Documentaries on Thai berry pickers screened in Finland

Two documentaries about Thai berry pickers in Finland and Sweden were screened in Helsinki on Monday, November 11, 2024. The event, organised by Act4dem, aimed to shed light on workers’ rights, human trafficking, and the injustices faced by wild berry pickers. The screening featured “The Berries Blues” and “Missä Marjat” and was followed by a panel discussion. The panel included Janya Yimprasert, a Thai workers’ rights activist, Minna Seikkula, AspirE's postdoctoral researcher based at the University of Tampere, and representatives of the berry pickers themselves.

The event comes amidst growing scrutiny in Finland over whether the recruitment of berry pickers constitutes one of the largest human trafficking systems globally. During the discussion, panelists explored exploitative contracts, with former pickers sharing firsthand accounts of abuse and hardships. Many revealed they were coerced into giving misleading statements to the media about their income, while in reality, they faced significant debt. Concerns about the exploitation of berry pickers in Finland and Sweden have been raised since 2010. Workers have long reported unfair wages, excessive working hours, and inadequate access to healthcare. In 2022, over 1,000 workers organised a network to demand their rights and call for investigations into wage-related abuses, which they argue are linked to human trafficking.

The Isaan Record has been documenting these issues for over two years. In 2023, it released the documentary “Bloody Berry”, which followed the story of Jenpreeya Jampeehom, a berry picker. The documentary prompted widespread discussion, with some viewers expressing shock at the harsh realities and others sharing their own experiences of debt and exploitation. The Thai embassy in Helsinki shared the documentary to raise awareness about human trafficking and announced efforts to address the problem at the policy level. This year, The Isaan Record released “The Berries Blues”, a sequel highlighting the struggles of berry pickers after returning home. It detailed their fight for compensation and exposed the severe consequences of human trafficking.

The Helsinki panel drew significant public attention, emphasising the growing importance of addressing the exploitation of berry pickers. The issue has become a key agenda for both Finland and Thailand, with increasing focus on legal action and policy reforms to protect the rights of migrant workers in Scandinavia and Thailand.

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