Malaysia, Indonesia to scrap policy of turning away asylum seeker boats

[webfact]

Malaysia, Indonesia to scrap policy of turning away asylum seeker boats

KUALA LUMPUR: -- Malaysia and Indonesia say they will no longer turn away migrant boats, responding to world pressure by offering to take in a wave of asylum seekers provided they can be resettled or repatriated within a year.

The nations have sparked outrage by preventing vessels overloaded with starving migrants from Bangladesh and from Myanmar's ethnic Rohingya minority from landing on their shores.

"The towing and the shooing [away of boats] is not going to happen," Malaysian foreign minister Anifah Aman said at a joint press conference with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi after talks on the issue.

"We also agreed to offer them temporary shelter provided that the resettlement and repatriation process will be done in one year by the international community."

The talks in Malaysia had also included Thai foreign minister Tanasak Patimapragorn but he was not present for the press conference.

Full story: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-20/south-east-asia-nations-hold-crisis-meeting-over-migration/6482426

-- ABC News 2015-05-20

[toonsai]

What about Thailand? They agree to continue to trade illegal immigrants and provide mass graves with the full cooperation of corrupted local authorities? Thailand, your ultra-nationalist selfish attitude is a disgrace. No wonder why Hitler is regularly adored in this country...

Edited May 20, 2015 by toonsai

[webfact]

ROHINGYA
Malaysia, Indonesia agree on temporary migrant shelters
THE NATION, AGENCIES

Thailand non-commital until May 29 meeting of 15 nationals; KL, Jakarta want international resettlement within a year

KUALA LUMPUR: -- MALAYSIA and Indonesia said yesterday they would no longer turn away boat people and would offer them temporary shelter, following a breakthrough arrived at during a meeting in Kuala Lumpur of three foreign ministers, including Thailand's Tanasak Patimapragorn, who refrained from participating in the offer.

Tanasak had taken part in the meeting with his counterparts from Indonesia, Retno Marsudi, and Malaysia, Anifah Aman, to explore ways to solve the migrants crisis.

The three countries earlier had sparked growing international outrage for driving away boats overloaded with exhausted and dying Rohingya, as well as Bangladeshis.

But Anifah, in a joint press appearance with Marsudi, announced that "the towing and the shooing [away of boats] is not going to happen" any longer. A statement issued after the meeting said: "Indonesia and Malaysia agreed to continue to provide humanitarian assistance to those 7,000 irregular migrants still at sea. We also agreed to offer them temporary shelter, provided that the resettlement and repatriation process will be done in one year by the international community. In the meantime, Malaysia and Indonesia invite other countries in the region to join in this endeavour."

Thailand, however, refrained from making any commitment at the meeting, with Tanasak saying he must check with his government first, according to Anifah.

"Everyone needs to follow domestic laws," said the Malaysian foreign minister, without elaborating. "They [Thailand] are not saying they are not willing to accept [migrants]," he said during the press conference, which Tanasak did not attend.

Phil Robertson, deputy director, Asia Division - Human Rights Watch, said: "It's disturbing that just when Indonesia and Malaysia agreed to at least provide temporary shelter for boat people, Thailand was missing in action. Let's hope that this failure of Thai leadership is temporary, and that Bangkok recognises that it should urgently revamp its stance."

Thai stance not final yet

In Bangkok, the secretary-general to the prime minister, General Wilas Arunsri, said yesterday that the Kingdom had not committed itself to Malaysia and Indonesia over the temporary sheltering of Rohingya and other migrants stranded at sea because it was awaiting the results of a Bangkok meeting on the matter on May 29.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said later that the process for dealing with the migration issue was ongoing and called for the issue not being stirred up into conflicts between Thailand and other countries involved in the migration.

"Thailand is shouldering the biggest burden among all the countries, and has always been willing to cooperate, but how and where the migrants should be housed initially will be discussed later," he explained.

Thailand will host a meeting of officials and experts from 17 countries and three international organisations on May 29 on the issue of irregular migrants in the Indian Ocean.

Myanmar Deputy Foreign Minister Thant Kyaw told his Thai counterpart Don Pramudwinai yesterday that his government would send representatives to the meeting.

Nay Pyi Taw has softened its stance after receiving strong criticism for refusing to join the coming Bangkok meeting and responding negatively to the Rohingya crisis.

Southern Ranong residents, meanwhile, will oppose any plan to set up local temporary shelters for Rohingya and other migrants, leaders of local civic groups said yesterday.

Sucheep Phatthong said all civic groups stood by their public stance agreed five years ago that local residents would rally against any plan to build shelters for migrants.

"The people who initiated the plan [for shelters] are based in Bangkok, but the people who will suffer from the plight are Ranong residents," he stressed.

The Rayong reaction came yesterday as a result of the military dispatching a team of surveyors to select the two most suitable sites to be used as temporary shelters - initially on two islands, or alternatively on three inland sites - that should be sited near military barracks to ensure close supervision.

One of the two preferred inland sites is located near Fort Rattanarangsan in Muang district, and the other in a coastal area near Laem Son National Park in Kapur district. The two preferred islands are Koh Kam Yai and Koh Khangkhao, with the islands of Koh Yeepun and Koh Siad also being put forward.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Malaysia-Indonesia-agree-on-temporary-migrant-shel-30260583.html


-- The Nation 2015-05-21

[webfact]

Malaysia, Indonesia agree to shelter 7,000 migrants



KUALA LUMPUR: -- Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed to allow the 7,000 migrants stuck on boats near the two countries to come ashore – but with strict conditions, The Star Online reported.

