Rohingya are illegal migrants, not refugees: Thai Army Chief

[webfact]

Rohingya Are Illegal Migrants, Not Refugees: Thai Army Chief
By Khaosod English


Security officers patrol the coast off Ranong province to look for any Rohingya refugee boats, 20 May 2015.

BANGKOK — Thailand’s Army Chief said today that Rohingya migrants fleeing persecution in Myanmar do not qualify for refugee status in Thailand, and will be treated as illegal migrants.

Gen. Udomdet Sitabutr was responding to the suggestion that Thai authorities build refugee camps for the Rohingya, a Muslim group that has fled violence and state-sanctioned discrimination in Myanmar in droves, often by boat.

The Rohingya currently lie at the center of a regional migration crisis, with thousands of them stranded at sea while Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia refuse to take them in.

At a press conference today, Thailand’s army chief sought to differentiate the Rohingya from other ethnic groups, such as the Karen, who live in nine refugee camps in Thailand along the Thai - Myanmar border.

"The people who stay there fled from wars, because there are conflicts in Myanmar with minorities, and they cannot find a solution," Gen. Udomdet said. "But for the Rohingyas, let me explain that it is different issue, because it is about people who entered the country illegally."

However, the plight of the stateless Rohingya, who the UN considers one of the world’s "most persecuted" minorities, is well documented. Since 2012, mob violence organized by a local Buddhist population has driven tens of thousands of Rohingya to flee their homes in the Rahkine state.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1432103359


-- Khaosod English 2015-05-20

[lildragon]

Many men, women and children may die while trying to escape persecution. Thailand and other nations in se Asia should be ashamed of themselves.

[steven100]

As callous as it seems, it would appear that all countries are in favor of giving them food, water & medicine and sufficient fuel so they can return to where they came from, be that Myanmar or Bangladesh. It was mentioned on the news that some Myanmar migrants were telling UNHCR officials they were Rohingya refugees so they would qualify for aid assistance.

And now the Phillipines has announced the same will apply should any boats arrive in it's waters.

It is the correct thing to do as letting them in would send the message that any arrivals by boat will be taken care of. This would have 100,s of thousands turn up in days. This is simply not the solution.

As shown by Thailand and other countries ... assist and help them in a humanitarian way with food, water & all the essentials.

Next step would be to go after the smugglers and kill them. This will stop further boats coming and also assist those in need now.

[MobileContent]

Most Rohingya's in Malaysia work in restaurants and surely they are in Malaysia for work and not persecution. Rohingya's are able to cross into Bangladesh and if you look for the pattern of the boat peoples currently trying to enter Southeast Asian countries they are Rohingya's and Bangla's which means they must have taken a boat from the Bay of Bengal and certainly in Bangladeshi waters. My guess is most of them are illegal immigrants so if Thailand assist them with food, petrol and medicals let them continue their trip to the Philippines or they can try Cambodia, Australia or even Singapore.

This is all about Human smuggling. Thailand put a stop to it by closing the camps and they made it clear that they will take action against those people smugglers but this doesn't mean that Thailand needs to bring them in.

NB: Why nobody comes in by land from Myanmar? Their are peoples smugglers all over Myanmar and many make it through the forests into Thailand.

Edited May 20, 2015 by MobileContent

[clockman]

The Thais, have been using them as slave labour. For years. Just read Reuters report, of 2013.!

[MobileContent]

Wikipedia has some great details about the Rohingya.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohingya_people

[graemeaylward]

Malaysia and Indonesia have now agreed to take in those who end up on their shores and investigate each case on its merits over the next 12 months. This is what is meant by compassion in a humanitarian crisis. Shame on you General Udomdet, General Prayuth and on the whole Thai so called government!

[webfact]

Army chief says there is no need for new shelter to house Rohingya migrants



BANGKOK: -- Deputy Defence Minister and Army Commander-in-Chief General Udomdej Seetabutr announced on Wednesday that there is no need yet for Thailand to open a new shelter to accommodate Rohingya migrants.

