Department of Corrections denies Reuters forced labour story

The Department of Corrections is striking back after a story by Reuters last week painted a brutal portrait of forced labour, violence, and coercion in Thailand’s prison system. The department denied things like threatening and physically assaulting inmates existed and that prisoners aren’t forced to work as mentioned in the Reuters article.

The article painted a picture of inmates in Thai prisons being forced to manufacture fishing nets for private companies under threat of lengthened time in jail or beatings. But the Department of Corrections says that they merely offer vocational training where inmates can learn useful work skills in different jobs. They say it gives prisoners the knowledge and skills to get a career after their release, as well as acting as behaviour development to keep prisoners out of trouble.

The Thai government has been called upon by the International…