PM Prayut seeks 3-nation talk on Rohingya

[webfact]

TRANSNATIONAL CRIME
PM seeks 3-nation talk on Rohingya
The Nation



Over 50 police officers transferred pending probe

BANGKOK: -- THAILAND is seeking a talk with the countries involved in the transnational crime of human trafficking - including Malaysia and Myanmar - Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday.

The task of tackling human trafficking has to be jointly tackled and it should be understood that the problem did not originate in Thailand, he said, adding the Kingdom was just a transit point.

The proposal was made after Thailand unearthed scores of graves in Songkhla's Sadao border district and found human remains believed to be trafficked migrants who died during their journey. The site in Tambon Padang Bezar was used as a waiting area for the migrants, mostly Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic group in Myanmar, before the traffickers sneaked them into Malaysia.

Prayut said that migrants arrested in Thailand would be taken care of. "They will be charged with illegal entry and after that they would be detained, not jailed. We will also provide them with food according to their religious beliefs This is the burden of Thailand," he said.

Prayut asked why previous governments had not tackled this issue.

Meanwhile a total of 53 policemen have been transferred in a sudden midnight order amid a pending probe into crimes related to the trafficking of Rohingya labourers.

The policemen were based in provinces where crimes related to the Rohingya were found to have occurred while another 15 officers have been moved to inactive posts pending internal probes into whether they had benefited from the traffickers or it was a case of incompetence.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan yesterday expressed surprise over the ignorance of local police and military units about either the trafficking activities or the graves. Arrest warrants would be issued for anyone suspected of involvement with the trafficking of the Rohingya, regardless of them being government officials or members of local administrative bodies, he said.

Meanwhile, another 30 graves suspected to be those of Rohingya migrants were found yesterday in an abandoned Muslim graveyard in Songkhla's Hat Yai district. Inspection of these graves is underway to find out whether there are bodies buried or if any of them belongs to the Rohingya people. A campsite suspected of holding Rohingya people during transit before being trafficked was also found yesterday in Rattaphum district.

Temporary shelter

A police source said the campsite was a temporary shelter for the Rohingya before they were brought from Satun province by smugglers to Sadao district, a border area from where they were taken to Malaysia.

A total of 28 bodies have been verified as those of Rohingya victims of human trafficking, from more than 60 secret and open graves found in Phang Nga and Songkhla provinces. Six bodies are undergoing post-mortem DNA verification.

An abandoned graveyard in tambon Chalung was used to accommodate Rohingya people by smugglers before trafficking them to Malaysia or other countries, a police source said. Local residents said there were only six bodies buried in this graveyard through licensed funerals. A team of civil defence volunteers apprehended 13 Rohingya men at a location in tambon Chalung from a group of 30 while they were on their way to Malaysia. One of the 13 men said they had entered Thailand illegally in Ranong and Satun, before trekking through jungles for 13 days. There are no details about the whereabouts of the other 17 people who were travelling with this group.

Officials from Takua Pa district office in Phang Nga arrested eight Myanmar men and two women while being smuggled by a Thai man to Chumphon province. Smuggler Phidej Janjua admitted to earning Bt2,300 from each of the 10 Myanmar nationals to drive them to a bus terminal. Of the 18 people sought by police, arrest warrants have been issued for 10, seven of whom are local politicians and members of local administrative bodies. Four of them have turned themselves in.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/PM-seeks-3-nation-talk-on-Rohingya-30259584.html


-- The Nation 2015-05-08

[webfact]

30 Stranded Rohingyas Rescued in Southern Thailand: Police
By Khaosod English


Police found at least 30 recently-dug graves in an old cemetery in Hat Yai district on 7 May 2015.

SONGKHLA — Police say they have rescued 30 Rohingya refugees who were reportedly abandoned by smugglers and forced to fend for themselves in the jungle for five days.

According to police, 17 Rohingyas were found yesterday in Songkhla province by local residents who alerted the authorities. Thirteen more Rohingya men were found and rescued by security officers today.

A police officer said the group was found wandering in the forest near Thaug Khao Kaew mountain in Hat Yai district.

