Rohingyas Not Trafficked: Thai N S C

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REFUGEES

Rohingyas 'not trafficked' : NSC

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The entry of Rohingya migrants into Thailand has been deemed illegal and not in accordance with the definition of crimes constituting human trafficking, meaning they will be subject to repatriation, the National Security Council concluded yesterday after a meeting with the Foreign Ministry.

As a result, the Rohingyas, who are fleeing sectarian violence and ethnic cleansing in Myanmar's Rakhine state, will be allowed to stay on in Thailand for only six more months. However, temporary camps will not be built to accommodate them, NSC secretary-general Pharadorn Phatthanathabutr said.

Thai authorities are in the process of further handling the issues of relief assistance and possible relocation of the Rohingyas to third countries with the United Nations and other international agencies, Pharadorn said.

Thailand is paying per-head daily meal allowance of Bt75 for 1,390 Rohingyas now residing in here after they entered illegally, he added.

"A parallel process to seek long-term shelter in third countries is underway. Malaysia is one of those countries as the Rohingya immigrants want to go there. If not, they will be repatriated to existing Rohingya camps in Myanmar and Bangladesh under supervision of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees," Pharadorn said.

The repatriation operations, when carried out, will be implemented through a network of the UN Children's Fund, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Organisation for Migration.

To be defined as a human trafficking case, three conditions have to be met.

"Only detention and sheltering of the Rohingya immigrants have been found but not enslavement or forced prostitution," Pharadorn said, citing extensive civilian and police investigations into the Rohingyas' case.

A senior Department of Special Investigation official, Phaisit Sangkhahaphong, said the international legal definitions under human trafficking must contain either enslavement, forced prostitution, or slave labour, or torture or mutilation of victims’ bodies, with known destinations for the victims to be transferred to.

The criteria weren't met in the Rohingyas' case, Phaisit said, "although there have been systematic processes in smuggling the Rohingyas in and out of countries involved and sheltering them pending further transport".

-- The Nation 2013-01-29

[LuckyLew]

I was pretty confident Thai officials would not cop to anything

The powers that be are all model citizens

No one here does anything wrong or illegal

[Orac]

I thought the issue was that they were being trafficked after they arrived in Thailand?

[dcutman]

It looks like sh!t, it smells like sh!t,

but here in the LOS, it is only a pile of digested food waiting to be flushed.

[noitom]

I thought the issue was that they were being trafficked after they arrived in Thailand?

Exactly!! This is Thai style "side stepping." They sure know how to dance to the music.

[chooka]

I thought the issue was that they were being trafficked after they arrived in Thailand?

Sshh the investigation is concluded. N.O.D Just waiting for the BBC to issue an appology.

[noitom]

The UN and other humanitarian organizations should launch an immediate "independent" investigation in Thailand into what the Rohingya say happened, and how and why they arrived in the south after landing on Thai shores. It's long overdue that the rest of the world starts monitoring Thai dysfunctional behavior toward other human beings and illegal trafficking of all humans and illegal copying of all intellectual property.

[simple1]

Does the NSC actually talk with UNHCR, Myanmar and Bangladeshi officials? Myanmar and Bangladesh will not accept the Rohingya refugees & UNHCR has publicly stated they will not facilitate the repatriation of Rohingya to either of these two countries. Indonesia and Malaysia do not want them either. It takes up to ten years to process the resettlement of stateless Rohingya in third party countries so what's going to happen after the six month timeline set by Thai officials, use force to send them back to Myanmar?

EDIT: In the other newspaper it states the two Thai military officers identified as being involved with human trafficking have been "'reassigned"

Edited January 29, 2013 by simple1

[noitom]

Why don't some Thai fat cats and big top 50 Thai companies step up and contribute some charity and NGO funding to help these Rohingya that landed on Thai soil? Funny how you never see Thai fat cats and big Thai companies appearing in the news as stepping up to help. Very laughable statement about a country.

[EyesWideOpen]

This is a basic legal strategy often used by lawyers.......Deny deny deny deny, and hope it goes away.

Beyond pathetic........ So I guess no heads will be rolling on this issue. But most of the TV posters

knew that already. Besides the headline is not really correct. Slaving or kidnapping would be a more accurate term

rather than trafficking.

Edited January 29, 2013 by EyesWideOpen

[EyesWideOpen]

The term trafficking sounds almost benign, as if you were moving people to a job

they did not really want but had to go because of no choice. What occurred according to the BBC , was capture

and then selling of the refugees. If nobody is punished and Thailand keeps insisting nothing happened, that

will be an interesting look at the true power of the military in Thailand, that they really are untouchable.

