Special Report: Thailand secretly supplies Myanmar refugees to trafficking rings
BY JASON SZEP AND ANDREW R.C. MARSHALL
RANONG

(Reuters) - One afternoon in October, in the watery no-man's land between Thailand and Myanmar, Muhammad Ismail vanished.

Thai immigration officials said he was being deported to Myanmar. In fact, they sold Ismail, 23, and hundreds of other Rohingya Muslims to human traffickers, who then spirited them into brutal jungle camps.

As thousands of Rohingya flee Myanmar to escape religious persecution, a Reuters investigation in three countries has uncovered a clandestine policy to remove Rohingya refugees from Thailand's immigration detention centers and deliver them to human traffickers waiting at sea.

The Rohingya are then transported across southern Thailand and held hostage in a series of camps hidden near the border with Malaysia until relatives pay thousands of dollars to release them. Reporters located three such camps - two based on the testimony of Rohingya held there, and a third by trekking to the site, heavily guarded, near a village called Baan Klong Tor. [read more...]

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/05/us-thailand-rohingya-special-report-idUSBRE9B400320131205

-- REUTERS 2013-12-05

A moraly bankrupt country! as we all know,

"Tarit Pengdith, chief of the Department of Special Investigation, Thailand's equivalent of the U.S. FBI, was also asked about the camps Reuters discovered. "We have heard about these camps in southern Thailand," he said, "but we are not investigating this issue."

This pretty much sums it up...

"Thailand secretly supplies Myanmar refugees to trafficking rings"

It's hardly a secret.

Okay, this is one of the most disturbing articles I've read in a while. But why am I not shocked or surprised? Amazing Thailand.

"Tarit Pengdith, chief of the Department of Special Investigation, Thailand's equivalent of the U.S. FBI, was also asked about the camps Reuters discovered. "We have heard about these camps in southern Thailand," he said, "but we are not investigating this issue."

This pretty much sums it up...

The response is a typical arrogant disposal of the question.

From the Reuters report:

The U.S. State Department's annual Trafficking In Persons (TIP) report ranks countries on their record for combating the crime. For the past four years, Thailand has sat on the TIP Report's so-called Tier 2 Watch List, the second-lowest rank. It will be automatically downgraded to Tier 3 next year unless it makes what the State Department calls "significant efforts" to eliminate human trafficking.

Dropping to Tier 3 status theoretically carries the threat of U.S. sanctions. In practice, the United States is unlikely to sanction Thailand, one of its oldest treaty allies in Asia. But to be downgraded would be a major embarrassment to Thailand, which is now lobbying hard for a non-permanent position on the United Nations Security Council.

MY words: Thailand has been pre-selected to represent Asian countries at the next round for a temporary seat on the Security Council. Many countries who have had temporary seats on the Security Council have & still do, appalling human rights records

Option two. Sounds something like the final solution. The Un should immediately dispatch investigators to Ranong Thailand to investigate the several police officers' statements and the Reuters journalists' findings. It's a slave trade, murder, and crimes against humanity.

This has been talked about for years, so this is not astonishing news. There was a story last year about the police and military

working in tandem to capture and sell refugees near Ranong. But I certainly agree that this represents a new for Thailand, well

at least until the next amazing story.....

From the Reuters report:

The U.S. State Department's annual Trafficking In Persons (TIP) report ranks countries on their record for combating the crime. For the past four years, Thailand has sat on the TIP Report's so-called Tier 2 Watch List, the second-lowest rank. It will be automatically downgraded to Tier 3 next year unless it makes what the State Department calls "significant efforts" to eliminate human trafficking.

Dropping to Tier 3 status theoretically carries the threat of U.S. sanctions. In practice, the United States is unlikely to sanction Thailand, one of its oldest treaty allies in Asia. But to be downgraded would be a major embarrassment to Thailand, which is now lobbying hard for a non-permanent position on the United Nations Security Council.

MY words: Thailand has been pre-selected to represent Asian countries at the next round for a temporary seat on the Security Council. Many countries who have had temporary seats on the Security Council have & still do, appalling human rights records

The historical selection of countries with appalling human rights records means then that it should continue with the selection of Thailand? Thailand should be censured by the UN for this slave trade, murder and crimes against humanity.

this is what they call thainess... i can't understand them.

From the Reuters report:

The U.S. State Department's annual Trafficking In Persons (TIP) report ranks countries on their record for combating the crime. For the past four years, Thailand has sat on the TIP Report's so-called Tier 2 Watch List, the second-lowest rank. It will be automatically downgraded to Tier 3 next year unless it makes what the State Department calls "significant efforts" to eliminate human trafficking.