He said that the shelter at the immigration police still has enough space for the illegal migrants.

The army chief disclosed that, in the past, Thailand opened nine camps along the Thai-Myanmar border to shelter Myanmar’s ethnic people who escaped the war inside Myanmar.

But the Rohingya people is a different problem because they are not escapees from war in their countries but are mostly illegal migrants and, therefore, they are to be kept by the police.

However, he said that the Rohingya children and women were being taken care of by the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security. But he insisted that illegal migrants would have to be dealt with in accordance with the law.

General Udomdej maintained that Thailand has never forcibly pushed back the Rohingya migrants as alleged by some foreign countries or agencies.

He called on countries which have demanded Thailand to receive the Rohingya migrants and to treat them in accordance with human rights principle to do more than just talking by helping Thailand should the burden of taking care of them and, if they are ready, they should take the Rohingyas for caring themselves.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/army-chief-says-there-is-no-need-for-new-shelter-to-house-rohingya-migrants


-- Thai PBS 2015-05-20

[Puwa]

The game here is that the Thai authorities are trying to use humanitarian assistance as a bargaining chip with the EU over the fishing ban.

[DM07]

I can not eat as much , as I want to vomit!

[steven100]

Malaysia and Indonesia have now agreed to take in those who end up on their shores and investigate each case on its merits over the next 12 months. This is what is meant by compassion in a humanitarian crisis. Shame on you General Udomdet, General Prayuth and on the whole Thai so called government!

sure ... ! lets see how many end up on their shores .. I bet not too many .....

It's all just talk .... same as Thailand .... same as UN ...... same as Myanmar ..... just talk ..

[dru2]

NB: Why nobody comes in by land from Myanmar? Their are peoples smugglers all over Myanmar and many make it through the forests into Thailand.

Because the Rohingya live in northern Rakhine state on the Bangladesh frontier - about as far from the Thai frontier as it is possible to get - and Rohingya are not permitted to travel outside their restricted area elsewhere in Burma by the Myanmar authorities.

[Pdaz]

Oh why, oh why can't all the liberal do-gooder w*nk*** in the EU think like this.... Illegal immigrant has now become "migrant"

The majority being young men unable to apply for migration due to lack of funds, qualifications of language ability. Send them home... Surely trying to bypass correct procedure and application is a crime..

Or maybe I should paddle a canoe to Monaco who's standard of living is higher than what I'm used to.. Figure they will grant me asylum ?

[Emster23]

Didn't mind trafficking as long as got a cut of the action, but now Thailand's participation in that slave trade has been exposed and more difficult to make some baht on, want nothing further to do with them. "We're going to take our ball and go home". Ashamed to admit I live here. Buddhist compassion? Like reported on many news channels "slow motion genocide" and "open air prison camps". That a person would chose slavery (which is what they expected when boats set out) over current conditions in Burma shows how awful situation must be. Take some of those profits made over years of slave trade and own up to karma.

[brain150]

As callous as it seems, it would appear that all countries are in favor of giving them food, water & medicine and sufficient fuel so they can return to where they came from, be that Myanmar or Bangladesh. It was mentioned on the news that some Myanmar migrants were telling UNHCR officials they were Rohingya refugees so they would qualify for aid assistance.

And now the Phillipines has announced the same will apply should any boats arrive in it's waters.

It is the correct thing to do as letting them in would send the message that any arrivals by boat will be taken care of. This would have 100,s of thousands turn up in days. This is simply not the solution.

As shown by Thailand and other countries ... assist and help them in a humanitarian way with food, water & all the essentials.

Next step would be to go after the smugglers and kill them. This will stop further boats coming and also assist those in need now.

Are you still a human being or are you a brainwashed completely dumbed down clown ???

[NickJ]

As an Ex-Pat, if you dont like Thailands policy your free to hope on a boat and leave.

[jayboy]

Oh why, oh why can't all the liberal do-gooder w*nk*** in the EU think like this.... Illegal immigrant has now become "migrant"

The majority being young men unable to apply for migration due to lack of funds, qualifications of language ability. Send them home... Surely trying to bypass correct procedure and application is a crime..

