UN voices concern after Thai authorities force Rohingya back to sea

[webfact]

UN voices concern after Thai authorities force Rohingya back to sea

By The Nation

 

 

THE UNITED NATIONS High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) yesterday voiced concern over the flight of 56 Rohingya boat people who landed in Thailand on Sunday and were pushed by Thai security authorities to again set sail onto the Andaman Sea with the hope of eventually landing in Malaysia.

 

Members of the persecuted minority were found early on Sunday morning in an area between Koh Ha and Koh Lanta in Krabi province. They were brought for interrogation by maritime security officers, police internal security operation command personnel.

 

 

The group, consisting of 19 men, 18 women, eight boys and 11 girls, were later returned to their boat in Koh Lanta with food and supplies donated by local residents before they set sail again for Malaysia.

 

The boat reportedly departed the coast of central Rakhine state in Myanmar last week. Given poor weather conditions prevailing in the waters off the west coast of the Thailand-Malaysia border, there were substantial concerns for the safety of the refugees yesterday. 

 

“If they are found to be in distress, we hope they will be rescued and allowed to disembark in accordance with international maritime law,” the UN refugee agency told The Nation.

 

 

The refugee agency is in contact with Malaysian maritime authorities and “stands ready to support authorities in providing any necessary assistance to refugees upon disembarkation”, agency staff said.

 

Pol Colonel ML Pattanachak Chakrabandhu, superintendent at Koh Lanta police station, told Nation TV that the boat left Rakhine state in Myanmar, where the Rohingya face heavy persecution by local authorities, with the goal to reach Malaysia. They docked in the southern Thai province due to the bad weather.

 

An initial investigation found only Rohingya in the boat and no signs of human trafficking, Pattanachak added.

 

Trafficking concerns

 

However, police commissioner Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda said a further investigation would be needed if evidence of human trafficking were found. 

 

“If [Thailand] is only a transit area [for Rohingya] and any Thai person is found to be involved, whether they be police officers or whoever, they would need to be prosecuted,” Chakthip said. “If they [Rohingya] are found to be involved, they would need to be expelled only.”

 

Police officers in Bangladesh also said the boat had not departed from its shores, where close to 1 million refugees live in congested camps, according to an AFP report. “The boat didn’t leave from Bangladesh,” said Afrujul Haq Tutul, deputy police chief in Cox’s Bazar district, where most Rohingya camps are located. “But in light of the news, we are investigating the matter.”

 

Bangladesh’s refugee commissioner, Mohammad Abul Kalam, said local authorities had “no such information” about Rohingya departing from the country by boat. “We don’t have any such intelligence about anyone leaving Bangladeshi shores for Malaysia by boat,” he said.

 

 

A senior coast guard official said it was “impossible” that a captain would be able to evade patrols, which have been stepped up in recent months to combat drug trafficking and prevent people smuggling.

 

“They [boats] are not allowed to go out. It would be very hard to sneak out of our coastal patrol. I don’t think these people sailed away from here,” coastguard spokesman Abdullah Al Maruf told AFP.

 

Longstanding persecution in Rakhine state, dubbed by the UN as “genocide” against religious and ethnic minorities, has forced the Rohingya to flee to refugee camps in neigbouring Bangladesh.

 

Rohingya previously tried to resettle in Thailand as well, but the country has not ratified the 1951 Refugee Convention and does not recognise the status of refugees, leaving them vulnerable to threats, especially human trafficking.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30342303

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-03

[Get Real]

Slightly mistaken for beeing sea gypsies, I assume.

[ksamuiguy]

Oh! the humanity

[johng]

The UN will also send a very strongly worded letter at its earliest convenience.

[grumbleweed]

Not exactly the quality tourists they'd hoped for

 

Men, women and children, I can barely imagine how bad it must be for them to even attempt this

[leeneeds]

 

we have no dignity  or compassion, 

either so on your way!