"The Rohingyas told us via interpreter that they spent 20 days sailing from Myanmar on a boat," the officer told reporters. "Five days ago - they couldn't remember where - a smaller boat picked them up from the large boat and left them stranded on land. They had to walk in the jungle for five days before they found Thai people."

The refugees are currently being held at Thoong Tam Sao Police Station. Officials from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security will investigate whether the Rohingyas were victims of human trafficking, police said.

Police also found at least 30 recently-dug graves in Hat Yai district today. Local villagers reportedly told police the site was an old cemetery that had not been used for decades, but that 30 of the grave sites appeared to be fresh.

Several kilometers away, police also discovered remnants of a small camp site, consisting of tarps, clothes, and wooden huts. Police say they believe the camp was used to house Rohingya refugees en route to the Malaysian border.

Thai officers have discovered several abandoned jungle camps over the past week in Songkhla's Padang Besar district. The sites are believed to have been used by human traffickers to hold Rohingya refugees for ransom. Mass graves and at least 30 corpses have been found near the camp sites, which are located deep in the jungle near the Thai - Malaysian border.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1431003923&typecate=06&section=


-- Khaosod English 2015-05-08

[Strangebrew]

Why is this article pointing to illegal entry into country when these people are being smuggled in and murdered by I would venture a guess Thai's for the purpose of being used as slaves.

[webfact]

30 New Graves Found in Songkhla

Police uncovered 30 new graves in the Hat Yai district of Songkhla on Thursday. The graves were found at an unused burial ground, which was the site of a detention camp for Rohingya migrants.

The site was found at Ban Chalung village. Local villagers stated that the area had been untouched for 40 years, and that there were previously only six graves. The 30 new graves had reportedly been there for a year.

According to police, the graves are similar to the ones discovered on Friday in Padang Besar sub-district. The area had served as a Rohingya migrant camp.

Police have yet to examine the 30 new graves.

A former detention camp has also been discovered by police on a rubber plantation in Ban Khlong Tor in the Rattaphum district of Songkhla. Officials believe that the camp may have served as a resting area for the Rohingya migrants.

Thirteen Rohingya migrants were also found walking along the edge of the forest in Padang Besar sub-district. Police took them in for questioning where they revealed that they were traveling with 17 other compatriots. The traffickers abandoned them in the jungle. The group was told they were crossing the border in to Malaysia.

The discovery of detention camps and graves has sparked a major investigation into human trafficking in the Songkhla region. So far, police have made several arrests and issued warrants for 18 people who were allegedly involved in the trafficking.

-- 2015-05-08

[Credo]

The fact that so many officers have been quickly transferred would indicate that it is known that they are complicit in illegal activities, and probably the murder of Rohingyas.

This problem has been well known and documented for quite some time. Some may recall the video of the boat being towed back out to sea after the engines were removed during the Abhisit years. There was a denial at that time by the Thai gov't and the Navy.

The General asks why no other Thai PM has done anything? If the Navy was involved, is there any reason to believe that other branches of the military weren't complicit?

They can have all the meetings between nations that they want, but it is well known that the Rohingyas are persecuted in Myanmar and the gov't doesn't want them back. Some are likely from Bangladesh and can't be returned to Myanmar.

The point is that Thailand needs to look at itself. The fact that it is committing some of the worst human rights violations imaginable is completely unacceptable.

[BSJ]

The countries from which they came have to take them back and deal with the issues in their own way.

[Credo]

Part of the problem is that they are not considered to be citizens of Myanmar. Many do not have citizenship or documents. They are not allowed to own land or property. The majority are from Myanmar, but not all. Some come from Bangladesh.

There is a need for some action to assist them in their countries of origin, but this is about the treatment that they receive in Thailand. This is not a matter of Thailand just being a transit point. This is a matter of Thailand being used as a point of slavery (fishing boats), kidnapping, extortion and murder. It isn't just the traffickers, it is officials in the gov't.

