Thailand follows European standard in addressing Rohingya problem

[webfact]

Thailand follows European standard in addressing Rohingya problem



BANGKOK: -- Thailand has adopted the standard used by European countries and Australia in their treatment of illegal migrants in the handling of Rohingya migrants, said Dr Panitharn Wattanayakorn, an advisor to Deputy Prime Minister in charge of security affairs.

Adopting the same standard means strict enforcement of the immigration law, he said, adding that the Rohingya migrants cannot be allowed into the country because they are illegal immigrants and must be pushed back.

But pushing back the Rohingya migrants has to be done within the framework of two principles: safety of the migrants at sea and humanitarian principle which means that the sick, elderly, women and children who cannot continue their journey will be given help and if there are victims of human trafficking, they will be sent to the third countries, Dr Panitharn explained.

He said that the Rohingya migration problem would be a test for ASEAN’s resolve as a community and if ASEAN do not take any actions to resolve the problem it will reflect badly on the community.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit made clear that the temporary shelter for the Rohingya migrants being mulled by the Thai government would not be a refugee camp or a detention camp.

He insisted that Thailand would adhere to the humanitarian principle in addressing the Rohingya problem under the condition that their presence in Thailand would not affect Thai people in the locality where the temporary shelter was to be built.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/thailand-follows-european-standard-in-addressing-rohingya-problem


-- Thai PBS 2015-05-19

[bruceybonus]

Looks like a Major General is also involved!

[NongKhaiKid]

Adopting the European standard, really ?

Has this adviser seen all the footage of people being rescued on the Mediterranean Sea and landed in Italy where they are registered and permitted to stay ?

EU countries already take in migrants but Is he aware the EU is now trying to force accept acceptance. quotas on members ?

Where's the comparison with the Thai ' standard ' ?

If the govt has a policy that's up to them but stick to it and don't justify with weak comparisons. I thought LoS didn't need to learn anything from other countries.

Edited May 19, 2015 by NongKhaiKid

[Strangebrew]

Mr PM my hat is off to you for stepping up to the plate. Now your showing signs of being a leader. These people are victims and the children are innocent. But being a sane person I understand concerns so some form of security needs to be setup so those that come here don't take advantage of Thailand's kindness as a sign of weakness. Also the International community and that includes China and the US now must step up to the plate and offer Food ,shelter,money, medical supplies so as this dose'nt become Thailand's burden alone. Now this is the Thailand I love. And a clear message must be sent to the countries of origin this mass exodus of these people must be solved at there end or be held accountable.

[oneday]

"...safety of the migrants at sea and humanitarian principle which means that the sick, elderly, women and children who cannot continue their journey will be given help and if there are victims of human trafficking, they will be sent to the third countries, Dr Panitharn explained..."

I think this is all most people are looking for. Pushing them back is OK as long as they are not left to die, but are cared for until more permanent solutions can be found.

[MobileContent]

The European standard now is take the rescue those illegal immigrants and then sink the boats.

[Oziex1]

Looks like a Major General is also involved!

Only one?

[FredNL]

I wished that Europe had the same standards as Thailand !!!

.

[brain150]

The EU standard is absolutely INHUMANE and the whole of the EU should be ashamed of the way it is treating the

people they forced to leave their homes !!!

First you exploit and corrupt the countries and take its resources, then when the people have nothing

to eat anymore you make sure they stay where they are !

Disgusting as it can get !

The EU is the perfect example of what will happen if money and greed becomes the new god !

[mostly by corporations and governments while the populations are busy to watch stupid BS TV shows !!!]

[Alwyn]

Strange thing to say; Just this morning I was watching Sky News and they were showing these people and they had been towed back out to sea and given no water or supplies

[wowfactor10]

How about push the boats to Europeans waters then problem solved

[ThaiUser]

It is a shame to see that countries that claim to have somehow a connection with religion can act the way they do. In Europe Christianity is the religion that governments always point out is one of the principals that they defend when intervening in other nations affairs. From the action they are taking now in the Mediterranean I can’t see that they actually follow the preaching of the founder of that religion.

Still I should not lay blame at the doors of others if my own country which is a Buddhist country does the same since also Lord Buddha would not have turned his head away from people that are in desperate need, not only requiring food and water, but also a place that offers shelter and some form of security.

