of reports that at least six Indian workers were detained by their employer near Bangkok over the past six months and sought comments from the Ministry of External Affairs.
The National Human Rights Commission said it had requested comments from the State Department within a week on “whether it can provide any assistance to the families of the victims.”
The Human Rights Committee said in a statement that it had reviewed, on its own initiative, a media report stating that “at least six people from the Kendrapara district in Odisha have been detained by their employer during the past six months in an area near Bangkok in Thailand.”
She added that the incident came to light on February 17 when the victims recorded a video describing their ordeal.
“They are detained inside the factory and subjected to physical and mental torture at the hands of their employer,” the Human Rights Committee said, citing reports.
The Committee noted that the content of the news report, if true, raises a serious issue of violations of workers’ human rights.
I therefore requested comments from MEA on whether they could provide any assistance to the families of the victims. The statement added that a response is expected within a week.
According to the media report published on February 19, the workers went to Thailand in August last year through a labor contractor, who promised them a good job with a good salary. But they were forced to work 12 hours a day in a plywood factory “without any salary or proper food,” she said.
Their employer also reportedly “confiscated their passports.” She added that they appealed to government agencies in India to facilitate their return.
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