Southern leaders, military prepare for Rohingya migrants

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Southern leaders, military prepare for Rohingya migrants

 

Rohingya refugees from Rakhine state in Myanmar walk along a path near Teknaf in Bangladesh on September 3.//AFP

 

Authorities in Ranong and Pang Nga southern provinces met with the military on Monday in response to fighting in Myanmar’s Rakhine state that resulted in an influx of Rohingya displaced persons to Bangladesh.

 

They discussed the possibility that Rohingya may try to escape the violence by sea, and come ashore in southern Thai provinces. In the past, Muslim Rohingya have used Thailand as a transit point to travel to Malaysia, also a Muslim country.

 

Governors of Ranong and Pang Nga as well as representatives of the military and border patrol police attended the Monday meeting.

 

Pol Colonel Napattanasak Thammarak, the deputy immigration police commander, said that there have been no reports of Rohingya fleeing to Thailand, although the fighting in Rakhine state is escalating.

 

The lack of Rohingya migrants coming to Thailand is “mainly because it is still the monsoon season which makes it difficult to the travelling by sea,” Napattanasak said after the meeting. “They usually come after the monsoon season.”

 

Most Rohingya came arrived on Thailand’s shores in January and February of last year and this year, according to statistics.

 

Ranong and Pang Nga are considered possible points for migrants to land compared to other southern provinces because they are more shelters from storms.

 

In addition to the Navy patrolling the sea, official agencies will set up checkpoints along in both provinces to intercept Rohingya. 

 

The commander said that gangs of human smugglers might exploit the situation by transporting Rohingya to a third country via Thailand with the promise of a better future. The gang members could be foreigners or other Rohingya, he added.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30325769

 

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