Thailand Is ' Shouldering Refugee Burden Alone'

[webfact]

REFUGEES

Thailand is 'shouldering refugee burden alone'

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Foreign organisations have always been quick with promises to help Thailand care for refugees fleeing violence, but rarely deliver, leaving the Kingdom to shoulder the burden alone, Armed Forces Supreme Commander General Thanasak Patimaprakorn said yesterday.

He said that standard procedures in dealing with illegal immigrants, which stipulate that they be repatriated, should be maintained, or else the illegal entry of Rohingya into Thailand would continue. In the meantime, "Thailand is following a principle of feeding them and taking care of them, on humanitarian grounds," he added.

"[Foreign agencies] always say that they want to help, but hardly ever do, so the burden falls on Thailand." the general said.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said later that setting up camps to accommodate Rohingya "did not address the ongoing problem", while coordination between Thai authorities and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and foreign relief agencies was underway.

Asked about the possibility of repatriating the Rohingya to Myanmar, where they are considered by many to be an oppressed group who would face further persecution upon return, Yingluck said: "Don't put it that way. We are considering what safer places they should be placed in, at a later stage."

In earlier comments, Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung had not ruled out the possibility of setting up a camp to accommodate several hundred Rohingya who had entered Thailand illegally, if the number kept growing.

"So far they are not in large numbers, and the Interior Ministry will make a final decision on this," he said.

"The best option remains seeking third countries to host them - a process being worked out by the Foreign Ministry," he added.

Rohingya migrants have been hosted in many provinces, cared for in part with donations provided by local Muslims and Buddhists, while those in poor health have received medical assistance.

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) official Bjorn Rahn visited Hat Yai Police Station in Songkhla, where 20 Rohingya have been detained for illegal entry.

Rahn said later that he was happy with the conditions of the detention cells and promised to deliver more ICRC supplies to the detainees, while moving forward with legal procedures to help them.

At a shelter in Narathiwat's Yi Ngor district, Muhammad Sabar, 14, led a prayer giving thanks to donors who gave relief supplies to him and 17 other young Rohingya.

He also pleaded with Thai authorities to look for his parents, who disappeared while journeying to Thailand.

"I thank all Thai people who have helped us. I never knew Thai people were full of compassion. If Myanmar were [a peaceful place] like Thailand, none of us would have left it," the boy said through an interpreter.

-- The Nation 2013-01-19

[slapout]

So much of the foreign help/money that Thailand has received in the past, has not been utilized for its intended purpose. To put it bluntly, it appears it was stolen and used for individual's personal use.

Just maybe the International welfare groups, NGO's, etc are at the point of asking themselves. "why pour moniey down a hole that only the head rats have access to?"

The reputation for corruption in Thailand has become all incluse of most of its parts, thus even those who profess to be, trying to help are suspect and probably rightfully so.

[noitom]

Thai charity, care, and giving to human beings in need on Thai soil is despicable.

[Greer]

I have to say that setting up camps in Thailand would be a bad idea - in Australia they have refugee centres (prisons) where they take the boat people - and all that happens is that it encourages more and more, as they see the country as a soft target - which it is - so for Thailand to build special camps for the Rohingya would be seen as tacit approval for them to come here.

I am sure that if life were fair and reasonable in Myanmar, none would wish to leave, so I do feel sorry for them that they see leaving their homeland as the only solution.

I agree that the Thai government is best to continue looking for third party countries where these people may be sent, and where they may make a real contribution, rather than living off state handouts, which I imagine they would not wish to do.

[FarangTalk]

How many actual refugees has Thailand accepted over the years in comparison with other 'foreign' countries?

Just more nonsense from a Thai in uniform.

[Payboy]

"[Foreign agencies] always say that they want to help, but hardly ever do, so the burden falls on Thailand." the general said.

All foreign agencies know what happened to their tsunami donations.

[hellodolly]

So much of the foreign help/money that Thailand has received in the past, has not been utilized for its intended purpose. To put it bluntly, it appears it was stolen and used for individual's personal use.

Just maybe the International welfare groups, NGO's, etc are at the point of asking themselves. "why pour moniey down a hole that only the head rats have access to?"

The reputation for corruption in Thailand has become all incluse of most of its parts, thus even those who profess to be, trying to help are suspect and probably rightfully so.

I believe it was doctors with out borders that left Thailand a few years ago because of the hurdles placed in their way by the government.