Australia and EU countries are taking some heat their treatment of migrants. They are struggling to find answers and solutions, they are not killing people on their way. Thailand, by the way, is well developed enough for the international community to expect a much higher standard of respect for human rights than we are seeing.

This is a very sad commentary on the mentality of the country. Sadly, it is better to be a stray dog in Thailand than a Rohingya.

Edited May 7, 2015 by Credo

[fareastguy]

53 sudden "over-night transfers"... why not 53 extra arrest warrants ??

[cumgranosalum]

looks like a concerted campaign to muddy waters and divert blame.....no information, misinformation and disinformation....works every time.

Edited May 8, 2015 by cumgranosalum

[tx22cb]

Before any nebulous 3 nations talk, how about an internal 3 Agencies talk between the Police, Army and Navy?

[cumgranosalum]

The countries from which they came have to take them back and deal with the issues in their own way.

utterly outrageous and facile comment - you appear not to understand even the most basic issues as to why people all over the planet are and always have been migrating.

[klauskunkel]

The fact that so many officers have been quickly transferred would indicate that it is known that they are complicit in illegal activities, and probably the murder of Rohingyas.

This problem has been well known and documented for quite some time. Some may recall the video of the boat being towed back out to sea after the engines were removed during the Abhisit years. There was a denial at that time by the Thai gov't and the Navy.

The General asks why no other Thai PM has done anything? If the Navy was involved, is there any reason to believe that other branches of the military weren't complicit?

They can have all the meetings between nations that they want, but it is well known that the Rohingyas are persecuted in Myanmar and the gov't doesn't want them back. Some are likely from Bangladesh and can't be returned to Myanmar.

The point is that Thailand needs to look at itself. The fact that it is committing some of the worst human rights violations imaginable is completely unacceptable.

Second that,...and the other fact is that within a couple of days of the initial story breaking the police are 'discovering' one camp after another and graves galore..., how come?

[ChrisY1]

The countries from which they came have to take them back and deal with the issues in their own way.

A big problem for Myanmar, considering that they hate the Rohingya....and there isn't much mention of the Banglas...

[HeijoshinCool]

The task of tackling human trafficking has to be jointly tackled and it should be understood that the problem did not originate in Thailand, he said, adding the Kingdom was just a transit point...

Uh-huh. Poor innocent Thais, duped into being accomplices.

[Carl64]

I don't think any criminals will be walking away from this one!

[Oziex1]

" the Kingdom was just a transit point"

Thai criminals including officials of all sorts have profited in the transit of these people and are implicit in kidnapping and murder.

[Oziex1]

I don't think any criminals will be walking away from this one!

Not walking away just kicking back in the halls of power while scapegoats are being transferred.

[Robby nz]

The task of tackling human trafficking has to be jointly tackled and it should be understood that the problem did not originate in Thailand, he said, adding the Kingdom was just a transit point...

Uh-huh. Poor innocent Thais, duped into being accomplices.

What a sick twist of words.

He is absolutely correct it is not just Thailands problem and needs to be tackled by every country involved if it is ever to be stopped.

Cutting Thailand out as a link in the chain may hamper the smugglers but will not stop this insidious trade.

The transfer of the cops and officials who are apparently involved would seem an obvious move as it prevents them interfering in the investigation and getting at potential witnesses.

It is good that we now see the victims that are being found being treated as victims and witnesses rather than criminals as they were in the past when the Yingluck administration jailed then deported 60 Rohingya, straight back into the hands of the traffickers with no investigation whatsoever.

Sure some have been charged with illegal entry but the have to be detained and kept somewhere they cant just be left wandering the streets or forests and there has to be some excuse to keep them.

But then possibly some of the know it all's on here have better ideas they would like to share instead of criticism.

[HeijoshinCool]

The task of tackling human trafficking has to be jointly tackled and it should be understood that the problem did not originate in Thailand, he said, adding the Kingdom was just a transit point...

Uh-huh. Poor innocent Thais, duped into being accomplices.

What a sick twist of words.

He is absolutely correct it is not just Thailands problem and needs to be tackled by every country involved if it is ever to be stopped.

