Royal Thai Navy units delivered water and food to the remote island approximately 70 to 80 km off the coast on Saturday for the relief of 59 Rohingya refugees stranded on a rocky shoreline. The group were later transferred by patrol boat to the mainland, in Satun province, on Sunday. There, they were visited by Police Lieutenant General Surachate Hakparn, sent by Royal Thai Police headquarters to establish who they were and how they came to be on the island. It is understood that the refugees will be charged with illegal entry into the kingdom and later returned to Bangladesh where they are believed to have originated from.

 

by Carla Boonkong & Pranee O' Connor

 

On Saturday, Police Lieutenant General Surachate Hakparn was dispatched by headquarters to find out more about the group who were detected on Saturday on the remote, monkey inhabited island of Ko Dong about 70 to 80 km off the coast of Satun. The group of 59, including men, women and children, had been stranded on the island for a week after being dropped off by human traffickers and told they had already reached Malaysia.

 

A group of 59 Rohingya found on the remote island of Ko Dong in the Tarutao National Park off the southwestern coast of Thailand are to be charged with illegal entry into the country and sent back to Bangladesh after they were rescued by a Royal Thai Navy patrol vessel on Sunday.

 

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Royal Thai Police headquarters on Saturday dispatched top cop, Police Lieutenant General Surachate Hakparn, to investigate the group with fears that they may be linked to increased human trafficking activity in the area as the Rohingya crisis again grows urgent with over 1.2 million refugees alone reported in the small Bangladesh city of Cox’s Bazar forcing tougher policies there by authorities to keep the population safe and healthy.

 

Full story: https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2022/06/05/rohingyas-found-on-island-to-face-charges/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Examiner 2022-06-06

 

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Victimizing victims once again instead of helping them.....good one Thailand.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

It is understood that the refugees will be charged with illegal entry into the kingdom and later returned to Bangladesh where they are believed to have originated from.

Why charge them?

Just return them safely unless the can prove that they are in danger if they return then they can claim asylum.

8 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Why charge them?

Just return them safely unless the can prove that they are in danger if they return then they can claim asylum.

+1 and 100% the right way to deal with the situation.

4 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Victimizing victims once again instead of helping them.....good one Thailand.

And it is good to know that the UN Human rights people have a huge office right in BKK

Just another photo op for "Big Joke."

5 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Victimizing victims once again instead of helping them.....good one Thailand.

Why your homeland country can not give an asylum for these victims? 

Thailand's govt shows it's real face:

The inhuman system of dictatorship. 

Shame on you Prayuth and cronies.☹️

1 hour ago, Dmitry2222 said:

Why your homeland country can not give an asylum for these victims? 

My homeland, the US, now I don't think that's possible for asylum there, but Thailand could but won't.

Just charge them the national park fee at foreigner rate and ship them back to Bangladesh.

Good decision. I wonder if undocumented Rohingyas were allowed to vote in Thai elections whether Prayuth would throw open both arms to the them urging them to storm the Thai islands and shower them with cash, smartphones,healthcare and other goodies and perhaps free transport to Thai provinces of their choosing? An interesting thought.

I hope they don't try and charge them the "farang" price for entering a national park.

Better than the UK approach, they put up over 10k illegals this year in hotels, as well as money every week, health checks and food. If you want to stop illegals entering your country which is more likely to stop them arriving?

3 hours ago, Dmitry2222 said:

Why your homeland country can not give an asylum for these victims? 

Because it's not in China's best interest.

5 minutes ago, proton said:

Better than the UK approach, they put up over 10k illegals this year in hotels, as well as money every week, health checks and food. If you want to stop illegals entering your country which is more likely to stop them arriving?

The facts in evidence are that the folks they paid to take them to Malaysia dropped them on the Island which is Thai Soil.  They had never intended to or tried to enter Thailand illegally.  As repressed Rohingya who have more than likely been pushed out of Myanmar into the Cox bazar area of Bangladesh, they were trying to get a start elsewhere where they could live and enjoy life.  Many of them are Muslim and ergo why they go and try and work in Malaysia.  Thailand's charging them with illegal entry is just plain old BS, and instead they should be looking for the traffickers if they seriously want to be dropped on the tier they have been placed by the US as far as Human Trafficking goes.  Charging them and sending them back to Bangladesh is akin to a death sentence.

