US calls for speedy inquiry into Thai mass grave

[webfact]

US calls for speedy inquiry into Thai mass grave
David Brunnstrom
Reuters
WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON: -- The United States, which has censured Thailand for failing to act against human trafficking, called on Monday for a speedy and credible inquiry into the discovery of a mass grave containing more than two dozen bodies thought to be of ethnic migrants.

Police and volunteers exhumed 26 bodies on Friday and Saturday near a suspected trafficking camp deep in the southern Thai jungle near Malaysia that held as many as 400 trafficked migrants, mainly Muslim Rohingyas from Myanmar and Bangladesh.

A spokesperson for the US State Department said the United States was in contact with the Thai government, the United Nations and the International Organization for Migration over the discovery and understood that Thai authorities were actively investigating reports of other camps.

"We encourage a transparent, credible and expeditious inquiry into this case," the official said. "We urge Thai authorities to investigate fully these deaths and camps, and prosecute those responsible."

On Monday, Thai police announced charges including human trafficking and holding people for ransom against a Rohingya man and three local government administrators. They said another four Thais were being sought.

The arrests, and the uncovering of the camp and the grave represent the first major disruption of a trade in humans that activists and some Thai officials say has been allowed to flourish for years amid indifference and, sometimes, complicity by Thai authorities.

The State Department official said it was not yet possible to determine whether authorities were complicit in the existence of the camp, or if this was a case of people smuggling or trafficking, but involvement by Thai officials in trafficking was a problem the United States had documented in the past.

Last June, the U.S. State Department downgraded Thailand to its lowest rank in a survey of countries’ efforts to eliminate human trafficking, placing it alongside states such as North Korea, Syria and Uzbekistan.

The U.S. official declined to say what ranking Thailand would be placed in the next survey due out in June.

A bottom-tier ranking exposes Thailand, a key U.S. ally in Southeast Asia, to the possibility of sanctions in addition to those imposed since a military coup in the country last year, although these steps have so far been largely symbolic.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/US-calls-for-speedy-inquiry-into-Thai-mass-grave-30259344.html


-- The Nation 2015-05-05

[Always18]

".....a speedy and credible inquiry......"

I'm sure Thailand can do the "speedy" part..............it's that pesky "credible" bit that always seems to be the problem.............

[ExPratt]

It would indeed be INcredible if the report is credible

[zaphod reborn]

Six police officers transferred pending investigation into hidden Rohingya graves
BANGKOK, 5 May 2015 (NNT) – Royal Thai Police Commissioner Somyot Pumpanmuang would reportedly transfer the commander of Satun Provincial Police and five other policemen at Padang Besa sub-district in Sadao district of Songkhla in connection with the discovery of 26 graves of Rohingya migrants.

Police General Somyot told reporters that warrants had been issued for eight people, four of whom had been arrested. The arrested men were Myanmar nationals between 40-48 years of age. Police believe state officials have been involved in running the hidden shelters. Pol. Gen. Somyot said he was transferring the head of Satun Provincial Police, Police Major General Soontorn Chalermkiat, because of the latter's close ties to the masterminds of the Rohingya trafficking ring, who were residing in Satun.

Amazing how they can immediately arrest the Burmese involved in trafficking, but can't seem to ever find the Thai government officials who masterminded the scheme. Transfer a few low ranking police officers to other posts, while the masterminds are free to continue their crimes.

[trogers]

"The U.S. official declined to say what ranking Thailand would be placed in the next survey due out in June."

Create a new list called "Hubs".

Thailand can head this new list.

[Nick167]

This is a disgrace.....the US, Un and The EEC should immediately downgrade Thailand and impose sanctions! There is thai politicians, government officials and thai police involved according to the thai media. Impose sanctions till things change in that country. Also, boycott all thai seafood prodcuts worldwide....better still boycott all thai prodcuts period. enough of talking and reports......

[eggers]

Yet, again US sticking it's nose into other countries activities; enough issues for US to fix in it's own backyard....civil unrest, police shootings,unemployment,etc, etc.

[Suffinator]

The United States, which has censured Thailand for failing to act against human trafficking, called on Monday for a speedy and credible inquiry into the discovery of a mass grave containing more than two dozen bodies thought to be of ethnic migrants.

You simply cannot, under any circumstance and within any context, expect the Thais to produce a 'credible' inquiry ... it's always going to be tainted with protecting their own interests especially their money and if that means a few people dying in mass graves then I think it's obvious that they will stop at nothing when it comes to keeping the cash flow in full swing; this is evident considering that there is no way on earth the authorities could have possibly missed what was going on which, as many human rights groups have stated, makes them complicit in mass murder.