Or maybe I should paddle a canoe to Monaco who's standard of living is higher than what I'm used to.. Figure they will grant me asylum ?

You have clearly read widely and thought deeply about the plight of the Rohingya.Your insight and compassion are deeply moving.You have also touched on a point that the woolly minded liberals often forget, namely that the Rohingya are but one of several ethnic groups that form part of the Myanmar nation, and thus respected and cherished by all their fellow countrymen.After all it's not as though they are subject to the kind of treatment that would make them think about seeking asylum elsewhere.Unlike the gullible Indonesian and Malaysian governments, our wise Thai leaders understand that the very few Rohingya found in Thai waters are in fact on a cruising holiday with a schedule of resort stopovers that doesn't happen to include any ports in Thailand.Sometimes slight navigational errors are made and the Royal Thai Navy is happy to provide these high end tourists with a helpful push out to sea again.

[Tchooptip]

Oh why, oh why can't all the liberal do-gooder w*nk*** in the EU think like this.... Illegal immigrant has now become "migrant"

The majority being young men unable to apply for migration due to lack of funds, qualifications of language ability. Send them home... Surely trying to bypass correct procedure and application is a crime..

Or maybe I should paddle a canoe to Monaco who's standard of living is higher than what I'm used to.. Figure they will grant me asylum ?

"Or maybe I should paddle a canoe to Monaco who's standard of living is higher than what I'm used to.. Figure they will grant me asylum ? "

Too much!

[kannot]

"mob violence organized by a local Buddhist population"

Nothing else to say about this wonderful religion, no need to bleat on about it isnt a religion

[Lidra]

Humanity failing again.
That people are declare 'guilty' of had been born in the wrong place... looks to be a little bit difficult to fix...

[SOTIRIOS]

...years and years...they have not been coming here on a whim....

...and smuggled in...trucked in...by Thais....

...get real...

[fvw53]

The UK newspaper The Guardian of yesterday wonders (and explains) while U Aung Suu Kyi (Nobel Price for Peace) remains silent.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/19/why-is-aung-san-suu-kyi-silent-on-the-plight-of-the-rohingya-people

Edited May 20, 2015 by fvw53

[Baerboxer]

Many men, women and children may die while trying to escape persecution. Thailand and other nations in se Asia should be ashamed of themselves.

Burma should be fully ashamed for the way the state persecutes this minority.

The traffickers who profit from others suffering should be ashamed. Those who hope to exploit them as slave labor should be ashamed.

Those who chose to pay traffickers to illegally smuggle them to other countries know the risks they are taking but believe the rewards will be worth it. The are illegal immigrants. Burma treats them despicably. But not all choose to become an illegal immigrant and expose themselves to the risks of traffickers.

The same situation with boat people trying to get to Australia and Europe. They want a better life and opportunity which whilst understandable does not mean they can act illegally in anyway they want and then expect to suddenly be treated as refugees.

The UN, developed world, which got to be developed on the backs of the non developed parts. international banking and capitalism, globalized corporations and ineffective NGO's should be ashamed of themselves.

Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia can't solve a problem whilst the main instigator Burma simply shrugs off any responsibility.

[Bluespunk]

""But for the Rohingyas, let me explain that it is different issue, because it is about people who entered the country illegally."

Get that man some history lessons for his birthday. The Rohingya community has roots going back 1000 years in Burma. As long as many other cultural groups there.

Edited May 20, 2015 by Bluespunk

[ezzra]

Where dose it all ends? you have those tens of thousands who migrated or tried to migrate to Australia

over the last 10 years, you have the hundred of thousands north African who swarm over Italy

and countries near by, and now this Rohinga problems that are really the responsibilities of the

Burmese government,

if the world will leave the gates open, all of Africa and many third world countries will want to migrate

to a rich, first world countries.. where dose it stop or end???