Cutting Thailand out as a link in the chain may hamper the smugglers but will not stop this insidious trade.

The transfer of the cops and officials who are apparently involved would seem an obvious move as it prevents them interfering in the investigation and getting at potential witnesses.

It is good that we now see the victims that are being found being treated as victims and witnesses rather than criminals as they were in the past when the Yingluck administration jailed then deported 60 Rohingya, straight back into the hands of the traffickers with no investigation whatsoever.

Sure some have been charged with illegal entry but the have to be detained and kept somewhere they cant just be left wandering the streets or forests and there has to be some excuse to keep them.

But then possibly some of the know it all's on here have better ideas they would like to share instead of criticism.

.

The other countries provide the product, but it is Thais who buy it and facilitate its passage.

Like it or not, Thailand is well known as the hub of human trafficking in SE Asia.

[AlQaholic]

Wonder why nobody wants to stay in Thailand? Everyone is trying to leave Thailand for some other country?

[lynnnayko]

As a human, I really feel sorry for them. But they are from Bangladesh, how can we accept mass amount of new people from foreign country. Some people seem to know about Myanmar than an actual Burmese. They can't even speak burmese. There is no Rohingya, they never exist, there is only Bengalis, from Bangladesh. Bangladesh has serious population issue.

Edited May 8, 2015 by lynnnayko

[Credo]

Before any nebulous 3 nations talk, how about an internal 3 Agencies talk between the Police, Army and Navy?

Oh, they have been talking....and hiding and coming up with stories and deflections. Make no mistake, they all know what is going on and who is involved.

This is and has been an ongoing problem for a number of years. Literally thousands of people have been trafficked and just in the last few years, hundreds have been caught and detained. Yet all these people caught never seem to be able to identify who trafficked them. I wonder why? I wonder if anyone has asked them and I wonder what happens to those that dare answer.

This situation is much more insidious than it appears on the surface.

There is a lot of money changing hands and it reaches reasonably high and that is why there are transfers and no one is talking.

This movement of people is well organized and well protected. It is reminiscent of the slave trade out of Africa 200+ years ago.

[soalbundy]

Why is this article pointing to illegal entry into country when these people are being smuggled in and murdered by I would venture a guess Thai's for the purpose of being used as slaves.

Illegal entry because they wanted to be smuggled in. How do you use a murdered slave ??

[LuckyLew]

"problem did not originate in Thailand"

Here comes the spin and trying to pin it on another

Thainess = never accept blame and surely never apologize

[BestBitterPhuket]

Myanmar, Malaysia and Thailand in talks to solve a problem that none of them view as a problem?

Myanmar: "We don't care"

Thailand: "We have done nothing wrong"

Malaysia: "We know nothing"

Meeting concluded and the parties agreed to do nothing.

[swifty5x5]

The more talk less action ploy.

[Credo]

Why is this article pointing to illegal entry into country when these people are being smuggled in and murdered by I would venture a guess Thai's for the purpose of being used as slaves.

Illegal entry because they wanted to be smuggled in. How do you use a murdered slave ??

Many of them are held as captives until their family pays a ransom. If the family doesn't pay, they are killed.

[Trentham]

"The task of tackling human trafficking has to be jointly tackled and it should be understood that the problem did not originate in Thailand, he said, adding the Kingdom was just a transit point."

Thailand is more than just a transit point. It is a warehousing site to store trafficked goods until a sale can be arranged. It is irrelevant to the salesmen that these goods are human beings.

[FangFerang]

"Rohingya men were found and rescued by security officers" in another article. it stated that 30 men were arrested...

Different spin-doctors, same story...

?

It was understood the problem did not originate in Thailand.....just like the fisheries fiasco, same-same, but different

Edited May 8, 2015 by FangFerang

[harryfrompattaya]

The countries from which they came have to take them back and deal with the issues in their own way.

I do not understand why the Saudi Yemen Turkey Iran Iraq Afghanistan or some other wonderful Muslim take these poor hard working people

The EU can pay to ship them their

I do not think it is safe to come to Thailand