Burmese pair arrested for illegal abortions in Phuket

Two Burmese nationals carrying out illegal abortions in Phuket Town were arrested at midday today (June 5) by Phuket Immigration, after they were busted at a hotel with a range of medical devices and equipment and confessed to carrying out abortions.

Immigration police arrested Sein Maung, 54, at the 999 Phuket hotel, Kra Road in Phuket Town, today after a decoy was set up to catch him. Also arrested was Tien Tien, a 36-year-old woman, also a Burmese national.

Sein told Immigration he was a doctor in Myanmar, but confessed he often visited Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan to carry out abortions on Burmese women.

Sein admitted that his agent found about 13 pregnant woman a day for him who wanted abortions. He charged at least B12,000 for woman who were less than five months pregnant. For those at a later stage of pregnancy, he would charge more.

Both were charged with working as unlicenced doctors in Thailand and working with no work permit. They were also charged with carrying out illegal abortions.

Article 305 of Thailand’s penal code states that abortion is illegal except in cases when it is carried out by a medical practitioner in instances when it is considered that the birth will endanger the health of the mother, or when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. However, many doctors in Thailand refuse to carry out abortions, because of their own personal convictions.

Phuket News

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