Thailand will have blood on its hands if refugees are sent back

[Lite Beer]

EDITORIAL
Thailand will have blood on its hands if refugees are sent back
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The discovery of 220 'Uighurs' in Songkhla will test the country's moral courage - to resist Beijing and consider the people involved

Another big hot potato has landed in the lap of Thailand's leaders and they are scratching their heads over what to do.

To press charges or not to press charges, that's the question for the authorities over what to do with the 220 Turkic-speaking unidentified Muslims stranded in southern Thailand.

But while Thai police ponder the technicalities and legal due process, perhaps the one word that needs to seriously considered is the "humanitarian" factor in this refugee crisis.

Thai officials need to put legal moves and any thought of prosecution for illegal entry into the back of their minds for a time and think about the human facets of this issue.

The 220 unidentified Muslims call themselves "Turks" but had no documentation whatsoever when immigration authorities swooped on them at a rubber plantation in Songkhla province, where they were waiting, presumably, to go to Malaysia.

From there, it is believed that these so-called "Turks" would ask to be allowed to proceed to Turkey.

Turkish diplomats from Bangkok arrived at the immigration centre in Hat Yai on Friday with the daunting task of establishing the people's identity and possible nationality.

While the refugees are sticking to their line that they are Turkish and want to relocate to Turkey, just about everything suggested that they are Uighurs, a Turkic-speaking group from China's northwestern Xinjiang region.

And while Thai officials scratch their heads about what to do, the US State Department was quick to get off the starting block and urge that Bangkok provide full protection to the "victims".

This was a sound diplomatic move considering the treatment of Uighur people by the Chinese authorities in Xinjiang. Cambodia, Malaysia and Pakistan have in recent years deported Uighur asylum seekers back to China. And Thailand has a cordial relationship with China.

Rights groups and many others fear that Bangkok will give in to Beijing and deport the 220 - assuming that they are Uighurs from Xinjiang and that the Chinese wants them back. But the fate of the 220 Muslims, which includes 82 children, should not be a test for Thailand-China relations.

If Thailand sends these people back they could find itself with blood on its hands.

Report after report from other governments and international human rights organisations has noted that poor and repressive treatment of Uighurs in Xinjiang is the root cause of the ongoing conflict that has spurred increasing communal violence.

Thailand is part of the UN Convention against Torture, which forbids the signatories from sending people to places where they could face such abuse.

Thai authorities "need to allow all members of this group access to a fair process to determine their claims based on their merits, not on Beijing's demands", according to Human Rights Watch's Asia executive director Brad Adams.

The Uighur American Association, a Washington-based advocacy group, voiced concern over the group, which it described as Uighurs, and urged Thailand to cooperate with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

"This group of Uighurs should not be a test of Thailand's relationship with China, but a test of Thailand's ability to follow international refugee standards," association president Alim Seytoff said.

Besides being a test case for international standards, perhaps the handling of the 220 refugees should be a test case for our moral courage.

-- The Nation 2014-03-16

[arthurboy]

And absolutely no mention of how these people came to be in Thailand and certainly no mention of who trafficked or smuggled them in. Have the authorities arrested or questioned anyone in Thailand over this?

How do 220 people suddenly pop up in a place without anyone noticing?

Clearly a well planned and resourced operation, that's how.

[chooka]

And absolutely no mention of how these people came to be in Thailand and certainly no mention of who trafficked or smuggled them in. Have the authorities arrested or questioned anyone in Thailand over this?

How do 220 people suddenly pop up in a place without anyone noticing?

Clearly a well planned and resourced operation, that's how.

Large groups of people are popping up on Australian shores all the time and Australia is actually keeping a lookout but some groups still get through undetected. Very few people smugglers are actually arrested in Australia also as they are hard to find.

[dcutman]

Not a lot of condemnation for sending the Rohingya back to Burma. Just more political maneuvering I guess.

Thailand Sends 1,300 Rohingya Back to Hell http://time.com/7335/thailand-sends-1300-rohingya-back-to-hell/

[noitom]

On a Thai rubber plantation in Thailand. Where they were "presumably" heading to Malaysia. Is this the same rubber plantation referenced over a year ago in the Thai press as a human trafficking way station and labor camp by Reuters? The plantation that was run by a Thai in collaboration with the Thai navy? Maybe it is yet another Thai plantation that we will never hear of again in the Thai press.

Test Thai 'moral" courage? No need to be concerned here about Thai moral courage. Thais always make the moral choice. Very coincidental that the MH370 flight was diverted over Hat Yai south of Phuket and had 200 of these beleaguered Uighuirs on board and was diverted toward Bangladesh, Pakistan and Xingxang. Were muslim terrorists assisting their Uighur brothers? Or was this more of a broad scale South East Asian terrorist act?

More will be revealed.

[sms747]

Fine, send them back anyway

[NongKhaiKid]

Blood on Thai hands is nothing new and who gives a toss as long as they have paid the appropriate ' fees ' in advance ?

