A FACTORY WORKER CLOSES THE DOOR AFTER WORKERS WERE SENT BACK TO MYANMAR, 1999-11-16 (photo)

FOR RELEASE WITH STORY BC-THAILAND-MYANMAR-WORKERS - Thai factory worker Banpot Poolpipat closes the gate to a pineapple canning factory as boxes of the tinned fruit, bound for Germany, lie unattended after all of the factory labour from Myanmar were sent back to their homeland by Thai authorities. Thousands of tonnes of rotting fruit and flowers and deserted factory lines are testimony to an exodus of illegal Myanmar workers targeted in a massive Thai repatriation drive. Struggling with high unemployment amid its worst economic crisis in decades, Thailand has revived a plan to repatriate 600,000 Myanmar migrants working illegally in low-paid factory and farm jobs. JIR/TAN