Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges lawmakers from all three major political parties to help educate Khmer workers so that they won't end up working illegally in Thailand.
The announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a response to the request from opposition lawmaker Keo Remy who wrote a letter to Minister Hor Nam Hong asking him to negotiate with Thailand to legalize over ten thousands Khmer workers in the country.
In a letter to Keo Remy, Hor Nam Hong said the rights of Khmer workers are violated when they are duped by middlemen to work in Thailand illegally.
According to the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2,590 Cambodians are currently jailed in Thailand.
Recently, Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to allow Khmer workers who are working illegally to return back to their country, and proposed for the migrant workers to come back into Thailand when they established legal working rights with companies recognized by the Cambodian government.
Keo Remy welcomes the efforts of the Cambodian government but expresses concerns about more than ten thousands others workers who are working there illegally.
Mrs. Pung Chieu Gek, director of human rights NGO and LICADHO, says that one of the Cambodian government responsibilities is to negotiate with Thailand to issue legal work permits to all Khmer workers.