[Baerboxer]

As callous as it seems, it would appear that all countries are in favor of giving them food, water & medicine and sufficient fuel so they can return to where they came from, be that Myanmar or Bangladesh. It was mentioned on the news that some Myanmar migrants were telling UNHCR officials they were Rohingya refugees so they would qualify for aid assistance.

And now the Phillipines has announced the same will apply should any boats arrive in it's waters.

It is the correct thing to do as letting them in would send the message that any arrivals by boat will be taken care of. This would have 100,s of thousands turn up in days. This is simply not the solution.

As shown by Thailand and other countries ... assist and help them in a humanitarian way with food, water & all the essentials.

Next step would be to go after the smugglers and kill them. This will stop further boats coming and also assist those in need now.

Are you still a human being or are you a brainwashed completely dumbed down clown ???

As a model human being, what have you done to assist in this?

[T_Dog]

Army chief says there is no need for new shelter to house Rohingya migrants

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Defence Minister and Army Commander-in-Chief General Udomdej Seetabutr announced on Wednesday that there is no need yet for Thailand to open a new shelter to accommodate Rohingya migrants.

He said that the shelter at the immigration police still has enough space for the illegal migrants.

The army chief disclosed that, in the past, Thailand opened nine camps along the Thai-Myanmar border to shelter Myanmar’s ethnic people who escaped the war inside Myanmar.

But the Rohingya people is a different problem because they are not escapees from war in their countries but are mostly illegal migrants and, therefore, they are to be kept by the police.

However, he said that the Rohingya children and women were being taken care of by the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security. But he insisted that illegal migrants would have to be dealt with in accordance with the law.

General Udomdej maintained that Thailand has never forcibly pushed back the Rohingya migrants as alleged by some foreign countries or agencies.

He called on countries which have demanded Thailand to receive the Rohingya migrants and to treat them in accordance with human rights principle to do more than just talking by helping Thailand should the burden of taking care of them and, if they are ready, they should take the Rohingyas for caring themselves.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/army-chief-says-there-is-no-need-for-new-shelter-to-house-rohingya-migrants

-- Thai PBS 2015-05-20

At some point, they are going to have to face the fact that things did happen, and that Thai people were in some way responsible. If they had determined human trafficking was unacceptable 5 years ago, they would not have to be denying things today as it would have stemmed the flow to a great degree. The truth is slowly emerging, but it seems the fairy tales from Thailand keep getting told. A tough stance is a good one, but at least admit the failures of the past and prosecute those responsible no matter what their position.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/05/us-thailand-rohingya-special-report-idUSBRE9B400320131205

[MobileContent]

Malaysia and Indonesia have now agreed to take in those who end up on their shores and investigate each case on its merits over the next 12 months. This is what is meant by compassion in a humanitarian crisis. Shame on you General Udomdet, General Prayuth and on the whole Thai so called government!

I heard on BBC Radio that Thailand agreed as well but the Thai Army Chief might have been overruled.

Edit: It is not Thailand but Malaysia and Indonesia. I think its good for Malaysia and Indonesia as they are both Muslim nations.

Edited May 20, 2015 by MobileContent

[Oziex1]

As an Ex-Pat, if you dont like Thailands policy your free to hope on a boat and leave.

As a member of the human race I don't like how other members behave, where do I go?

[razer]

They are illegal immigrants unless they apply for asylum for reasons of persecution. That is the way it works everywhere .... The UK ... the EU ... the USA ... everywhere.

Though I sympathize with their plight, I understand the reluctance of a non Muslim country to bring in Muslim immigrants. The behavior of Muslim minorities in the Philippines, Bali, Europe, the USA, the UK, Australia (need I go on?) lean towards violence and extremism inside the host country.

The social contract we make if we are an expat or immigrant is to abide by the laws of the land and respect the social and cultural norms of the host country. Not all Muslims, but fundamentalist Muslims believe Islam and Sharia supersede the laws and social norms of the country they choose to live in. Furthermore, this is encouraged and funded by Islamist in other Islamic countries.