Phuket: Rohingya ' Drowned, Not Shot'

[webfact]

Phuket: Rohingya 'drowned, not shot'
Nattha Thepbamrung

PHANG NGA: -- Two Rohingya refugees are confirmed as having drowned after jumping out of their overloaded boat in a panic sparked by Thai Navy sailors opening fire in an attempt to frighten them away from Thai waters.

Last week, Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post reported that members of the Thai navy shot dead at least two and as many as 15 Rohingya migrants in the sea off Phuket on Feb 22, something which the Royal Thai Navy later denied.

Kantawan Tanthien, Democrat Party MP in Phang Nga, told The Phuket News this morning that autopsies on two dead Rohingya revealed that they had not been shot dead, but had drowned after the panic, close to Thung Nang Dam in Phang Nga.

“I do not think it was the navy’s intention to kill anyone,” Mrs Kantawan said. “Witnesses said the navy did not shoot directly at the Rohingya; they were trying to drive them out of Thai waters, as is their duty.”

She complained that local governments in Phang Nga are having to shoulder all the responsibility for the refugees because the central government still has no clear policy on the Rohingya issue.

“The accommodation for the Rohingya at the Khao Lak shelter and the Phang Nga Immigration Office is crowded and there are hygiene problems.”

She said that feeding the refugees with halal food (the Rohingya are Muslim) was difficult on the government budget of B45 per person per day, though Bangkok apparently intends to increase this to B70 a day.

The central government has not, however, done anything to address the other problems.

“Some of them have fallen ill and we worry that epidemics of disease may break out among them. The longer they have to be kept in the shelters, the more problems there will be,” the MP said.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-rohingya-%E2%80%98drowned-not-shot%E2%80%99-autopsies-show-37683.php


-- Phuket News 2013-03-11

[Payboy]

From SCMP article....

Two bodies with gunshot wounds were pulled from the water and buried, with fishermen telling villagers they had seen more bodies in the water. As many as 15 people may have died.

http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1184104/thai-forces-accused-shooting-fleeing-rohingya-refugees-phuket

[JetsetBkk]

Who to believe?

Democrat Party MP in Phuket News:

"Kantawan Tanthien, Democrat Party MP in Phang Nga, told The Phuket News this morning that autopsies on two dead Rohingya revealed that they had not been shot dead, but had drowned after the panic, close to Thung Nang Dam in Phang Nga."

Alan Morison in South China Morning Post:

"Two bodies with gunshot wounds were pulled from the water and buried, with fishermen telling villagers they had seen more bodies in the water. As many as 15 people may have died."

[taninthai]

Target practise and alittle trigger happy me thinks,what happened to the boat and the rest of the people?

2nd thoughts probably better of not knowing

[submaniac]

Ermm...not to gripe or anything...but shouldn't a story like this be in Thailand news, rather than in the Phuket local forum? I say that as I am more apt to read the Thailand national news as opposed to the Phuket local.

[stevenl]

Who to believe?

Democrat Party MP in Phuket News:

"Kantawan Tanthien, Democrat Party MP in Phang Nga, told The Phuket News this morning that autopsies on two dead Rohingya revealed that they had not been shot dead, but had drowned after the panic, close to Thung Nang Dam in Phang Nga."

Alan Morison in South China Morning Post:

"Two bodies with gunshot wounds were pulled from the water and buried, with fishermen telling villagers they had seen more bodies in the water. As many as 15 people may have died."

I would believe the Democratic Party MP. She'd be more than happy to make problems for the government party and hold them responsible for the deaths, but apparently she can't.