[JoeThePoster]

Not a lot of condemnation for sending the Rohingya back to Burma. Just more political maneuvering I guess.

Thailand Sends 1,300 Rohingya Back to Hell http://time.com/7335/thailand-sends-1300-rohingya-back-to-hell/

It's just not "fair".

[simple1]

On a Thai rubber plantation in Thailand. Where they were "presumably" heading to Malaysia. Is this the same rubber plantation referenced over a year ago in the Thai press as a human trafficking way station and labor camp by Reuters? The plantation that was run by a Thai in collaboration with the Thai navy? Maybe it is yet another Thai plantation that we will never hear of again in the Thai press.

Test Thai 'moral" courage? No need to be concerned here about Thai moral courage. Thais always make the moral choice. Very coincidental that the MH370 flight was diverted over Hat Yai south of Phuket and had 200 of these beleaguered Uighuirs on board and was diverted toward Bangladesh, Pakistan and Xingxang. Were muslim terrorists assisting their Uighur brothers? Or was this more of a broad scale South East Asian terrorist act?

More will be revealed.

Have you ever been assessed by a mental health professional?

[tomross46]

Sending refugees back is nothing new. In the 70's thousands of Vietnamese, Cambodians and Laos were sent back. In the 80's and 90's how many Mung tribes people were sent back to Laos to die.

[tim armstrong]

And absolutely no mention of how these people came to be in Thailand and certainly no mention of who trafficked or smuggled them in. Have the authorities arrested or questioned anyone in Thailand over this?

How do 220 people suddenly pop up in a place without anyone noticing?

Clearly a well planned and resourced operation, that's how.

Large groups of people are popping up on Australian shores all the time and Australia is actually keeping a lookout but some groups still get through undetected. Very few people smugglers are actually arrested in Australia also as they are hard to find.

I think you exaggerate. The flow of 'boat people' to Australia has slowed in the past few years -with the change of government policy. Now they can be diverted to the tropical paradise of New Guinea, or simply left to sink in the ocean, which does indeed make them hard to find.

[fakename]

The biggest problem is how this will affect the tourist numbers, nothing else matters!

[pkspeaker]

These people are not going to be tortured and imprisoned for their faith and murdered if they are sent back to china, all these economic refugees tout that bullshit, especially to get into western countries, there are people claiming to be political refugees from everywhere from china to pakstan to iran all saying they will be mistreated if they go back, its bullshit and just send them back to their countr of origin.

[h90]

Easy: Ask Turkey if they are willing to take them.

If yes let them travel to Turkey and pretend that they are Turkish......

If Turkey doesn't take them, send them back to China. Blood on the hands??? I never read that China is killing minorities.

[Ulic]

Torture, complete BS. Just economic migrants. Ship them to Turkey, Malaysia, or the USA. Up to them if they

want to accept them. If not send them back to China.

[ComicusCivicus]

If the yank or UN feel strongly about it, they should take these misplaced people to US. Thailand is overcrowded as it is. And anyone in their right mind should find themselves another Kingdom to live in if they want to have a nice and quiet live.

[BlueSkyCowboy]

Not a lot of condemnation for sending the Rohingya back to Burma. Just more political maneuvering I guess.

Thailand Sends 1,300 Rohingya Back to Hell http://time.com/7335/thailand-sends-1300-rohingya-back-to-hell/

It's just not "fair".

U can volunteer to take a dozen to your home and take care of them. That would be "fair"

[BlueSkyCowboy]

Torture, complete BS. Just economic migrants. Ship them to Turkey, Malaysia, or the USA. Up to them if they

want to accept them. If not send them back to China.

Hey we have enough refugees in the US. just look at the White House. The industrial countries can not take all the economic refugees of the world. Thailand has enough economic refugees. Just look at all the farangs who can't retire at home because of a lack of money.

[theslime]

Not a lot of condemnation for sending the Rohingya back to Burma. Just more political maneuvering I guess.

Thailand Sends 1,300 Rohingya Back to Hell http://time.com/7335/thailand-sends-1300-rohingya-back-to-hell/

It's just not "fair".

U can volunteer to take a dozen to your home and take care of them. That would be "fair"

I thought Fair is meant to be taken as white skinned, as against dark skinned minorities that lack empathy in the western white world.

[JoeThePoster]

Not a lot of condemnation for sending the Rohingya back to Burma. Just more political maneuvering I guess.

Thailand Sends 1,300 Rohingya Back to Hell http://time.com/7335/thailand-sends-1300-rohingya-back-to-hell/

It's just not "fair".

U can volunteer to take a dozen to your home and take care of them. That would be "fair"

I thought Fair is meant to be taken as white skinned, as against dark skinned minorities that lack empathy in the western white world.

Some people are so dumb you need to spell it out for them in black and white.

[taipan1949]

Illegal is illegal. If I overstay I have to pay 500 baht at airport. How can illegals stay in this country or any other country where they are "illegal"???

[plachon]

Illegal is illegal. If I overstay I have to pay 500 baht at airport. How can illegals stay in this country or any other country where they are "illegal"???