It was at the end of WWII and a time that had much larger problems with migration and displaced people and the status of refugees that the nations of this planet decided to establish some ground rules that would deal with the treatment of these people. It appears that most of us have forgotten the religion we have been brought up in, the UN declarations, and that our interest in history is more concerned about the great battles of the past that have cost uncounted human lives and created misery for the survivors.

I feel sad that economic reasons have become a global religion letting us forget the values that make us human and that includes empathy and compassion.

Edited May 19, 2015 by ThaiUser

[TheMac]

@brain150

We could discuss very long about how rich countries exploited other countries, I honestly do not think EU standards are inhumane. Inhumane standards are to not assist them. In Europe, they will only sent back after their request to stay has been refused and then they will not be sent back on the same boat they came in.

@ThaiUser

What actions are European countries taking in the Mediterranean: so far I only see rescue operations.

At the top of the article, I read about European and Australian standards but if both will provide shelter to refugees, contrary to Europe, Australia will detain them outside their country until they are granted visa. Will then Thailand pay other countries to detain Rohingyas?

[docshock13]

Ideally, the intl community would step up or step in to find a permanent solution for these poor souls. But in the absence of any sign of long-term involvement from affected nations, the nations who in the first place have forced these people to flee, or the UN, keeping them alive at sea may be the only viable option in the short-term. I only question the wisdom of sending them back. Things have to be so unbearable and horrific that one would rather pay to be a slave and endure deplorable conditions in a foreign country than stay in their homeland. Commendable use of highlighter pens.

Edited May 19, 2015 by seedy
Quote hidden post

[ggt]

Preserving human life trumps any legislated standard...

Let compassion rule...find them food, shelter, and safety on land...then work out a future with at least a ray of hope for these people...

Just because they are poor...and Myanmar does not want them...this is not an excuse for abusing these people...

[ThaiUser]

@brain150

We could discuss very long about how rich countries exploited other countries, I honestly do not think EU standards are inhumane. Inhumane standards are to not assist them. In Europe, they will only sent back after their request to stay has been refused and then they will not be sent back on the same boat they came in.

@ThaiUser

What actions are European countries taking in the Mediterranean: so far I only see rescue operations.

At the top of the article, I read about European and Australian standards but if both will provide shelter to refugees, contrary to Europe, Australia will detain them outside their country until they are granted visa. Will then Thailand pay other countries to detain Rohingyas?

I don't think that European Governments in their attitudes are so different from the ASEAN ones.

http://www.spiegel.d...-a-1033388.html

http://www.spiegel.d...-a-1033945.html

The German journalist is even more outspoken when he writes:

Besides the fact that it is unclear exactly how the operation will run and how the EU will ensure that no migrants are injured, this argument fails to recognize the situation at the borders. The refugees do not get out of ignorance into the boats of the traffickers; they did not come on a “cruise”, as Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has in all seriousness asserted. You take the perilous journey across the Mediterranean out of sheer desperation.

According to the UN, about every third refugee boat was from Syria in 2014 and others fleeing the military dictatorship in Eritrea or the chaos in Somalia. Most of these people will have as an alternative to escape only but death. But in order to apply for asylum in Europe and seeking protection one first must reach European territory. This is exactly what the EU has with all his strength prevented in recent years. She has sent policemen to the edges of the continent and built fences. Without the help of traffickers barely a refugee reaches Europe today.

The Mediterranean has become the last remaining escape route for people in need. When Member States now also close this path, by preventing boats leaving North Africa, and at the same time not open legal channels for refugees to Europe, then asylum in Europe is thus de facto abolished.

[ThaiUser]

Preserving human life trumps any legislated standard...

Let compassion rule...find them food, shelter, and safety on land...then work out a future with at least a ray of hope for these people...

Just because they are poor...and Myanmar does not want them...this is not an excuse for abusing these people...

It seems that one country at last has come to her senses.

Philippines offers refuge to desperate migrants trapped on boats

Government in Manila becomes first in the region to offer safe haven to thousands of refugees and migrants stranded on Asia’s seas

http://www.theguardi...rapped-on-boats

[dcutman]

These people are being treated and seen like feral animals, and Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia are going to let them either dehydrate, starve, or murder each other at sea.

Seems euthanize should be a word entered into these discussions at this point. If none of these countries can see fit to help like humanitarians at the very least they could do is put them out of their misery.

