Bodies of 26 exhumed in Songkhla

[Lite Beer]

TRAFFICKED MIGRANTS
Bodies of 26 exhumed in Songkhla
THE SUNDAY NATION, AGENCIES

BANGKOK: -- THE BODIES of 26 migrants thought to be from Myanmar or Bangladesh have been exhumed as authorities ended their search at a mass-grave site in Songkhla's border district of Sadao yesterday.

In total we have 26 bodies. As far as I know, one is a woman. We still cannot tell the cause of their deaths," said Pol General Jarumporn Suramanee, head of the forensic team.

"There are no more bodies. Every hole has been searched."

Forensic teams, helped by rescue workers, dug out badly decayed skeletons from shallow graves covered by bamboo and a few feet of dirt throughout yesterday, at the abandoned jungle camp, AFP reported.

On Friday, at least 32 shallow graves believed to belong to |trafficked migrants were discovered on a remote and rugged mountain.

The bodies were discovered at a so-called "waiting area" for migrants before they were sneaked through the porous border into Malaysia.

While the cause of the migrants' deaths is not yet clear, the police chief has described the site as a "virtual prison camp", which was seemingly abandoned just days before its discovery.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has issued an urgent order for the Royal Thai Police to find the culprits behind the suspected smuggling of illegal migrants, Deputy Government Spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said yesterday.

Prime minister acts

"Anyone found involved will be punished. If they are state officials, they will get severe penalties, both criminal and disciplinary. Bad people and crooks who exploit other humans should have no place to stand in Thai society," the spokesman quoted the prime minister as saying.

He said the government was strongly determined to get rid of all forms of human trade and would not allow the country to be used by human traffickers.

Tens of thousands of migrants from Myanmar, mainly from the Rohingya Muslim minority but also increasingly from Bangladesh, make the dangerous sea crossing to southern Thailand, a well-worn trafficking route - often on the way south to Malaysia and beyond.

Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh have also been kidnapped and trafficked to Thailand, after being duped with fake job offers or even drugged.

There have been accusations that government officials, police and Navy officers are involved in the lucrative trade in humans fleeing poverty and persecution.

Deputy national police chief General Aek Angsananont told reporters in Songkhla that police would go after the people responsible for the grave site "no matter how powerful they may be".

The New York-based Human Rights Watch yesterday called on the Thai authorities to authorise an independent, United Nations-assisted investigation, commit to publishing its findings, and bring those responsible to justice, including any government officials involved.

"The finding of a mass grave at a trafficking camp sadly comes as little surprise. The long involvement of Thai officials in trafficking means that an independent investigation with UN involvement is necessary to uncover the truth and hold those responsible to account," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Bodies-of-26-exhumed-in-Songkhla-30259225.html

-- The Nation 2015-05-03

[NongKhaiKid]

A Virtual Prison Camp that no one knew anything about !

[Lite Beer]

A mass grave site was unearthed in Songkhla on Friday at what is believed to be a human trafficker camp. Over 30 bodies were discovered in shallow graves near the Malaysian border. The national police chief says 20 more graves could still be discovered.

Read More: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822101-mass-grave-site-discovered-in-songkhla/

[AGareth2]

so 58 in total?

[redandyellow]

These atrocities happen in the perfect storm of greed, corruption, graft and compromise.

The perpetrators have the empathy of a plastic flower.

[aussieinthailand]

Now if the UN gets involved in the investigation then there is a chance that some of the scum will be caught, and that will be a positive move for Thailand,

Now they need the same thing in the North as well and the East, The difference is getting serious and not letting the powerful the connected and rich get away only to do it again.

[Toknarok]

This discovery is getting World Wide attention. Media is reporting all the horrific details together with gruesome photographs. Now let's see how the Junta tries to spin it's way out of this lot. Every time some official proclaims that 'every effort' is being made to stamp out this appalling trade evidence surfaces to show, that as usual, little or nothing has been achieved.

[Oziex1]

This will turn up the heat, and I suspect the Thai authorities may just get the perps to disappear as their squealing may be a bit too loud for some in high places.

[AGareth2]

crime against humanity

ICJ

[Local Drunk]

I'm sure it's just one of many trafficking camps in that area with mass graves... Probably a drop in the bucket.

[Usual Suspect]

Amazing how every report has these poor refugees being held before going over the border to Malaysia.

OK I realise this was probably the case due to the grave's proximity, but not one mention of the fair chance of them ending up on fishing boats

..all we hear is Malaysia, Malaysia..almost like the more times you see the country's name in a report, the more chance you'll forget the site was in Thailand.