There's only one way to put a stop to this and labeling these vile people with T3 is NOT the answer ... sanctions and embargoes that's what's needed because that will hurt the flow of cash and it's the only thing the Thais understand.

[baboon]

Yet, again US sticking it's nose into other countries activities; enough issues for US to fix in it's own backyard....civil unrest, police shootings,unemployment,etc, etc.

Quite right. No-one should raise their voice in the face of human rights atrocities and just allow them to carry on, especially those with the clout to do something about it. What planet are you on?

[thewug]

Yet, again US sticking it's nose into other countries activities; enough issues for US to fix in it's own backyard....civil unrest, police shootings,unemployment,etc, etc.

Well if Thailand would take care of these problems in the first place, others wouldn't have to stick there nose in it... And then again why doesn't the whole world just give up on humanity and see what you will say then....

[zaphod reborn]

Yet, again US sticking it's nose into other countries activities; enough issues for US to fix in it's own backyard....civil unrest, police shootings,unemployment,etc, etc.

Human trafficking is an international crime. One country cannot stop it alone. In this case, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia all share responsibility. The US has lots of problems, but it can organize international coalitions to reduce the prevalence of this crime.

[Baerboxer]

This is a disgrace.....the US, Un and The EEC should immediately downgrade Thailand and impose sanctions! There is thai politicians, government officials and thai police involved according to the thai media. Impose sanctions till things change in that country. Also, boycott all thai seafood prodcuts worldwide....better still boycott all thai prodcuts period. enough of talking and reports......

You think the US and EU (the EEC was absorbed in 1993) are free of trafficking and corruption?

Who are either to make judgement on others? Sure they can spend their cash where they want, providing their tax payers have transparency, and impose sanctions when they want - providing their taxpayers have transparency. But they aren't the world's police, or judges and they are certainly not in any position to judge anyone morally.

[Baerboxer]

Yet, again US sticking it's nose into other countries activities; enough issues for US to fix in it's own backyard....civil unrest, police shootings,unemployment,etc, etc.

Human trafficking is an international crime. One country cannot stop it alone. In this case, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia all share responsibility. The US has lots of problems, but it can organize international coalitions to reduce the prevalence of this crime.

You are correct of course.

The EU aren't exactly doing a stellar job in addressing trafficking from North Africa, East Europe and the US from South America. But hey, they can slag Thailand off because the democratic government was ousted don't you know.

Diversion. The name of the game in today's politics.

[EyesWideOpen]

"The U.S. official declined to say what ranking Thailand would be placed in the next survey due out in June."

Create a new list called "Hubs".

Thailand can head this new list.

Well Thailand was on tier 3 for trafficking, and formerly had dreams of being

moved up to Tier 2. Instead the United States may have to create a new special

new Tier 4 just for Thailand . However this is not really trafficking, as it seems

to be torture and ransoming for money. This truly is the dark side of the land of

smiles......

"WASHINGTON - The United States accused Thailand on Friday of allowing human trafficking, slavery and gross human rights abuses, downgrading the country's reputation to same level as Syria, Iran and North Korea.

US Secretary of State Johny Kerry released the 2014 report at what his office called a "launch ceremony". He also honoured 10 men and women involved in fighting trafficking around the world.

The decision to drop Thailand to "Tier 3" in the annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report came after four consecutive years of holding Thailand on the Tier 2 warning list, and recommending the government take action."

[Linky]

Yet, again US sticking it's nose into other countries activities; enough issues for US to fix in it's own backyard....civil unrest, police shootings,unemployment,etc, etc.

Human trafficking is an international crime. One country cannot stop it alone. In this case, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia all share responsibility. The US has lots of problems, but it can organize international coalitions to reduce the prevalence of this crime.

You are correct of course.

The EU aren't exactly doing a stellar job in addressing trafficking from North Africa, East Europe and the US from South America. But hey, they can slag Thailand off because the democratic government was ousted don't you know.

Diversion. The name of the game in today's politics.

Oh thats ok then. Let the trafficking and killings in Thailand continue. Its no ones business. Carry on.

[KamalaRider]

Some of you starts to sound like how children reasons, "look at them, they did it too, not only me, I didn't do nothing they didn't". Even the double negative is obvious in their writing, sounds a bit too anxious and eager to divert attention from Thailand/Malaysia trafficking problem.

Does it matter that US or EU or countries in Africa has trafficking problems?

Isn't the goal for all reasons of humanity to end trafficking everywhere?

[Srikcir]

This is a disgrace.....the US, Un and The EEC should immediately downgrade Thailand and impose sanctions! There is thai politicians, government officials and thai police involved according to the thai media. Impose sanctions till things change in that country. Also, boycott all thai seafood prodcuts worldwide....better still boycott all thai prodcuts period. enough of talking and reports......