[boomerangutang]

Taking in migrants is not a black or white scenario. It's a many faceted predicament. The popular view is: they're all poor, depraved, and they'll probably remain that way for generations. Not so.

The US has a 250 year history of allowing immigrants entry and citizenship. Nearly all of those immigrants were desperately poor when they arrived. People in such situations are generally eager to work and eke out a living and raise families responsibly. Most will likely be decent (not criminals) and not likely to lean on welfare if they can find a way to stand on their own.

The UK and other European countries have taken in migrants, most of whom are assimilating quite well. Granted, we hear newspaper stories of the weirdos and law-breakers, but those are the exception, not the rule. Marseilles is an example of a city which overflows with immigrants, and it's doing rather well, considering the challenges of assimilating so many folks from different cultural backgrounds.

In my adopted town of Chiang Rai, there are migrants from various backgrounds, including Chinese, farang, Malay, Nepali, Jordanian, Indian, and even a few Brazilians, though they play for the town football team. In the nearby Burmese town of Tachilek, there's an even more diverse mix of migrants. I asked my Burmese friend there if Rohinga from SW Burma would be allowed to travel to NW Burma (Shan State, where we spoke). He said it's v. unlikely, because of the many internal border checkpoints.

Speaking of Chiang Rai. I and other farang (probably Thai and Chinese also) are often looking for locals to do menial work for a decent wage. How hard is it to find Thais to do menial work? Hard. I had some young Thai men over to my property to do some relatively easy yard work. All they did for 2 hours was sit around and try to ramp up the wage. I was already offering twice the minimum wage, plus they would learn skills they couldn't learn from a Thai or Chinese boss, but they were so fixated on getting a ridiculously high wage from a farang, that they didn't get a job, and are still unemployed. If there were Rohinga in the neighborhood, I'd gladly hire them, and they're probably not afraid of doing physical outdoor work, as most Thais are.

[rametindallas]

The EU standard is absolutely INHUMANE and the whole of the EU should be ashamed of the way it is treating the

people they forced to leave their homes !!!

First you exploit and corrupt the countries and take its resources, then when the people have nothing

to eat anymore you make sure they stay where they are !

Disgusting as it can get !

The EU is the perfect example of what will happen if money and greed becomes the new god !

[mostly by corporations and governments while the populations are busy to watch stupid BS TV shows !!!]

The EU standard is absolutely INHUMANE and the whole of the EU should be ashamed

So, every citizen is guilty of mistreating the migrants? The Collective Guilt that is still put on the Germans for the Holocaust and the white S. Africans for Apartheid and the American whites for Slavery. Punish them forever. /sarc

the way it is treating the people they forced to leave their homes !!!

Nobody gets to get on the boat for free; they all paid human smugglers to get on the boats. They, the ones on the boat, are guilty of perpetuating human smuggling by making human smuggling profitable.

First you exploit and corrupt the countries and take its resources, then when the people have nothing to eat anymore you make sure they stay where they are

Links, please. Exactly who exploited whom and how many centuries ago?

what will happen if money and greed becomes the new god

What do you mean 'new'? Greed has always been God to mankind.

Besides ranting on some insignificant forum, what else are you doing to change things? Does you ranting improve the lives of anyone? I think not.

Since you sound so sincere in your outrage, why don't you become an advocate and activist for the displaced?

[seedy]

off topic post - and reply - hidden

additionally - please use smaller size files when posting pics

[NongKhaiKid]

The EU standard is absolutely INHUMANE and the whole of the EU should be ashamed of the way it is treating the

people they forced to leave their homes !!!

First you exploit and corrupt the countries and take its resources, then when the people have nothing

to eat anymore you make sure they stay where they are !

Disgusting as it can get !

The EU is the perfect example of what will happen if money and greed becomes the new god !

[mostly by corporations and governments while the populations are busy to watch stupid BS TV shows !!!]

Inhumane ? EU countries already take illegal migrants and now Brussels is trying to impose must take quotas which plays right into the hands of traffickers who can say " we'll get you to Europe and as soon as you set foot your set. " The EU isn't stopping the flow but now encouraging it.

There's talk of destroying the traffickers boats but they tend to abandon them and the migrants on board anyway and if they want to destroy them at source or in international waters it seems they will have to take the plan to the UN where someone is almost bound to throw a spanner into those particular works.

[boomerangutang]

Avaaz is on the bandwagon: anyone can sign the online petition: here