KANCHANABURI – The Kanchanaburi Provincial Court has issued an arrest warrant for Weera Saengthong, a prominent Myanmar migrant labour rights activist and leader of the Bright Future group, following the revocation of his birth certificate by local authorities.
The warrant was approved on Monday (9 November) after the Sai Yok District Registration Office in Kanchanaburi revoked Weera’s birth certificate and submitted evidence to police, accusing him of providing false information to government officials.
According to the warrant, Weera is accused of producing, using or presenting false evidence, or otherwise unlawfully securing an entry for himself or another person in a household registration or other civil registration document, in circumstances involving a person without Thai nationality.
The alleged offence carries a maximum prison sentence exceeding three years. The warrant is subject to a 10-year statute of limitations.
The court authorised Police Sub-Lieutenant Theerasak Kaewmanee, deputy investigation inspector at Kanchanaburi City Police Station, to arrest Weera in connection with the case.
Weera is known for advocating for the rights of Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand, particularly on issues involving employment registration, documentation and policies imposed by Myanmar authorities.
He recently participated in a protest outside the United Nations building in Bangkok against identity certificate (CI) centres and Myanmar government policies affecting migrant workers. During the protest, he was physically assaulted by a group of Thai individuals.
In a recent interview with Prachachat, Weera warned that Thailand’s economy could face severe disruption if Myanmar migrant workers were forced to return home.
He called on the Thai government to overhaul the migrant worker registration system, arguing that existing procedures exposed workers to financial exploitation and potential threats from Myanmar’s military government.
Weera has been an outspoken advocate for reforms aimed at protecting Myanmar workers and reducing the financial burdens associated with obtaining legal employment documents in Thailand.