Thailand deports 1,300 Rohingya boat people

[webfact]

Thailand deports 1,300 Rohingya boat people

BANGKOK, February 13, 2014 (AFP) - Thailand has sent around 1,300 Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar, a top official said Thursday, dismaying rights campaigners who warned the minority Muslims faced persecution in the former junta-ruled country.

Thousands of Rohingya, described by the United Nations as among the world's most persecuted minorities, have fled sectarian violence in western Myanmar in rickety boats since 2012, mostly heading for Malaysia.

Many of those who arrived in Thai waters were locked up in overcrowded immigration prisons.

Thai authorities began deporting the Rohingya in September through a border checkpoint in the province of Ranong, national immigration chief Lieutenant General Pharnu Kerdlarpphon told AFP.

"The whole deportation process was completed in early November," he added.

It was the first official news of the deportation.

Rights activists criticised the move to return the Rohingya to Myanmar, where they face travel restrictions, forced labour and limited access to healthcare and education.

"The deportation of Rohingya is a blatant violation of international laws that prohibit sending back refugees and asylum-seekers to a place where they can face danger and persecution," said Sunai Phasuk, a senior researcher with New York-based Human Rights Watch.

Rights groups say the Rohingya often fall into the hands of people-traffickers, sometimes after they are deported by Thailand.

Sunai urged the Thai authorities to explain what had happened to the 1,300 Rohingya, saying the foreign ministry did not appear to have been involved in the deportation.

There was no immediate comment from the ministry.

Thailand said last year it was investigating allegations that some army officials in the kingdom were involved in the trafficking of Rohingya.

Roughly 500 Rohingya are believed to remain in detention in Thailand following a raid on a suspected people-trafficking camp last month.

Myanmar views its population of roughly 800,000 Rohingya as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and denies them citizenship.

More than 200 people have been killed and more than 140,000 left homeless in several outbreaks of Buddhist-Muslim violence since June 2012 in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

The United Nations has called on Myanmar to investigate reports -- denied by the authorities -- that dozens of men, women and children were killed in attacks on Rohingya last month with the alleged involvement of police.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2014-02-13

[Cuchulainn]

USA: Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.............. Thailand: Give us your money.

[TallPalm]

Shame on you Thailand

[Katipo]

1,300 people deprted without any official paperwork to back it up? bullsh*t!

It's disgusting what's going on with these people here. Forget everything else, this is the true shame of Thailand.

[rogerdee123]

If they were truly officially declared "refugees" by UNHCR, then Thailand is indeed in trouble and has explaining to do at the UN Assembly.

But usually Thailand won't allow UNHCR to declare these people "refugees" but rather "displaced persons" (same as the all those Burmese, Karen, etc on the border) which allows Thailand to (legally) ignore the international conventions on refugees.

Most of the Cambodians and Lao on the border in the late 70s and 80s were also not allowed to be given refugee status. Last year Thailand sent a bunch of Hmong who had been living in Thailand for years ... back to Laos also against their will. Of course the stories behind all these events are much more complicated.

But despite the legal technicalities ..... the moral issues remain ..... and as some have said .... 'Kharma bites back'.

[impulse]

I'm more likely to believe they were "deported" on Thai fishing boats who generously offered free passage to.. um... well... the local fishing grounds. Yeah, that's the ticket.

[NomadJoe]

I recently experienced the indifference Thai's have towards Rohingya/Burmese. A few weeks ago I was shown a mobile phone picture of a dead Burmese man, possibly Rohingya, who was dumped on the pier by a Thai fishing boat. (Thai fishing boats are known to use Rohingya slaves,one of the reasons I don't eat sea food.) He had a large stab wound in the left side of his chest. . I was told by the Thai person who took the picture that the police were called but despite it potentially being a murder crime scene, they took 45 minutes to arrive even though the police station is a few hundred meters down the road. The Thai captain had already left the scene. "The police don't care, he's Burmese." the Thai man told me. I reported it to 2 different media outlets but nothing was ever printed. It was as if it never happened. I still remember the dead mans face perfectly.

Edited February 13, 2014 by NomadJoe

[theslime]

Poor People, think you get away, but then get thrown back to the Wolves.

[el jefe]

Yes, it's a shame that thailand sent them back, but doesn't the blame have to go to Myanmar, which still has one of the world's worst human rights records despite all their talk of freedom and opening the country. Isn't that all just to play the US vs China and attract investment funds while human rights violations are unchanged?

[Thai at Heart]

Thainess.....

[ultimate weapon]

USA: Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.............. Thailand: Give us your money.

Oh yeah as if the USA actually does that? Oh wait they do it for a reason. Why not let in the mexican illegal immigrants rather than making it difficult for them.

Why should thailand have to handle someone else's rubbish? I heard these rohinya ppl came from bangaldesh but don't want to live there and live in myanmar and they come in such huge numbers. Look why should any country have to deal with this?

[Naam]

USA: Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.............. Thailand: Give us your money.