It would be much better if these people would just stay in their home country of Bangladeshi. They have caused so much trouble for neighboring countries including Thailand.

2 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

My homeland, the US, now I don't think that's possible for asylum there, but Thailand could but won't.

It's harder for Rohingyas refugees to reach the US but currently over 400 families have been accepted in Chicago.

Note the same Thai government will send escaping North Koreans back to North Korea as "illegals."

18 minutes ago, Screaming said:

It would be much better if these people would just stay in their home country of Bangladeshi. They have caused so much trouble for neighboring countries including Thailand.

You are either silly or misinfomred. Those people are not coming from Bangladesh as their 'homeland'. Read up, before making really stupid-sounding comments: they reflect bad on you.

47 minutes ago, Screaming said:

It would be much better if these people would just stay in their home country of Bangladeshi. They have caused so much trouble for neighboring countries including Thailand.

Did you not read the post above where I explained they were from Myanmar but persecuted and pushed across the river into Cox Bazar, they are repressed peoples. Bangladesh is not their home.

2 hours ago, Srikcir said:

It's harder for Rohingyas refugees to reach the US but currently over 400 families have been accepted in Chicago.

Note the same Thai government will send escaping North Koreans back to North Korea as "illegals."

A weekend in Mayor Lightfoots Chicago Ill bet they rush to OHare and try to get back to the peaceful and harmonious sea life. She said violent crime is on a downward trajectory, a complete lie.

5 hours ago, Screaming said:

It would be much better if these people would just stay in their home country of Bangladeshi. They have caused so much trouble for neighboring countries including Thailand.

Perhaps one day you will be in their shoes. Then you will be whistling a different tune!

8 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

Just charge them the national park fee at foreigner rate and ship them back to Bangladesh.

And don't forget to count them as 'tourists'...

On 6/6/2022 at 10:35 AM, ThailandRyan said:

My homeland, the US, now I don't think that's possible for asylum there, but Thailand could but won't.

What about tens of thousands latinas on the south border of the US? Could but won't? ????

On 6/6/2022 at 5:33 AM, ThailandRyan said:

Victimizing victims once again instead of helping them.....good one Thailand.

...and this is why Thailand is perpetually watchlisted in the US's Trafficking in Persons report.

35 minutes ago, Dmitry2222 said:

What about tens of thousands latinas on the south border of the US? Could but won't? ????

Are they refugee's fleeing mass murder of their citizens and genocide from the Myanmar military with some forced off their own land into Bangladesh?

On 6/6/2022 at 10:13 AM, hotchilli said:

Why charge them?

Just return them safely unless the can prove that they are in danger if they return then they can claim asylum.

They would be unable to claim asylum if resident in Myanmar.

Sad to see joker boy about again.

A nasty specimen of the badness in Thailand.

On 6/6/2022 at 3:11 PM, Screaming said:

It would be much better if these people would just stay in their home country of Bangladeshi. They have caused so much trouble for neighboring countries including Thailand.

Well said Mr. Nice Guy. How DARE the most persecuted minority in the world try to seek a little safety and security for their families. Shame on them for even dreaming! 
 

There for the grace of….

On 6/6/2022 at 6:11 PM, Screaming said:

It would be much better if these people would just stay in their home country of Bangladeshi. They have caused so much trouble for neighboring countries including Thailand.

Rohingya are not recognised as citizens by the Bengladesh government, they are detained indefinately in refugee camps - many of whom are Stateless as their citizenship has been revoked by Myanmar dictatorship.

In Myanmar, many people call Rohingya illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and refer to them as “Bengalis,” which the Rohingya widely consider an insult.

 

2017 article:  https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/aung-san-suu-kyi-myanmar-rohingya-crisis-speech/