[noitom]

Thailand has plenty of baht to throw around on solving the Rohingya problem Let some of the wealthy business class show up for a change with some funding and a proposal. The wealthy business privileged class in Thailand never seems to do any heavy lifting when it comes to giving and charity and funding worthwhile causes.

[hellodolly]

How many actual refugees has Thailand accepted over the years in comparison with other 'foreign' countries?

Just more nonsense from a Thai in uniform.

Quite a lot in Mai Sot they have one refuge camp with a population of a fluid 50,000 refuges.

They used to supply them with 100% of their daily nutritional needs. now they have cut it back to 75%.

There medical and educational needs are taken up by NGOs.

As an snide aside seems to me they have a lot of rice they are not using they could give to them.

[chooka]

Absolute rubbish. Thailand is making it difficult for outside organisations and countries to help and want full control of the purse strings..

And what happened to this story??? Apart from 20 other nations no one is helping us we are all alone.

Please spare me the tears

U N, 20 Nations Join Thailand To Help Rohingya

in Thailand News

Started by webfact, 2013-01-17

[Nisa]

How many actual refugees has Thailand accepted over the years in comparison with other 'foreign' countries?Just more nonsense from a Thai in uniform.

Probably a good amount since a few of its neigbors make the top 10 list for producing the most refuges in other countries.

Rank ...... Country ...... Number

1 ...... Afghanistan ...... 2,664,436

2 ...... Iraq ...... 1,428,308

3 ...... Somalia ...... 1,077,048

4 ...... Sudan ...... 500,014

5 ...... Democratic Republic of the Congo ...... 491,481

6 ...... Myanmar ...... 414,626

7 ...... Colombia ...... 395,949

8 ...... Vietnam ...... 337,829

9 ...... Eritrea ...... 251,954

10 ...... China ...... 190,369

http://en.wikipedia....ugee_population

Edited January 19, 2013 by Nisa

[Pimay1]

Absolute rubbish. Thailand is making it difficult for outside organisations and countries to help and want full control of the purse strings..

And what happened to this story??? Apart from 20 other nations no one is helping us we are all alone.

Please spare me the tears

U N, 20 Nations Join Thailand To Help Rohingya

in Thailand News

Started by webfact, 2013-01-17

Nothing happens in this country without greasing many palms. Cold hard fact.

[Thai at Heart]

How many actual refugees has Thailand accepted over the years in comparison with other 'foreign' countries?Just more nonsense from a Thai in uniform.

Probably a good amount since a few of its neigbors make the top 10 list for producing the most refuges in other countries.

Rank ...... Country ...... Number

1 ...... Afghanistan ...... 2,664,436

2 ...... Iraq ...... 1,428,308

3 ...... Somalia ...... 1,077,048

4 ...... Sudan ...... 500,014

5 ...... Democratic Republic of the Congo ...... 491,481

6 ...... Myanmar ...... 414,626

7 ...... Colombia ...... 395,949

8 ...... Vietnam ...... 337,829

9 ...... Eritrea ...... 251,954

10 ...... China ...... 190,369

http://en.wikipedia....ugee_population

http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/page?page=49e489646

655k in country at the moment, of which 500k are claimed stateless.

[Trentham]

Why is Thailand complaining about the cost of helping refugees? Australia last year spent 32 Billion baht on its refugee program. I am sure many other countries spent similar. Maybe other countries would help Thailand if their aid money was not siphoned off into the pockets of corrupt officials and politicians.

[Pimay1]

Why is Thailand complaining about the cost of helping refugees? Australia last year spent 32 Billion baht on its refugee program. I am sure many other countries spent similar. Maybe other countries would help Thailand if their aid money was not siphoned off into the pockets of corrupt officials and politicians.

I expect certain government officials and their cronies are stealing making enough money off the rice scam scheme to pay for this many times over.

[submaniac]

Thailand had nothing to do with creating the problem. It didn't start the conflict in Myanmar. It didn't ask for these people to come.

Thailand was going to "take care" of the problem on its own, without international help. What Thailand would have simply done is either ship these people to Malaysia or back to Myanmar. Then the foreign nations come and say "wait, UN resolution on refugees". Thailand is not a signatory to the agreement.

Then the foreign nations say, "Hey there's 20 nations who want to help". Well if they want to help, it's a simple thing, and it doesn't involve giving Thailand any money so you don't have to worry about the money being stolen. Send a ship. One big ship would actually suffice.

Pick these people up and take them to the U.K., Australia, the USA, France, Germany, or any of the other Western nations that are complaining about the UN Refugee treaty.

