Thailand defends human trafficking record

Thailand yesterday defended its human trafficking record and hit back at US accusations that the illegal transportation of people is a national problem.

A Thai delegation led by Chettaphan Maksamphan, director-general of the Department of American and South Pacific Affairs, met with US Department of State officials in Washington last week to discuss the matter ahead of the 2022 annual Trafficking in Persons Report.

Thai officials insisted human trafficking is a regional issue, not a national problem, and urged the US not to target individual countries.

Police Lieutenant General Surachate Hakparn, assistant chief of the national police, who is in charge of combating human trafficking operations, says Thailand is not an origin or destination country as mentioned in the previous TIP report and human trafficking should not be blamed on one specific country.

“Thailand is only a transit…