Phuket Police Round Up Rohingya Refugees In Nai Harn

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Phuket Police round up Rohingya refugees in Nai Harn

Phuket Gazette –

Rohingya refugees at Chalong Police Station in Phuket this afternoon. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo.

A 13-year-old boy, one of the youngest members of the group of 102 Rohingya that came ashore at Nai Harn Beach in Phuket this morning. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo.

PHUKET: Chalong Police have rounded up 90 starving Rohingya boat people who came ashore in the south of Phuket this morning, but 12 more remain unaccounted for.

The Rohingya, all males, were on their way to Malaysia when they ran out of food and their wooden boat began to fall apart at sea, forcing them to come ashore at Nai Harn Beach at about 5am.

Their arrival was quickly reported to patrol police, who rounded up the men in separate groups of about 30 each in different parts of Nai Harn in Rawai this morning.

Penniless, disoriented and unable to speak Thai, most of the men could do little but wait for their inevitable capture by police.

However, 12 Rohingya remain unaccounted for.

Those captured were sent to Chalong Police Station, where they gulped down drinking water and devoured fried chicken, bananas and sticky rice provided by officers there.

Communication with the men was a problem. One of their number, the only one who could speak Burmese, told police through an interpreter that they set off 12 days ago in hope of reaching Malaysia.

They set out from their homeland “between Burma and Bangladesh,” the man said.

The man said there were 102 people in the open boat, meaning that 12 remain unaccounted for.

The group ran out of food and water three days ago, the man said. Thirst, hunger and the problems with the wooden vessel forced them ashore short of their goal. The landing was sadly reminiscent of a similar beaching a year ago, when 70 Rohingya were rounded up and eventually deported.

The youngest members of the group today were four boys just 13 years of age.

The next stop for the group will be the detention center at the Phuket Immigration Office, police said.

The Rohingya are a predominantly Muslim ethnic group originally from the Rakhine State of Burma.

Persecution by the Burmese junta beginning in 1978 led to their mass migration, with hundreds of thousands fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh and others taking to the sea in hopes of reaching Muslim countries like Malaysia in search of a better life.

Chalong Police continue to search for the 12 remaining members of the group this afternoon.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/articles/2012/article12419.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-02-26

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When I read these stories always makes me think my life is not too bad after all.

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Phuket Police Round up Rohingya Refugees in Nai Han

PHUKET: -- A number of Rohingya refugees have been arrested in Phuket's Rawai District.

Chalong Police of Phuket's Muang District have rounded up 85 starving Rohingya refugees after being notified by local people. Local residents complained that a great number of Rohingya refugees wandered around, asking for food.

In response, police officers coordinate with all related agencies, including the water police patrol unit, the immigration police, and the province administration organization to mobilize forces and investigate the area.

A number of Rohingya were found at Nai Han Beach, and along the beach as well as in front of Wat Nai Han Temple in Rawai District. A broken long-tailed boat was also found left stranded on Nai Han beach.

Those captured were sent to Chalong Police Station for further questioning. In the initial investigation, all Rohingya refugees have stayed on board for a week, heading to Muslim countries.

However, their boat fall apart, forcing them to come ashore at Nai Harn Beach.

One of them said there were a total of 102 people, aging 13 to 42 years old, on board. The police is rush finding those who running away. After that, additional five people have been found.

Consequently, 90 Rohingya people are under a setention.

They will be sent to the Immigration Office before returning them to their homeland.

-- Tan Network 2012-02-27