Truth is, none of the nations that are pointing their finger at the UN treaty want to take these people in themselves. So the "help" means "the UN nations are going to talk about helping Thailand so it looks like we're doing something but in reality we really don't want these people in our borders so we'll just keep on talking about it cuz that way these people stay in Thailand."

Maybe they'll go into a committee and talk about giving Thailand money. Meanwhile, Thailand is taking care of these people. And ultimately the UN nations are trying to get out of taking these people and are trying to stick Thailand with the responsibility.

As others have pointed out, Thailand historically has taken in a large number of refugees, and has probably taken in more refugees than any other country in SEA. The Vietnam war. When the South Vietnamese escaped, they ended up in Thai refugee camps. Same with the slaughter in Cambodia, the Cambodians escaped to refugee camps on the Thai border. Conflict in Laos. Conflict in Myanmar. All the refugees run to Thailand.

If you look at the article that Thai at Heart pointed out it will show something: that there are 655,000 refugees in Thailand, but the UN only provides assistance for 149,000 refugees. So Thailand foots the bill on 500,000 based on a treaty that Thailand never signed.

Edited January 19, 2013 by submaniac

[bigbamboo]

What happened to all this Thai hospitiality we hear so much about?

Or does it come at a price?

[Nisa]

Can't speak for the rest of the world but in the US we don't make getting in easy be it refuges or anyone without means to be a good tax payer.

[chooka]

Thailand had nothing to do with creating the problem. It didn't start the conflict in Myanmar. It didn't ask for these people to come.

Thailand was going to "take care" of the problem on its own, without international help. What Thailand would have simply done is either ship these people to Malaysia or back to Myanmar. Then the foreign nations come and say "wait, UN resolution on refugees". Thailand is not a signatory to the agreement.

Then the foreign nations say, "Hey there's 20 nations who want to help". Well if they want to help, it's a simple thing, and it doesn't involve giving Thailand any money so you don't have to worry about the money being stolen. Send a ship. One big ship would actually suffice.

Pick these people up and take them to the U.K., Australia, the USA, France, Germany, or any of the other Western nations that are complaining about the UN Refugee treaty.

Truth is, none of the nations that are pointing their finger at the UN treaty want to take these people in themselves. So the "help" means "the UN nations are going to talk about helping Thailand so it looks like we're doing something but in reality we really don't want these people in our borders so we'll just keep on talking about it cuz that way these people stay in Thailand."

Maybe they'll go into a committee and talk about giving Thailand money. Meanwhile, Thailand is taking care of these people. And ultimately the UN nations are trying to get out of taking these people and are trying to stick Thailand with the responsibility.

As others have pointed out, Thailand historically has taken in a large number of refugees, and has probably taken in more refugees than any other country in SEA. The Vietnam war. When the South Vietnamese escaped, they ended up in Thai refugee camps. Same with the slaughter in Cambodia, the Cambodians escaped to refugee camps on the Thai border. Conflict in Laos. Conflict in Myanmar. All the refugees run to Thailand.

If you look at the article that Thai at Heart pointed out it will show something: that there are 655,000 refugees in Thailand, but the UN only provides assistance for 149,000 refugees. So Thailand foots the bill on 500,000 based on a treaty that Thailand never signed.

Australia is already taking these people from camps in Thailand.

The Thai government stopped screening and registering new arrivals in 2005 after officially giving refugee status to nearly 140,000.

About 70,000 have since received third-country resettlement - mainly in the USA, Canada and Australia - while more people, mainly ethnic Karen and Karenni, continue to cross the 1,800km Thai-Burmese border.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report/92941/MYANMAR-THAILAND-Aid-workers-welcome-Burmese-refugee-census

Edited January 19, 2013 by chooka

[simple1]

Worldwide UNHCR latest 2010 figures quotes approx 15.4 million refugees. Out of that number 780k refugees have been identified as no possibility of returning home or permanently settling in their host country, resettlement to a third country is considered a last resort. Only 61,600 refugees were resettled in 2011, down from the 73,000 resettled in 2010. A huge backlog worldwide for resettlement, let alone the millions of refugees waiting in camps for years for acceptance in the host country.

Only 26 countries have functioning resettlement programs, with the US operating by far the largest, followed by Canada and Australia. European countries currently only has a resettlement program of up to 5,000 a year, planned to increase to 20,000 a year by 2020.

Edited January 19, 2013 by simple1

[dcutman]

Can't speak for the rest of the world but in the US we don't make getting in easy be it refuges or anyone without means to be a good tax payer.