Oh yeah as if the USA actually does that? Oh wait they do it for a reason. Why not let in the mexican illegal immigrants rather than making it difficult for them.

Why should thailand have to handle someone else's rubbish? I heard these rohinya ppl came from bangaldesh but don't want to live there and live in myanmar and they come in such huge numbers. Look why should any country have to deal with this?

it's a pity that Thailand has to deal with people like you who has "heard" something but has not even one Baht value of background knowledge.

[Noi657]

Britain will take them!!

[Cuchulainn]

........Why should thailand have to handle someone else's rubbish..............

How DARE you!! These people are suffering refugees.

Shame on you!

[holeyman1]

It's like you have unwanted "guests" (people you don't even know) in your home and your neighbors tell you to home them...

Would you? I know I wouldn't!

No one should question the sovereignty of a nation.

Weird, double/triple standards I see here lmfao....

I want a US passport, do I get it if I arrive by boat, get refugee status then naturalization?

Amazing, only on TV!!!!

somtam palah

[lungbing]

It always amazes me that muslim refugees never want to flee to muslim countries. They always outbreed their locale and then seek to go to Buddhist and Christian countries. Why stay in Indonesia (who wouldn't put up with their posturing) when they can go to Australia and play of the Christian guilt complex. Why don't the Rohingya go to a muslim country like Malaysia, or Indonesia. No, they prefer Buddhist Thailand to try to foist their 'religion of peace' in. I think the Rohingya come from what is now Bangladesh so why not go there, another muslim country. Thailand doesn't need more muslims killing Buddhist monks.

[bigbamboo]

It always amazes me that muslim refugees never want to flee to muslim countries. They always outbreed their locale and then seek to go to Buddhist and Christian countries. Why stay in Indonesia (who wouldn't put up with their posturing) when they can go to Australia and play of the Christian guilt complex. Why don't the Rohingya go to a muslim country like Malaysia, or Indonesia. No, they prefer Buddhist Thailand to try to foist their 'religion of peace' in. I think the Rohingya come from what is now Bangladesh so why not go there, another muslim country. Thailand doesn't need more muslims killing Buddhist monks.

Have to admit there is something in what you say there. Maybe they know something we 'infidels' don't?

Edited February 13, 2014 by bigbamboo

[espinoza]

The Thai foreign department can not account for these humans. Somebody in the Thai government has to take responsibility ! Where are you, prime minister of the kingdom of Thailand ? If you rule the country, this is one of your responsibilities. Do you not care ? Then you have to admit it and give some other the task.

[noitom]

Shame on Thailand and the Thai press that the investigation of Rohingya trafficking by the army and navy as reported in the Thai press is taking so long. The Thai press doesn't follow up on these allegations and squashes any foreign news such as the Reuters article that went in to depth on hidden Thai slave camps on islands, and collusion in networking these Rohingya by Thais.

[surangw]

things wold be different if aung san suu kyi was not such a bigot and stood up for all those in "burma"

[theslime]

things wold be different if aung san suu kyi was not such a bigot and stood up for all those in "burma"

The Lady would be hammered in an Election,as surveys have shown the people of Myanmar hate the Rohingya.

Edited February 13, 2014 by theslime

[Jay Sata]

It always amazes me that muslim refugees never want to flee to muslim countries. They always outbreed their locale and then seek to go to Buddhist and Christian countries. Why stay in Indonesia (who wouldn't put up with their posturing) when they can go to Australia and play of the Christian guilt complex. Why don't the Rohingya go to a muslim country like Malaysia, or Indonesia. No, they prefer Buddhist Thailand to try to foist their 'religion of peace' in. I think the Rohingya come from what is now Bangladesh so why not go there, another muslim country. Thailand doesn't need more muslims killing Buddhist monks.

I'm afraid I have to agree. Malaysia is just a few kliks down the coast.

Thailand is the land of the free but Muslims want to impose religious restrictions as soon as they get a foot in the door.

Southern Thailand is a mess.

In the UK most supermarkets now sell Halal meat to the masses in supermarkets (without them knowing) when in reality Muslim and Jewish people shoud be buying this type of slaughtered ritualistic food in specialised shops.

Edited February 13, 2014 by Jay Sata

[Naam]

It always amazes me that muslim refugees never want to flee to muslim countries. They always outbreed their locale and then seek to go to Buddhist and Christian countries. Why stay in Indonesia (who wouldn't put up with their posturing) when they can go to Australia and play of the Christian guilt complex. Why don't the Rohingya go to a muslim country like Malaysia, or Indonesia. No, they prefer Buddhist Thailand to try to foist their 'religion of peace' in. I think the Rohingya come from what is now Bangladesh so why not go there, another muslim country. Thailand doesn't need more muslims killing Buddhist monks.

right you are! it's really a mystery why these Rohingyas don't just cross the border and "go" into neighbouring Indonesia or Malaysia instead of travelling a thousand miles by ship to a Buddhist country like Thailand where Muslim terrorists are not wanted.

then there is this abominable behaviour of outbreeding the local population. during only five centuries of Rohingya immigration from Bangla Desh to Myanmar these rascals have managed a total estimated population of nearly one million out of 53 million inhabitants.