You think the US and EU (the EEC was absorbed in 1993) are free of trafficking and corruption?

Who are either to make judgement on others? Sure they can spend their cash where they want, providing their tax payers have transparency, and impose sanctions when they want - providing their taxpayers have transparency. But they aren't the world's police, or judges and they are certainly not in any position to judge anyone morally.

They also have the right to refuse trade with countries that protect trafficking. That's called geopolitical morality.

Edited May 5, 2015 by Srikcir

[Lupatria]

I have a question to all those complaining about the US reaction:

Which country should be seen as qualified to stick it's nose in a human tragedy like this? And which other country already made an official statement about the discoveries ?

If a scandal like this finally comes to light I wouldn't even care if Charles Manson would be the first to condemn this and propose for sanctions because this contemptible conduct out of pure greed is a shame for this and all countries involved. Hence, it simply don't matter who points the finger at it.

The typical post line: Yeah, but it happens in other countries too, has no effect on a specific case, no matter where it happens.

[luckyman]

"The arrests, and the uncovering of the camp and the grave represent the first major disruption of a trade in humans that activists and some Thai officials say has been allowed to flourish for years amid indifference and, sometimes, complicity by Thai authorities."

Been allowed for years? What about decades ? Who knows?

If this is possible to occur in 2015, it sure as hell would have been a walk in the park during the 70's or 80's, for example.

What else is there to say apart from that as an expat living in working in Thailand, I feel more and more ashamed to be living here. What a disgrace for this country are these events, a find of several mass-graves is reminding me of images out of the 2nd World War.

[fred Kubasa]

Wait until the US, and others, hear about grave site # 2 !

[AGareth2]

Wait until the US, and others, hear about grave site # 2 !

there may be scores of sites

[tx22cb]

Yet, again US sticking it's nose into other countries activities; enough issues for US to fix in it's own backyard....civil unrest, police shootings,unemployment,etc, etc.

When it comes to heinous crimes like child pr0n, slavery, genocide, it's everyone's business.

It's probably mere coincidence, but I sometimes find that those who tell others to mind their own business often themselves have skeletons to hide too.

[trainman34014]

The Thai's will ''speedily resolve '' the problem by sweeping it under the carpet as early as possible !

[wabothai]

No matter where the US and or Europe are guilty of.

What matters is that this case gets solved quickly and if the US and Europe can give a "helping" hand in here, it should be welcomed.

[GaryB1263]

This is a disgrace.....the US, Un and The EEC should immediately downgrade Thailand and impose sanctions! There is thai politicians, government officials and thai police involved according to the thai media. Impose sanctions till things change in that country. Also, boycott all thai seafood prodcuts worldwide....better still boycott all thai prodcuts period. enough of talking and reports......

It may come to that.

The US, UN, and EEC are hardly disgraceful.

[GaryB1263]

"The arrests, and the uncovering of the camp and the grave represent the first major disruption of a trade in humans that activists and some Thai officials say has been allowed to flourish for years amid indifference and, sometimes, complicity by Thai authorities."

Been allowed for years? What about decades ? Who knows?

If this is possible to occur in 2015, it sure as hell would have been a walk in the park during the 70's or 80's, for example.

What else is there to say apart from that as an expat living in working in Thailand, I feel more and more ashamed to be living here. What a disgrace for this country are these events, a find of several mass-graves is reminding me of images out of the 2nd World War.

Well Said lucky

[AGareth2]

body count rising

[impulse]

Kind of makes me wonder how many of the innocents killed "randomly" by insurgents were actually just poor folks that wandered into the wrong place and had to be silenced.

I suspect this is one of those onion things, and we're only seeing (and only going to see) the very top layer(s).

I'm with dcutman, putting aside America's problems for just a moment, where is the rest of the world on this mass murder happening right under the noses of several governments?

Edited May 5, 2015 by impulse

[Robby nz]

I wonder what the US is doing about getting to the bottom of this evil trade, for having a go at Thailand and laying the blame at their door will do nothing to stop it as it originates in and is organized from other countries.

Are they in fact chasing others such as the point of departure or the end buyer neither of which is Thailand.

Farther to that is the Malaysian military and government working on their side of the border, which if what I read elsewhere is true, is poorly defined in that area and some these camps may in fact be in Malaysia. If not why not ?

The fact that this camp and the graves have been found by Thai authority shows that they are attempting to do something about it (at last), can the same be said about other countries involved ?

I hope Thailand is not just the convenient whipping boy here and the indignation at this is directed widely.

[Oziex1]

This is the world we live in!

https://www.cia.gov/Library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2196.html