The Rohingya are not likely to join the southern insurgency. Those that attempt to push such a claim, really are grasping at straws and belie either a fear or hatred of muslims in general. The assumption that muslims are a homogeneous group is just outright silly. If that was the case, we wouldn't have shiites and sunnis killing each other all over the place would we?

I do feel sorry for the Rohingyas. No one really cares about their plight and certainly no muslim country has taken up their cause or been generous with aid. We don't see the usual Euro lefties swarming on the streets on their behalf. No freedom flotillas from Turkey or Egypt. Mr. Galloway hasn't said a word, and no thunderous welcome at the UN for their community leaders. The usual double standard of the world applies here. Maybe once they start going kaboom and create a kleptocracy, these countries will care and rally to their side.

Agreed as long as they are persecuted no one including (surprise surprise) Muslims wants to help them. Let them start doing terrorist activities and the whole Muslim world will be right there for them.

I say the whole Muslim world because I don't see them doing any thing to stop the terrorists. In fact most of there money comes from the Muslim world.

Here in Thailand we have a small contingency of them doing terrorist type activities and I would bet dollars to grains of rice the peace loving peaceful Muslims can name every one of them but they don't.

As a background, here's a history on the Rohyingya and Myanmar. The reason Myanmar wants to kick them out is that there has been a long standing insurgency of the Rohingya people in Myanmar (note the discussion of the relationship to Al Quida)

http://en.wikipedia....n_Western_Burma

Read also this article to see why they are unwanted in Bangladesh and their connection to terrorism:

http://www.aljazeera...4646546896.html

Pakistan doesnt want them either.

If these people are so persecuted and oppressed, why did the guy say in English on Thai news yesterday, they only want to go to a developed country?

Surely they would be better housed in a country open and receptive to their spiritual needs?

Thank gawd I live in Thailand and dont pay taxes, if it was the UK they would have jumped to the top of the local council list and be in receipt of handouts.

Strangely countries like Saudi Arabia etc stay quiet, they dont want them either.

I hope my post is not take as anti Muslim because I am not. My thoughts are that my family is from the south of Thailand I went there ever since I was a child. In those days Buddhist and Muslim got along and there was no friction. The way I see it, the problems I see in the south were brought in by outside forces, and the export of radical Islam from other countries. The radical Muslims oppress even the mainstream Muslims by claiming that the moderate ones aren't Muslim enough. The native Muslims in Thailand are Thai and have always been Thai. Same culture same language, and they consider themselves to be Thai. I'm not up for bringing in a new group with no connection to the land or people of Thailand that already has a history of insurgency and conflict in their homeland. Humanitarian is one thing and I do feel sorry for the rohingya and do feel they've been oppressed by Myanmar. But my sympathy for their plight is tempered by my concerns that Thailand will be importing more insurgency and internal conflict. That is the reason Thailand is not big on helping them. Let Myanmar, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, or even Saudi take them. They have more of a connection to those countries then they do Thailand.

The Rohingya's are one of the most oppressed ethnic groups on the planet. They receive little support from other Muslims because Muslims are generally about advancing the cause of Islam; not about helping people.

I hope my post is not take as anti Muslim because I am not. My thoughts are that my family is from the south of Thailand I went there ever since I was a child. In those days Buddhist and Muslim got along and there was no friction. The way I see it, the problems I see in the south were brought in by outside forces, and the export of radical Islam from other countries. The radical Muslims oppress even the mainstream Muslims by claiming that the moderate ones aren't Muslim enough. The native Muslims in Thailand are Thai and have always been Thai. Same culture same language, and they consider themselves to be Thai. I'm not up for bringing in a new group with no connection to the land or people of Thailand that already has a history of insurgency and conflict in their homeland. Humanitarian is one thing and I do feel sorry for the rohingya and do feel they've been oppressed by Myanmar. But my sympathy for their plight is tempered by my concerns that Thailand will be importing more insurgency and internal conflict. That is the reason Thailand is not big on helping them. Let Myanmar, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, or even Saudi take them. They have more of a connection to those countries then they do Thailand.

Funny how the news works,

One week it is a beautiful situation, the people are free, the next week, they are fleeing the country????

do not know what to make of this.....

So is it human trafficking? Seems deep questions are not being answered... but you did make some good points in your comment.....

Thanks for the post.....

kilosierra

New wave of Rohingya migrants arrive in Thailand

BANGKOK, Jan 17, 2013 (AFP) - More than 130 Rohingya migrants have landed on Thai soil in less than 24 hours, a local official said Thursday, as the kingdom grapples with a flurry of arrivals from the Myanmar minority group.

Some 88 Rohingya came ashore at Phra Thong island in the south of the country on Wednesday in full view of television cameras, according to Kuraburi district chief for Manit Pienthong.

Another 48 landed on the Andaman sea island on Thursday morning claiming they were Royingya, Manit said, adding they were sent to immigration officials in the provincial capital of Phangnga to start the process of returning them to Myanmar.

Over the last week hundreds of Myanmar migrants have been arrested in police sweeps of remote areas in rubber plantations near the border with Malaysia, leading the UNHCR to try to confirm whether any of them plan to seek asylum.

The UN's refugee agency said Wednesday it had received permission from Thailand to visit about 850 people, many thought to be Rohingya, held after raids on camps in the Thai south.

Thousands of Rohingya, a Muslim minority group not recognised as citizens in Myanmar, have fled communal unrest in the country's western Rakhine state, heading to Thailand and other countries.

Many take to makeshift boats and drift south to the Thai coast.

Rights groups have criticised Thailand for failing to help Rohingya who reach its territory, instead pushing them back to Myanmar or into neighbouring countries including Malaysia, which offers sanctuary to the minority group.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-01-17