[Oziex1]

Amazing how every report has these poor refugees being held before going over the border to Malaysia.

OK I realise this was probably the case due to the grave's proximity, but not one mention of the fair chance of them ending up on fishing boats

..all we hear is Malaysia, Malaysia..almost like the more times you see the country's name in a report, the more chance you'll forget the site was in Thailand.

They can spin it any way they like, the international community will not be fooled.

[AGareth2]

land of shame

or for those people

land of Satan

[Confuscious]

They will find a few "scape goats" and the case is closed.

In the worst case, they will find the true perpetrators; make it public to the foreign media (not the Thai media); and free them when everything has cooled down.

Nothing will every change if the INTERNATIONAL COURT steps in and take over JUSTICE.

Thailand, a country dominated by greed, deserve being hold to be questioned in an International court for their crimes against humanity.

Just my 2 pennies on this ......

[Local Drunk]

"There have been accusations that government officials, police and Navy officers are involved in the lucrative trade in humans fleeing poverty and persecution."

​Yeah you've got to wonder how they can sail down the Thai coast... off load hundreds of people and then hike them up a mountain with out anyone seeing a thing.

[ezzra]

Such practice of people's trafficking is not a matter you can conceal for long time, people knows

about it or who's behind it, as it involve many people to implement and put to action,

the culprits and the murderers should be found and apprehended real quick, brought to justice,

found guilty and matted punishment Indonesian style... a firing squad...

[simple1]

Amazing how every report has these poor refugees being held before going over the border to Malaysia.

OK I realise this was probably the case due to the grave's proximity, but not one mention of the fair chance of them ending up on fishing boats

..all we hear is Malaysia, Malaysia..almost like the more times you see the country's name in a report, the more chance you'll forget the site was in Thailand.

The fact is in recent years Malaysia is the primary destination for Rohingya. Sadly they are mistaken if they think they will be fairly treated in a neighbouring Muslim majority country. A detailed report of what Rohingya can face in Malaysia is below. Reports have now emerged that the camp was acting as holding place where detainees were being ransomed for addition money as a condition for them to be trafficked into Malaysia. This is a fairly common activity in other parts of the world e.g. Sinai where refugees are subjected to horrific treatment whilst their families are being extorted.

http://www.equalrightstrust.org/ertdocumentbank/Equal%20Only%20in%20Name%20-%20Malaysia%20-%20Full%20Report.pdf

Edited May 3, 2015 by simple1

[Suffinator]

Long overdue is the need for the UN to step in and issue sanctions against Thailand and all other nations responsible for what is nothing short of mass murder.

"Anyone found involved will be punished. If they are state officials, they will get severe penalties, both criminal and disciplinary. Bad people and crooks who exploit other humans should have no place to stand in Thai society," the spokesman quoted the prime minister as saying.

A) you would have to get rid of a lot of Thais and; you would need to do far more than moving those guilty to inactive posts.

He said the government was strongly determined to get rid of all forms of human trade and would not allow the country to be used by human traffickers.

That statement sounds as if no Thai would engage in such atrocities ... but of course history says otherwise; the fact of the Gov orders to disable engines on boats and push them back out to sea. How that didn't result in sanctions is beyond comprehension.

There have been accusations that government officials, police and Navy officers are involved in the lucrative trade in humans fleeing poverty and persecution.

There's been enough sent to inactive posts to waylay the idea of 'accusations' and it's common knowledge among those being trafficked that army, police and state officials have or are involved.

The New York-based Human Rights Watch yesterday called on the Thai authorities to authorise an independent, United Nations-assisted investigation, commit to publishing its findings, and bring those responsible to justice, including any government officials involved.

That won't happen. The Thai Gov are not about to let independent investigators sniffing around because they know that what they will find will almost certain lead to many facing the ICJ and the country being subjected to UN sanctions.

It's time Thailand and the likes of Malaysia were brought to book but of course the UN, US, UK, EU and other member state really couldn't give a crap about these people ... if they did action would have been taken decades ago.

[jackanapes]

sadly human trafficking is a world wide issue which has been in existence for hundreds of years it isn't something which has just happened.

[Oziex1]

sadly human trafficking is a world wide issue which has been in existence for hundreds of years it isn't something which has just happened.

True enough, If the countries involved want the respect and benefits of participating in the modern world then it is time for them to rethink their attitude to this barbaric trade.