 

the world is a harsh place, 

humans have  shown  here we have not really evolved,

someone else can deal with it,

clearly asking for help, the help required denied, 

 

 

 

[JOC]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

“If they are found to be in distress, we hope they will be rescued and allowed to disembark in accordance with international maritime law,” the UN refugee agency told The Nation.

"We hope they will be rescued"

Coming from the UN refugee agency......Lord have mercy..!!

Those poor poor people.....It is becoming more and more obvious that no one gives a damn about their fate....

And during the height of the ethnic cleansing , Thailand awarded an order to general behind the crimes....

Europe has done their part regarding refugees....Maybe time for USA and Australia to show that humanity matters...?

[Aj Mick]

Seen off Phuket Wan by losing a defamation lawsuit over reports of the same, which effectively ruined the publication and its owners. Now back to business as usual.

Edited April 3, 2018 by Aj Mick

[Darcula]

Amazing twist by the UN. The real story told by the Thai press is all about benevolence and graciousness, as the Rohingya restocked gourmet supplies in Thailand, used the luxurious transit lounge for a quick shave, shower and foot massage before heading onwards to their final destination.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 3, 2018 by Darcula

[lvr181]

A "rare" military victory for the kingdom? 

[lvr181]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

“If [Thailand] is only a transit area [for Rohingya] and any Thai person is found to be involved, whether they be police officers or whoever, they would need to be prosecuted,” Chakthip said

How about they WILL BE PROSECUTED? 

 

But then again TIT.

[DM07]

They were so concerned for their safety and well being, that they pushed them out to see in a shoddy boat!

The "good people" at work!

 

(cue the Muslim- haters in 10...9...8...)

[Krataiboy]

Presumably, these poor devils are all followers of Islam, and the Thai authorities knew it. One wonders if the outcome would have been any different had they been Buddhist rather than Muslim refugees fleeing Mayanmar military and Buddhist persecution.

[Chris Lawrence]

Just sad. No other word comes to my mind.

[mickymouse1]

The People of Koh Lanta were kind and marvellous for they provided food and water as well as other needed items.However, those unlected officials see no financial gains by abiding and adhering to international laws and treaties on such case of refugees, decided to push those helpless people to the sea where they could drown.The Thai Government should be held responsible for such inhumane treatment. ?

[Curmudgeon1]

1 hour ago, leeneeds said:

 

we have no dignity  or compassion, 

either so on your way!

 

the world is a harsh place, 

humans have  shown  here we have not really evolved,

someone else can deal with it,

clearly asking for help, the help required denied, 

 

 

 

You let that boat dock in Thailand then the 1million will soon follow. 

[yellowboat]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

THE UNITED NATIONS High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) yesterday voiced concern over the flight of 56 Rohingya boat people

They were not tied up this time, so there is some progress.  And the ordinary Thais who donated supplies deserve praise. 

[Expatthailover]

Countries all over the world are turning back refugees who would have a case for fleeing persecution.

Oz does it on a very regular basis. Other than Germany and maybe Italy most european countries are doing it.

It's a very very vexed question

[Expatthailover]

42 minutes ago, Curmudgeon1 said:

You let that boat dock in Thailand then the 1million will soon follow. 

Can you supply the source for where you arrived at 1 million?

[JOC]

43 minutes ago, Curmudgeon1 said:

You let that boat dock in Thailand then the 1million will soon follow. 

The prize for the "Most Narrow Minded Post "....goes to......

For crying out loud.....They are not tourists, but refugees fleeing for their lives......!!

[hansnl]

4 hours ago, johng said:

The UN will also send a very strongly worded letter at its earliest convenience.

Yes, just suppose the taxi service between Europe and Africa would be stopped because of this example.

How nice!

[baboon]

1 hour ago, Krataiboy said:

Presumably, these poor devils are all followers of Islam, and the Thai authorities knew it. One wonders if the outcome would have been any different had they been Buddhist rather than Muslim refugees fleeing Mayanmar military and Buddhist persecution.

