|
Suksamran: A Thai court has issued an arrest warrant for the driver of a container truck in which 54 Myanmar migrant workers suffocated to death, officials said on Friday.
At least 120 migrants were crammed in the locked container as they were smuggled into Thailand. They began passing out when the air conditioning failed.
The owner of the truck was arrested after he turned himself in for questioning on Thursday. The driver has been on the run after he abandoned the truck on Wednesday.
Police have launched a manhunt for the driver, identified as Suchon Boonplong, whom they believe is hiding in Thailand’s Phuket. He faces a maximum of 10 years in jail.
Survivors said they pounded on the sides of the truck and tried to call the driver using a mobile phone. "But he told us in Burmese to keep quiet and make no trouble," Tida Toy told the Bangkok Post. "He switched off the phone and drove on."
Their horrific deaths have sparked outrage from rights groups and renewed calls for tough action against human trafficking networks in the region.
The survivors were due to appear in court in the southern province of Ranong on Friday to face charges of illegal entry. Police said some could be deported immediately after the hearing.
|