The international community has to resettle or repatriate the Rohingyas and Bangladeshis within a year of them being given shelter and the offer is only for those now in the waters off the two countries. It is not on open-ended offer which may encourage more such boat people to make their way here.

The two countries are now looking for locations to set up the temporary shelters and construction work should start immediately, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman.

“Each country is considering a location and we have to study this thoroughly.

Anifah was speaking to the media after a four-hour meeting at Wisma Putra yesterday with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi and Thailand’s General (Rtd) Tanasak Patimapragorn over the plight of the migrants.

He shared the stage with Retno but Tanasak, who is also Thai Deputy Prime Minister, had to leave early to attend to urgent matters in his country. Retno left after Anifah finished reading the statement.

Asked at the press conference why Thailand did not also offer temporary shelter to the migrants, Anifah said it was due to that nation’s laws and some constraints.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/malaysia-indonesia-agree-to-shelter-7000-migrants


-- Thai PBS 2015-05-21

[novo58]

Does this mean that Indonesia will stop shoving these " refugees" onto boats and pointing them towards Australia ?????

[kiwikeith]

Does this mean that Indonesia will stop shoving these " refugees" onto boats and pointing them towards Australia ?????

Hexackory! ,maybe that's what they will do with them.

Amazing that a little world wide media has started a yet but small reaction.

Then again the media tend to forget a story very quickly.

[wooloomooloo]

"We also agreed to offer them temporary shelter provided that the resettlement and repatriation process will be done in one year by the international community."

The devil is most definitely in the detail.

[webfact]

Malaysian PM orders rescue of migrant boats

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Prime Minister Najib Razak said Thursday he had ordered the Malaysian navy and coastguard to conduct search and rescue operations for boats carrying stricken migrants including ethnic Rohingya from Myanmar.

"I have further ordered (the) Royal Malaysian Navy and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency to conduct search and rescue efforts for Rohingya boats. We have to prevent loss of life," Najib said on his Facebook account.

Najib’s statement marked the first clear indication that Malaysian vessels would actively seek to reach such boats.

On Wednesday, the Malaysian and Indonesian foreign ministers announced a breakthrough in the impasse involving thousands of migrants feared to be stranded at sea.

They said the two countries would allow boatpeople to land on their shores -- ending a much-condemned policy of turning them away -- but did not specify at the time whether Malaysian forces would search for and rescue such boats.

Nearly 3,000 migrants have swum to shore or been rescued off Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand after a Thai crackdown on people-smuggling threw the illicit trade into chaos.

The boatloads of starving Rohingya and Bangladeshis have typically been found abandoned by their smuggling syndicates and left to fend for themselves.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Malaysian-PM-orders-rescue-of-migrant-boats-30260588.html


-- The Nation 2015-05-21

[FangFerang]

All these countries were happy to take them as slaves, but none will let them find homes now that the slave trade has hit a big hiccup......

-2,345,178

[Srikcir]

"Thailand is shouldering the biggest burden among all the countries"

After all it's in Thailand where all the covert human trafficking camps are located. And its taken a lot of effort for the police and military NOT TO NOTICE THEM.

Thailand - the Hub of Burden with Human Trafficking

[bendejo]

This should not be a big deal for Malaysia, as they already bring in lots of foreign laborers. Seems they are preferential to fellow Muslims.

[simple1]

This should not be a big deal for Malaysia, as they already bring in lots of foreign laborers. Seems they are preferential to fellow Muslims.

Malaysia is estimated to have around 2 million Indonesian illegal migrants (workers). Malaysia doesn't permit refugees to work & are subject to yet more exploitation by Malaysian employers and law enforcement.

http://www.ibtimes.com/uneasy-neighbors-plight-illegal-indonesian-immigrants-malaysia-1051856

[Prbkk]

Indonesia has been shamed into vague action on the matter....this from the country that permitted if not encouraged tens of thousands of asylum seekers temporary transit in Indonesia, via visa free entry, to those intending to sail to Australia ( including the payment of bribe money to local officials). Now they want someone else to pay and to guarenteed resettlement elsewhere.

Is the Koran silent on the question of assisting the brethren in need?

[piersbeckett]

Indonesia has been shamed into vague action on the matter....this from the country that permitted if not encouraged tens of thousands of asylum seekers temporary transit in Indonesia, via visa free entry, to those intending to sail to Australia ( including the payment of bribe money to local officials). Now they want someone else to pay and to guarenteed resettlement elsewhere.

Is the Koran silent on the question of assisting the brethren in need?

Apparently not; there's obligatory charity (Zakah) which is charged at 2.5% of a Muslim's disposable income i.e. after basic necessities & voluntary charity (Sadaqah), the latter is encouraged.

[Robby nz]

Not really surprising that Thailand is reticent in this for there are said to be several boats to the north of Thailand in Burmese waters looking for somewhere to land and a quick look at the map shows where the closest port of call for them would be.

It has been reported that Burma has taken one boat back but I suspect they would be happy to tell any they found where to head to be saved rather than taking responsibility for them.

Lets wait another week till after the 29th meeting before getting carried away with condemnation, for Burma and Bangladesh still have to be shamed into doing something to stop the boats leaving in the first place.

Thailand already has several thousand of these human trafficking victims in various places that they have picked up and have no real idea of what to do with them.

There are camps and mass graves being found in Malaysia now someone has started to look so they were not all in Thailand.