Perhaps they would have been treated a bit better, but out on their backsides they still would have been slung. They aren't bringing in money so forget it.

[lvr181]

How would Japan or China deal with this problem?  Just wondering.

[leeneeds]

1 hour ago, Curmudgeon1 said:

You let that boat dock in Thailand then the 1million will soon follow. 

Head in the sand, response!

[webfact]

Malaysia intercepts boat carrying Rohingya refugees, more perilous sea journeys expected

By By A. Ananthalakshmi and Joseph Sipalan

 

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia intercepted a boat carrying 56 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar off its northern island of Langkawi on Tuesday and will allow them to enter on humanitarian grounds, with rights groups expecting further such perilous journeys by sea.

 

The boat had stopped at an island in southern Thailand on Saturday after a storm, with officials there saying the refugees were heading to Malaysia. It had set sail from central Rakhine state in Myanmar, the U.N. refugee agency said.

 

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said in a statement that the boat was carrying 19 men, 17 women and 20 children. It had since been escorted to the peninsula and its occupants handed over to immigration authorities for processing.

 

Malaysia's standard policy has been to turn away refugee boats attempting to make landfall, unless weather conditions are bad, though thousands have managed to enter the country over the years.

 

"Generally all 56 passengers, mostly children and women, are safe but tired and hungry," Malaysian navy chief Admiral Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin told Reuters.

 

"We have provided them with water, food and other humanitarian assistance."

 

According to UN and other rights groups, some 700,000 mostly Muslim Rohingya fled their homes in Rakhine into Bangladesh after militant attacks in August last year sparked a military crackdown that the United Nations and Western countries have said constitutes ethnic cleansing.

 

Buddhist-majority Myanmar rejects that charge, saying its forces have been waging a legitimate campaign against "terrorists" who attacked government forces.

 

Tens of thousands of Rohingya fled Myanmar by sea following an outbreak of sectarian violence in Rakhine in 2012, some falling prey to human traffickers. That exodus peaked in 2015, when an estimated 25,000 people fled across the Andaman Sea for Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, many drowning in unsafe and overloaded boats.

 

Due to the fresh outbreak of violence in Myanmar, rights groups expect another surge in Rohingya boats reaching Southeast Asia, during the months the seas are calmer, even if not at the levels of three years ago.

 

Boats can originate from Myanmar or from overcrowded Bangladesh camps, rights groups have said.

 

Muslim-majority Malaysia, which has not signed the U.N. Refugee Convention and treats refugees as illegal migrants, is already home to more than 100,000 Rohingya refugees.

 

(Editing by Nick Macfie)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-04-03

[OldSiamHand]

If they are in fear for their lives, then why take such a dangerous boat trip, when they could instead walk over the border to bangladesh (a country of fellow muslims, just like malaysia).  My guess is that the goodies available in malaysia are a bit better than those in bangladesh.

[rawaimike]

8 hours ago, johng said:

The UN will also send a very strongly worded letter at its earliest convenience.

Yes they will & and that will be the end of it!!!

[bluedoc]

So you want to bring the Muslim rule of law to Thailand then. Thats just how it starts, let one in, then they want their families to be allowed in. Before you know it they then want their own laws and in comes Sharia law. Then they want to change your laws to suit themselves. I say give them a bigger engine so they can get to Malaysia quicker.

[arithai12]

5 hours ago, Expatthailover said:

Countries all over the world are turning back refugees who would have a case for fleeing persecution.

Oz does it on a very regular basis. Other than Germany and maybe Italy most european countries are doing it.

It's a very very vexed question

Most of those trying to start a new life in Europe are economic migrants, not refugees. huge difference with the Rohingya.

 

[connda]

Unlike the West, at least Thailand is consistent about the enforcement of their immigration policies, draconian as they are.  Of course, before the West beats Thailand in the court of public opinion, one should at least entertain the fact that other much more advanced Eastern countries, Japan comes to mind, who completely thumb their noses at refugees.