Its obvious you cant speak for the U.S. either.

The United States resettles more refugees each year than all the other nations in the world combined. In 2009, for instance, some 90% of those refugees who were referred for resettlement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) were directed to three countries: United States, Canada, and Australia.

The president’s annual Report to Congress presented 2011 fiscal year admission proposals aimed at offering freedom to an even greater number of refugees. The report, which was created in conjunction with the U.S. departments of State, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services, set a ceiling of 80,000 refugees for 2011

Edited January 19, 2013 by dcutman

[FarangTalk]

The Vietnam war. When the South Vietnamese escaped, they ended up in Thai refugee camps. Same with the slaughter in Cambodia, the Cambodians escaped to refugee camps on the Thai border. Conflict in Laos. Conflict in Myanmar. All the refugees run to Thailand.

How many were resettled in Thailand? As far as I am aware the vast majority were eventually repatriated or settled in Australia and the US.

In addition, the Thai military committed atrocities such as the Preah Vihear massacre where tens of thousands of Cambodians fleeing the Vietnamese invasion were forced over cliffs and across minefields at gunpoint.

There is a very different view of how Thailand actually treated the refugees from the refugees' own accounts themselves. Seldom heard and certainly not publicised as Thailand was a US ally at the time and Thailand provided safe refuge to Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge cadres, while they received training and assistance from the Thai military to conduct sorties over the border into Cambodia.

[HeavyDrinker]

I wasn't going to open that can of worms, however the treatment of refugees from the Indochina conflict(s) in Thai camps before the Red Cross arrived is well documented.

[submaniac]

I got these stats from here: http://www.immigrati...gees-fact-sheet

Host Country Refugees Settled in 2009 Host Country Population Ration of Resettled Refugees to Host pop

Canada

10,804

33,300,000

1:3,100

United States

60,191

304,500,000

1:5,100

Norway

910

4,800,000

1:5,300

New Zealand

750

4,300,000

1:5,700

Finland

749

5,300,000

1:7,100

Iceland

29

300,000

1:10,300

Denmark

373

5,500,000

1:14,700

Netherlands

544

16,400,000

1:39,500

Ireland

101

4,500,000

1:44,600

I couldn't find more up to date ones.

The number of refugees in Thailand is 655,000, and that is the number based upon Thai at Heart's article. The article Chooka points out states that they stopped counting the number of refugees in 2005 and that number was 149,000 in 2005 and has grown.

Thailand has hosted these refugees for years. This number is much more than the wealthier nations take in, and it is the wealthy nations which are telling Thailand to follow the UN convention. How many refugee camps does the United States have on its soil? Zero. Canada? Zero. And the population of Thailand is 69million. Per the stats above, Australia which has a huge land mass, and 1/3 the population of Thailand took in less than 9,000 refugees. And Canada which has half the population of Thailand took in 10,000.

The entire point of the original article, and the entire point of my post here is: Thailand is shouldering alot of responsibility, and is frankly not getting the credit that it deserves.

Thailand was going to handle the Rohingya on its own by either sending them to Malaysia or Myanmar. And it's all the Western nations that are saying, "no don't do that--U.N. convention and all", and all it does is stick Thailand with a problem that the other nations don't want to take on themselves.

EDIT: I am unable to make a graph appear properly in this post.

Edited January 19, 2013 by submaniac

[InActionMan]

How many actual refugees has Thailand accepted over the years in comparison with other 'foreign' countries?

Just more nonsense from a Thai in uniform.

Refugee Burden ? According to Yingluck they might be heading south to take part in the violence when they should actually stay north to be exploited by her pals in parliament, don't they know their place ?

[hellodolly]

Thailand had nothing to do with creating the problem. It didn't start the conflict in Myanmar. It didn't ask for these people to come.

Thailand was going to "take care" of the problem on its own, without international help. What Thailand would have simply done is either ship these people to Malaysia or back to Myanmar. Then the foreign nations come and say "wait, UN resolution on refugees". Thailand is not a signatory to the agreement.

Then the foreign nations say, "Hey there's 20 nations who want to help". Well if they want to help, it's a simple thing, and it doesn't involve giving Thailand any money so you don't have to worry about the money being stolen. Send a ship. One big ship would actually suffice.

Pick these people up and take them to the U.K., Australia, the USA, France, Germany, or any of the other Western nations that are complaining about the UN Refugee treaty.