Dropping to Tier 3 status theoretically carries the threat of U.S. sanctions. In practice, the United States is unlikely to sanction Thailand, one of its oldest treaty allies in Asia. But to be downgraded would be a major embarrassment to Thailand, which is now lobbying hard for a non-permanent position on the United Nations Security Council.

MY words: Thailand has been pre-selected to represent Asian countries at the next round for a temporary seat on the Security Council. Many countries who have had temporary seats on the Security Council have & still do, appalling human rights records

The historical selection of countries with appalling human rights records means then that it should continue with the selection of Thailand? Thailand should be censured by the UN for this slave trade, murder and crimes against humanity.

No, but the reality is General Assembly member voting for temporary membership Security Council seats is usually based upon political alliances & disconnected from the countries human rights record and other issues. The bottom line is would Thai government really give a dam_n about UN censure motions; it's not even a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention.

The U.S. State Department's annual Trafficking In Persons (TIP) report ranks countries on their record for combating the crime. For the past four years, Thailand has sat on the TIP Report's so-called Tier 2 Watch List, the second-lowest rank. It will be automatically downgraded to Tier 3 next year unless it makes what the State Department calls "significant efforts" to eliminate human trafficking.

Dropping to Tier 3 status theoretically carries the threat of U.S. sanctions. In practice, the United States is unlikely to sanction Thailand, one of its oldest treaty allies in Asia. But to be downgraded would be a major embarrassment to Thailand, which is now lobbying hard for a non-permanent position on the UN Security Council.

This is wrong on so many levels.

I am not surprised that government officials are totally involved in this activity.

Thailand really should be downgraded to level 3 and sanctions imposed.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Source: reuters

The U.S. State Department's annual Trafficking In Persons (TIP) report ranks countries on their record for combating the crime. For the past four years, Thailand has sat on the TIP Report's so-called Tier 2 Watch List, the second-lowest rank. It will be automatically downgraded to Tier 3 next year unless it makes what the State Department calls "significant efforts" to eliminate human trafficking.

To be downgraded would be a major embarrassment to Thailand, which is now lobbying hard for a non-permanent position on the United Nations Security Council.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope that happens because embarrasment is the only language Thai authorities understand.

The U.S. State Department's annual Trafficking In Persons (TIP) report ranks countries on their record for combating the crime. For the past four years, Thailand has sat on the TIP Report's so-called Tier 2 Watch List, the second-lowest rank. It will be automatically downgraded to Tier 3 next year unless it makes what the State Department calls "significant efforts" to eliminate human trafficking.

Dropping to Tier 3 status theoretically carries the threat of U.S. sanctions. In practice, the United States is unlikely to sanction Thailand, one of its oldest treaty allies in Asia. But to be downgraded would be a major embarrassment to Thailand, which is now lobbying hard for a non-permanent position on the UN Security Council.

This is wrong on so many levels. I am not surprised that government officials are totally involved in this activity.

Thailand really should be downgraded to level 3 and sanctions imposed.

Have a look at the sanctions imposed via Tier 3 listing. Other than government reputation and a bit more cost for government borrowing on the international financial markets, much ado about nothing.

http://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2011/164221.htm

Sanctions, yes.

Enforcing international and national law, yes.

Name and arrest those responsible, including their influential backers. Then put them all in prison for a very long time, strip them of all their assets and publicize the fact that this has been done, both in Thailand and around the world.

Corruption and immorality in Thailand. Who needs politics to see this going on every day?

Not surprising....and it's not something new.

Sent from my GT-I9200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Shining a light into the dark corners is the only way to send the roaches scurrying - now get the RAID and kill em!

"Tarit Pengdith, chief of the Department of Special Investigation, Thailand's equivalent of the U.S. FBI, was also asked about the camps Reuters discovered. "We have heard about these camps in southern Thailand," he said, "but we are not investigating this issue."

This pretty much sums it up...

Thailand must be aiming for number one spot on the Human trafficking List next year! Shame on Thailand shame on the people who allow this to happen (Scum)

Not to excuse the scum behind these networks, but as far as human rights in Asia goes Thailand is near the top. Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, all have very awful histories.

Also, clearly no one wants these Rohingyas - not Bangladesh where they came from, of course they're not welcome in Myanmar, not even their Muslim brothers down in Malaysia and Indonesia. Some people see a gigantic human rights crisis. I see Thais "cleverly" taking advantage of the situation. What do you expect them to do:

(1) Rohingyas are booted out from Myanmar since they were colonizing the western parts of country. Time Magazine runs a special on "Buddhist Terrorism" (but ignores Myanmar's claims that they are simply defending their nation, culture, and religion from outside colonizing).

