The Labour Ministry will provide full legal assistance to 14 Thai workers being sued by a Taiwanese labour management company for their alleged involvement in a riot in Taiwan last August.

Although the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation, which hired the workers, opted against suing them, Hua Pan Corp, a sub-contractor, has filed suit for damage to the company's properties during the August riot, said Employment Department director-general Juthawat Intha-rasuksri.

Four Thai workers face a criminal lawsuit in relation to the riot, he said, and the ministry was providing them with lawyers to fight the case in Taiwan.

Kaohsiung terminated its labour-management contract with Hua Pan after discovering the Thai workers had become violent because of unacceptable living and working conditions, Juthawat said.

In response, Hua Pan decided to sue the Thai workers for damage to the company's property, he said.

Juthawat said legal action might yet be negated, with Thai and Taiwanese labour authorities entering negotiations with Hua Pan this week.

The ministry has set aside an initial budget of Bt10 million to help defend the workers said Kumchorn Nakcheun, the head of the Labour Ministry's office of international labour coordination.

Furious about what they considered "inhuman" living and working conditions, some 300 Thai workers in Kaohsiung set fire to the company's management centre, a work dormitory, cars and other facilities on August 21 last year.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Kitti Wasinondh yesterday said the ministry had ordered officers at the Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taipei to closely monitor the accused Thai workers and keep reports flowing back to the ministry.

The foreign ministry has helped the labour ministry organise lawyers for the workers still in Taiwan.

The Public Health Ministry will also send medical officials to Taiwan to offer them psychological counselling.

Damrongphan Chaihao

The Nation