Thaivisa would be a sorry forum without former lecturers of geography and asian history adding their expertise eggsburteese!

[Naam]

things wold be different if aung san suu kyi was not such a bigot and stood up for all those in "burma"

in this respect the 'Lady' doesn't have guts worth two Satang.

[simple1]

It always amazes me that muslim refugees never want to flee to muslim countries. They always outbreed their locale and then seek to go to Buddhist and Christian countries. Why stay in Indonesia (who wouldn't put up with their posturing) when they can go to Australia and play of the Christian guilt complex. Why don't the Rohingya go to a muslim country like Malaysia, or Indonesia. No, they prefer Buddhist Thailand to try to foist their 'religion of peace' in. I think the Rohingya come from what is now Bangladesh so why not go there, another muslim country. Thailand doesn't need more muslims killing Buddhist monks.

I'm afraid I have to agree. Malaysia is just a few kliks down the coast.

Thailand is the land of the free but Muslims want to impose religious restrictions as soon as they get a foot in the door.

Southern Thailand is a mess.

In the UK most supermarkets now sell Halal meat to the masses in supermarkets (without them knowing) when in reality Muslim and Jewish people shoud be buying this type of slaughtered ritualistic food in specialised shops.

Kindly provide links to where the Rohingya or other Muslims entering Thailand have attempted to impose religious restrictions in Thailand

Both the Bangladeshi and Burmese governments have declared the Rohingya non-citizens i.e. stateless; personally I do not know of any government that permits entry of stateless persons. Even if they were able to gain entry to places such as Indonesia they are not permitted to legally work as well as a number of other restrictions. Malaysia has a huge problem with illegal workers estimated at 2 million+ from Indonesia alone so they will not have an open door policy to other Muslims. Other than the Philippines none of the countries in SE Asia have ratified the UN Convention for Refugees that compounds & complicates the efforts of UNHCR & others.

Thailand has struggled for years to accept its own Hill Tribes people for Thai citizenship and many are still stateless.

Edited February 14, 2014 by simple1

[stickylies]

Most of the Cambodians and Lao on the border in the late 70s and 80s were also not allowed to be given refugee status.

And worse: In 1979, Thai soldiers gathered all Khmer refugees, robbed them and sent them back down the Phnom Dangrek mountains which resulted in thousands of deaths where many were blown into pieces by landmines, some were executed by Thai soldiers on the spot. Khmer refugees who lived along the border who have disputed with Thai people about their trade were bombed by military airplane and shelled by Thai artillery. Khmer refugees living in the camps, set up by UNHCR [united Nations High Commissioner for Refugees], were surrounded by barbed wire made by Thai soldiers and Khmer refugees in the camps were mistreated by Thai authority, some were kicked, some were beaten for the crime of just trying to learn English or holding English book in their hands, which was prohibited by Thai authority. The new refugees who tried to get into the camps were shot to death. There were many mistreatment beyond description that Thai soldiers have committed against innocent Cambodian refugees.

[stickylies]

but, there's always a but, considered the situation, thailand being surrounded by problem-states with many refugees, it's normal they can't accept all... unfortunately.

[BKKBrit]

It always amazes me that muslim refugees never want to flee to muslim countries. They always outbreed their locale and then seek to go to Buddhist and Christian countries. Why stay in Indonesia (who wouldn't put up with their posturing) when they can go to Australia and play of the Christian guilt complex. Why don't the Rohingya go to a muslim country like Malaysia, or Indonesia. No, they prefer Buddhist Thailand to try to foist their 'religion of peace' in. I think the Rohingya come from what is now Bangladesh so why not go there, another muslim country. Thailand doesn't need more muslims killing Buddhist monks.

And your ignorance amazes me.

[stickylies]

^^ yet another utter-genius (christian or buddhist) is amongst us...

[stickylies]

i have visited rakhine state several times in the last 10 years. if u've never been there, pls shut up because whatever u say comes from "hearing on the internet". except for a couple of towns and cities u're finding yourself in the middle ages, the dark ages one can say, where people (rakhiners and non-rakhiners) live like rats and have nothing to lose.... the situation in rakhine state is worse than some of the most remote parts of chin state, imagine!

note too that all rohingyas/bengalis (call them what u want) who came to burma in the last decades (and yes, a substantial part came relatively recently) came because burmese immigration is corrupt to the bone and let them in for money. the same happens at the china side of burma where 10.000's of chinese obtained burmese id cards through paying. the only difference is that these chinese are not muslism and as every body knows, both, the ex-junta, and the current burmese leaders (basically ex-junta) but also ASSK would like to see burma as a 100% buddhist state. the bamar (and mon) are radical buddhists, they always were and thx to 50+ years of oppression it only got worse, as their religion was all the simple people had...