Am I living in a country that is a military dictatorship with a fake puppet show " democratic" government ???

[AleG]

Phaisit said, "although there have been systematic processes in smuggling the Rohingyas in and out of countries involved and sheltering them pending further transport".

There's no trafficking, only a longer sentence that matches the definition of trafficking.Phaisit is not a an idiot, although his mental acumen is well bellow par. Edited January 29, 2013 by AleG

[geriatrickid]

An admission of trafficing would have serious consequences and require a remediation plan.

Instead, we will have to see what the civilized world does. I anticipate that it will take years before someone does anything concrete, and I reckon the Thai bureaucrats, police and military are counting on that. Until then, it is business as usual.

A rather sad situation, but typical of the world we live in.

Thailand's government should be ashamed of itself and the people of Thailand are equally guilty for not speaking out.

This is one of those issues where all of the political parties have the same position and it is disgusting.

[Pimay1]

I certainly hope Johan runs with this.

Burmese refugees sold on by Thai officials

By Jonah Fisher BBC News, Phuket, Thailand

[EyesWideOpen]

See, even GK and myself agree on this issue. If we can be in agreement, then that certainly indicates the

the political parties should be as well.

[noitom]

The term trafficking sounds almost benign, as if you were moving people to a job

they did not really want but had to go because of no choice. What occurred according to the BBC , was capture

and then selling of the refugees. If nobody is punished and Thailand keeps insisting nothing happened, that

will be an interesting look at the true power of the military in Thailand, that they really are untouchable.

Am I living in a country that is a military dictatorship with a fake puppet show " democratic" government ???

The BBC is on the right track.Capture then selling and "trafficking." Yes, you are.

[Payboy]

Forced clampdown on trafficking leads to this....Thai minister backs Bangladesh workers

http://bdnews24.com/business/2013/01/28/thai-minister-backs-bangladesh-workers

[slapout]

The Security Council and the Foreign Ministry may want to google what the UN defines as 'Human trafficing".The definition of trafficing quoted by these apparent incompentents, reasons and subsquent inaction, would be laughable if not for the people who are being so openly and grossly mistreated. All for the personal gain of a few, but it demonstrates how protective each department is in the cover up.

As mentioned 2 military officers are reported to be reassigned, further action (dismissed from service) was not taken as the civil servents involved had not been called by the police to give statements.This indicates the Interior Ministry may be involved and guess who is in charge at Interior, who is assigned to solve the southern unrest, in charge of the RTP and boasts of his knowledge of legal matters?

[Fozfromoz]

It looks like sh!t, it smells like sh!t,

but here in the LOS, it is only a pile of digested food waiting to be flushed.

With a silk ribbon tied to it.

[SouthernMan3]

How's this for a solution ?

[laislica]

How's this for a solution ?

We can only hope that the sea water destroys the bottles a little at a time, rather than a huge batch all at the same time...

[rockderk]

UN definition of 'Trafficking' : Trafficking in Persons as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.

The NSC person is including 'exploitation' in his definition of trafficking. He shouldn't have, because exploitation is the next step after the victim is trafficked. Typical exploitation would be; victims are arrested by 'officials' at the receiving point. The 'officials' process them [seize ID documents]. Those victims with money, or access to funds can pay for their release and return of ID documents as well as passage across the border into Malaysia. Those who cannot raise payment are sold on and/or forced to work on the fishing fleets, rubber plantations or in sex work. Read testimony from victims here:

http://malaysiaburmese.wordpress.com/inside-story-human-traffickers/

[JulesMad]

Thailand investigating Thailand....

Who will ever believe they will come with an "independent" conclusion???? (other that Thailand did nothing wrong, as usual )

Dream on

[Ricardo]

It looks like sh!t, it smells like sh!t,

but here in the LOS, it is only a pile of digested food waiting to be flushed.

But wait, my sources can reveal, it's actually the new government free-fertiliser-for-the-poor-farmers scam scheme, only 100B per bag ! Or 200B, if you want a receipt !

Edited January 29, 2013 by Ricardo

[SouthernMan3]

How's this for a solution ?

We can only hope that the sea water destroys the bottles a little at a time, rather than a huge batch all at the same time...

These bottles under water and not getting sunshine will last for decades.

[sunshine51]

Rohingyas 'not trafficked' : NSC

The Nation

And the moon is made of Stilton.