(2) Rohingyas flee to Thailand. Border police face a threat of epic proportions.

(3) Well-established, immensely powerful trafficking networks, likely with high-level contact in both Bangkok and Yangon, already have the means to deal with large number of refugees. The illegal immigrants are sold to them. Problem solved.

Seems brutal, but what do you expect them to do? Keep the illegal immigrants locked up, clothed, and fed (well except not during the daylight hours during Ramadan, d'oh)? Surrender and open up Thailand to illegal immigration (and foreign colonization)?

"Thailand secretly supplies Myanmar refugees to trafficking rings"

A step up from setting them adrift at sea without provisions.

It's a good thing that as Buddhists, Thais are familiar with Karma. At least when it's payback time, they will know why it's happening. Until then, just blame it on the farang.

Not to excuse the scum behind these networks, but as far as human rights in Asia goes Thailand is near the top. Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, all have very awful histories.

Also, clearly no one wants these Rohingyas - not Bangladesh where they came from, of course they're not welcome in Myanmar, not even their Muslim brothers down in Malaysia and Indonesia. Some people see a gigantic human rights crisis. I see Thais "cleverly" taking advantage of the situation. What do you expect them to do:

(1) Rohingyas are booted out from Myanmar since they were colonizing the western parts of country. Time Magazine runs a special on "Buddhist Terrorism" (but ignores Myanmar's claims that they are simply defending their nation, culture, and religion from outside colonizing).

(2) Rohingyas flee to Thailand. Border police face a threat of epic proportions.

(3) Well-established, immensely powerful trafficking networks, likely with high-level contact in both Bangkok and Yangon, already have the means to deal with large number of refugees. The illegal immigrants are sold to them. Problem solved.

Seems brutal, but what do you expect them to do? Keep the illegal immigrants locked up, clothed, and fed (well except not during the daylight hours during Ramadan, d'oh)? Surrender and open up Thailand to illegal immigration (and foreign colonization)?

You have deliberately (?) ignored that the Rohingya had their citizenship revoked in 1982 by the Burmese government so are all Stateless that makes any potential opportunity for resettlement/migration nearly impossible. In anycase UN rules are that you cannot claim asylum seeker/refugee status whilst in your home country, ergo a push factor. Plus Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia are not signatories to the UN Refugee Convention. To this day the Rohinya are subject to denial of basic human rights

Sounds like you are a supporter of the Buddhist fascist movement '969'

The police and government of this country should feel utterly ashamed of themselves.

"Tarit Pengdith, chief of the Department of Special Investigation, Thailand's equivalent of the U.S. FBI, was also asked about the camps Reuters discovered. "We have heard about these camps in southern Thailand," he said, "but we are not investigating this issue."

This pretty much sums it up...

Of course, this chinless wonder, who actually participated in the suppression of red shirts as a member of CRES in 2010, is far too busy filing political cases against opponents of the Thaksin regime.

It is shame that the DSI has deteriorated to become a political tool of whoever is in power. It was set up as a check and balance against the police to take on cases that the police refused and/or cases that involved police suspects. Those idealistic days are long forgotten.

"Tarit Pengdith, chief of the Department of Special Investigation, Thailand's equivalent of the U.S. FBI, was also asked about the camps Reuters discovered. "We have heard about these camps in southern Thailand," he said, "but we are not investigating this issue."

This pretty much sums it up...

Talk about no credibility when it comes to selectively targetting anti-Thaksin people ...... oi vey!

this is what they call thainess... i can't understand them.

Not that you would really want to.

Doesn't a story like this just make you fell all warm and fuzzy.

Not good, and nowhere to go

The police and government of this country should feel utterly ashamed of themselves.

'Should' being the operative word here. These scum have no shame whatsoever.

The U.S. State Department's annual Trafficking In Persons (TIP) report ranks countries on their record for combating the crime. For the past four years, Thailand has sat on the TIP Report's so-called Tier 2 Watch List, the second-lowest rank. It will be automatically downgraded to Tier 3 next year unless it makes what the State Department calls "significant efforts" to eliminate human trafficking.

Dropping to Tier 3 status theoretically carries the threat of U.S. sanctions. In practice, the United States is unlikely to sanction Thailand, one of its oldest treaty allies in Asia. But to be downgraded would be a major embarrassment to Thailand, which is now lobbying hard for a non-permanent position on the UN Security Council.

This is wrong on so many levels.

I am not surprised that government officials are totally involved in this activity.

Thailand really should be downgraded to level 3 and sanctions imposed.

Like everything else, no law broken unless you get caught, then just be convincing that it's cultural until everybody backs off.

Pavlov only modified the concept with a bell and a dog.