Because perhaps they risked their lives and most of their assets to escape the country they were living in where they risk rape/torture/summary imprisonment/humans rights abuses due to ethnicity or religious belief reasons to wind up in a strange intermediate country, hoping to be resettled in a third country. Does this describe your situation when you chose to fly abroad? No? Well, perhaps have a little empathy for those less fortunate than yourself and try to put yourself in the shoes of a desperate asylum seeker who would much rather live in peace and freedom in the country of their birth, than risk everything to fell abroad through often hostile and dangerous intermediate nations. Thailand could easily help these people, if it chooses to, but it depends largely on its geo-political loyalties and commitment to international human rights agreements now what it decides.

[jagriffin2]

Blood my ass! Read your history you stupid fool. These refugees are colonizers. They are sent here to start the foot hold to bring more and more moslems in. Just look at all the new mosques. Where do you think that money came from since there are not enough moslems near each new mosque to have paid for them.

[MobileContent]

Once again some government agencies are involved in people smuggling. My guess Thai Army that controls the border and as well the immigration of course.

Just send them back.

[farmerjo]

Trying to identify them could be a problem.

[BSJ]

Their stinking rotten criminal's who intended to cheat and lie to get to another country, like Australia, to bludge off the generosity of the new country all the while claiming to be refugees.

I really hope Thailand sends em back to China.

[Cat ji]

Thailand already has blood on its hands from cleaning up the blood shed by jihadis in that Southern area alongside Malaysia.

Illegal is illegal. If I overstay I have to pay 500 baht at airport. How can illegals stay in this country or any other country where they are "illegal"???

Because perhaps they risked their lives and most of their assets to escape the country they were living in where they risk rape/torture/summary imprisonment/humans rights abuses due to ethnicity or religious belief reasons to wind up in a strange intermediate country, hoping to be resettled in a third country. Does this describe your situation when you chose to fly abroad? No? Well, perhaps have a little empathy for those less fortunate than yourself and try to put yourself in the shoes of a desperate asylum seeker who would much rather live in peace and freedom in the country of their birth, than risk everything to fell abroad through often hostile and dangerous intermediate nations. Thailand could easily help these people, if it chooses to, but it depends largely on its geo-political loyalties and commitment to international human rights agreements now what it decides.

oh really. Give me your fb id and i'll do what i can to educate you about Islam.

So-called "human rights". Irony is, with lefty-liberals, they would not survive in Islamic countries.

#THAILAND : #Militant #Muslim of #Pattani #killed #female #teacher and then #poured #petrol on her

A female teacher was shot dead by Southern Muslim militant while she was riding to school yerasterday morning on Mayo-Thung Yangdaeng road in Mayo district of Pattani.

She was identified as Miss Siriporn Srichai.

The pillion rider pumped several shots at the teacher and then poured petrol on her when she fell to the ground in the bid to burn her alive.
She was dead at the scene of the shooting cr. thbps

Edited March 16, 2014 by Cat ji

[Halion]

Illegal is illegal. If I overstay I have to pay 500 baht at airport. How can illegals stay in this country or any other country where they are "illegal"???

Because perhaps they risked their lives and most of their assets to escape the country they were living in where they risk rape/torture/summary imprisonment/humans rights abuses due to ethnicity or religious belief reasons to wind up in a strange intermediate country, hoping to be resettled in a third country. Does this describe your situation when you chose to fly abroad? No? Well, perhaps have a little empathy for those less fortunate than yourself and try to put yourself in the shoes of a desperate asylum seeker who would much rather live in peace and freedom in the country of their birth, than risk everything to fell abroad through often hostile and dangerous intermediate nations. Thailand could easily help these people, if it chooses to, but it depends largely on its geo-political loyalties and commitment to international human rights agreements now what it decides.

Indeed it could but in reality why the hell should it. These people entered the country illegally and seem to be devoid of any form of documentation. This has little to do with the facile arguments of human rights. It is a simple case of illegal entry who garner support based on numbers. If there was only 2 or 3 of them there would be no issue. They would be locked up and sent back. Why does the number justify any change in legal interpretation.?

[bumpkin]

Sending refugees back is nothing new. In the 70's thousands of Vietnamese, Cambodians and Laos were sent back. In the 80's and 90's how many Mung tribes people were sent back to Laos to die.

How many people are returned 'south of the border' by the USA ?

Is there any country which accepts all illegal immigrants without question ?

Sure, Uighurs are a special case, but so is just about every illegal.

Any "blood" will be on the hands of the traffickers ( and they might be Thai ? ).

Many of the photos show a surprisingly high proportion of women and children, considering these people are usually considered to be so family centric.

Will the menfolk follow on in the next shipment ?

[Thai at Heart]

Blood my ass! Read your history you stupid fool. These refugees are colonizers. They are sent here to start the foot hold to bring more and more moslems in. Just look at all the new mosques. Where do you think that money came from since there are not enough moslems near each new mosque to have paid for them.

If you lived in xinjiang you would like want to leave too, irrespective of being discriminated against.