Truth is, none of the nations that are pointing their finger at the UN treaty want to take these people in themselves. So the "help" means "the UN nations are going to talk about helping Thailand so it looks like we're doing something but in reality we really don't want these people in our borders so we'll just keep on talking about it cuz that way these people stay in Thailand."

Maybe they'll go into a committee and talk about giving Thailand money. Meanwhile, Thailand is taking care of these people. And ultimately the UN nations are trying to get out of taking these people and are trying to stick Thailand with the responsibility.

As others have pointed out, Thailand historically has taken in a large number of refugees, and has probably taken in more refugees than any other country in SEA. The Vietnam war. When the South Vietnamese escaped, they ended up in Thai refugee camps. Same with the slaughter in Cambodia, the Cambodians escaped to refugee camps on the Thai border. Conflict in Laos. Conflict in Myanmar. All the refugees run to Thailand.

If you look at the article that Thai at Heart pointed out it will show something: that there are 655,000 refugees in Thailand, but the UN only provides assistance for 149,000 refugees. So Thailand foots the bill on 500,000 based on a treaty that Thailand never signed.

Australia is already taking these people from camps in Thailand.

The Thai government stopped screening and registering new arrivals in 2005 after officially giving refugee status to nearly 140,000.

About 70,000 have since received third-country resettlement - mainly in the USA, Canada and Australia - while more people, mainly ethnic Karen and Karenni, continue to cross the 1,800km Thai-Burmese border.

http://www.irinnews....-refugee-census

You just had to go and add in facts didn't you. Party pooper.

[HeavyDrinker]

The snag with threads like this is that it becomes a case of finger-pointing i.e; "We're doing more to help than you are" etc.

The real issue should be; What is being done to address the factors which create the refugee situation(s) in the first place? Only then will we start to see some real solutions coming to the fore.

[hellodolly]

I got these stats from here: http://www.immigrati...gees-fact-sheet

Host Country Refugees Settled in 2009 Host Country Population Ration of Resettled Refugees to Host pop

Canada

10,804

33,300,000

1:3,100

United States

60,191

304,500,000

1:5,100

Norway

910

4,800,000

1:5,300

New Zealand

750

4,300,000

1:5,700

Finland

749

5,300,000

1:7,100

Iceland

29

300,000

1:10,300

Denmark

373

5,500,000

1:14,700

Netherlands

544

16,400,000

1:39,500

Ireland

101

4,500,000

1:44,600

I couldn't find more up to date ones.

The number of refugees in Thailand is 655,000, and that is the number based upon Thai at Heart's article. The article Chooka points out states that they stopped counting the number of refugees in 2005 and that number was 149,000 in 2005 and has grown.

Thailand has hosted these refugees for years. This number is much more than the wealthier nations take in, and it is the wealthy nations which are telling Thailand to follow the UN convention. How many refugee camps does the United States have on its soil? Zero. Canada? Zero. And the population of Thailand is 69million. Per the stats above, Australia which has a huge land mass, and 1/3 the population of Thailand took in less than 9,000 refugees. And Canada which has half the population of Thailand took in 10,000.

The entire point of the original article, and the entire point of my post here is: Thailand is shouldering alot of responsibility, and is frankly not getting the credit that it deserves.

Thailand was going to handle the Rohingya on its own by either sending them to Malaysia or Myanmar. And it's all the Western nations that are saying, "no don't do that--U.N. convention and all", and all it does is stick Thailand with a problem that the other nations don't want to take on themselves.

EDIT: I am unable to make a graph appear properly in this post.

You might want to read the article before making these wild claims.

I will paste the first paragraph for you.

"

While Thailand is not party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, the generosity of the Royal Thai Government in hosting refugees and asylum-seekers has spanned several decades. The country currently hosts some 84,900 registered refugees and an estimated 62,000 unregistered asylum-seekers from Myanmar in nine camps along the Thai-Myanmar border.

[simple1]

@hellodolly: From your knowledge, the 506,200 people deemed as stateless in the UNHCR report on Thailand, are they Thai e.g. hill tribes or?

[arthurboy]

Thailand has plenty of baht to throw around on solving the Rohingya problem Let some of the wealthy business class show up for a change with some funding and a proposal. The wealthy business privileged class in Thailand never seems to do any heavy lifting when it comes to giving and charity and funding worthwhile causes.

The hi-so celebs in Thailand (surely some oxymoronic mistake. Ed.) did show up during the floods of 2011 for the crocodile tears photo ops. But maybe, just maybe, they did that to boost their popularity ratings, record sales,etc.

What do you think? Genuine compassion or increased income?