Shan woman’s fight moving to world arena

_{Human Rights
By Hseng Khio Fah}

The petition of a disabled Shan migrant worker, who was paralyzed in December 2006 while working at a hotel construction site in Chiangmai, was denied by the Supreme Administrative Court of Thailand today, according to Thailand-based Human Rights and Development Foundation (HRDF).

The disabled migrant worker, Nang Noom Mai Saeng, again claimed disability compensation from Chiangmai Social Society Office (SSO) this morning.

She was paralyzed from the waist down when a broken sling sent a 300kg mould it was lifting crashed down and struck her while working at the Shangrila Hotel construction site on Chiangmai’s busy Changklan Road on 4 December 2006.

However, the court denied to take action, said HRDF.

The court also supported the decision of the Chiangmai Administrative Court ruling that, the Court has no power to consider whether a circular, issued by the SSO denying access to work accident compensation, according to the HRDF’s report released this morning.

Nang Noom has appealed against the decision to the Workmen’s Compensation Fund (WCF) with the support of the HRDF and intervention from the National Human Rights Commission.

 “Migrant workers are human beings with flesh and blood and a life and a mind the same as Thai people, so they deserve some level of security in their lives. They have given benefits to our economy,” said Somchai Homla-or, Secretary General of HRDF, at the court’s ruling.

The group said it will take the campaign to gain meaningful access to work accident and disease compensation to the international arena.

The first petition was submitted in last April.