Thai berry pickers testify against Kiantama CEO in Lapland District Court

A Thai berry picker stated, “I didn’t come here to be a victim. I came to pick berries and earn money for my home.” This picker is among those involved with the berry company Kiantama. Last week, they provided testimony in the Lapland District Court as a party to the case.

The court is hearing allegations against Kiantama’s CEO, Vernu Vasunta, and his Thai business partner, Kalyakorn “Durian” Phongpitia, who are facing charges of 62 counts of serious human trafficking. Both defendants have denied the accusations. According to the prosecution, the two are accused of forcing Thai berry pickers, who arrived in Finland, into conditions of forced labor and inhumane treatment. The prosecution is seeking 3 to 4 years of imprisonment for both.

The defense argues that some Thai berry pickers aimed to reach Finland to access the victim assistance program for human trafficking, hoping to obtain residence permits through that route. However, a specialist at the Victim Support Service, Pia Marttila, expressed skepticism over the idea that individuals intentionally sought to become victims of human trafficking to enter this support system. “Simply becoming a client of the victim support system does not guarantee anyone a residence permit,” she stated.

In 2022, the Victim Support Service reported over 500 new clients, including 177 Thai berry pickers. The majority returned to Thailand without ever entering the assistance program, while a few sought temporary aid before also returning home. Only a small number of pickers remained in Finland to apply for residence permits.

According to immigration statistics, in the past four years, a total of 105 individuals have received residence permits on the basis of having been victims of human trafficking in Finland, with no Thai citizens granted such permits between 2021 and 2022.