Thai berry pickers exploited in human trafficking case in Rovaniemi

Thai berry pickers reportedly signed contracts in Thailand that effectively subjected them to human trafficking. The contracts were reviewed on Thursday during a trial in the Rovaniemi District Court, known as the Kiantama case. The CEO of the berry company Kiantama, Vernu Vasunta, and his Thai business partner Kalyakorn “Durian” Phongpitia face charges related to 62 counts of aggravated human trafficking. Both deny the allegations.

According to the prosecutor, the two men forced the Thai pickers, who had recently arrived in Finland, into involuntary labor under inhumane conditions. The prosecution is seeking prison sentences of three to four years for each defendant.

The training and coordination of the Thai berry pickers were reportedly the responsibility of Phongpitia’s company, Rurban. In Thailand, the pickers attended training sessions organized by Rurban, where they signed berry picking contracts that the prosecutors claim were heavily disadvantageous to the workers. Under the terms, the pickers were obligated to collect berries worth 90 euros per day, translating to about ten 10-liter buckets of blueberries or 21 buckets of lingonberries daily.

The agreement required pickers to waive their rights to complain or file lawsuits against Rurban or Phongpitia and to hand over their passports to Rurban in Finland, which the prosecutor states is a clear indication of human trafficking. It was also alleged that the pickers were misled during training about earning potential and working conditions, and were charged unfair costs.

This trial commenced on Tuesday in Rovaniemi and is expected to continue until the end of March.