SURVEY: Should Thailand and other SE Asian countries allow boat people temporary asylum?

[727Sky]

A little history:

Quote:

During the Pakistan Movement in the 1940s, Rohingya Muslims in western Burma organized a separatist movement to merge the region into East Pakistan.[43] Before the independence of Burma in January 1948, Muslim leaders from Arakan addressed themselves to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, and asked his assistance in incorporating the Mayu region to Pakistan considering their religious affinity and geographical proximity with East Pakistan.[43]

Two months later, the north Arakan Muslim League was founded in Akyab (modern Sittwe). It demanded annexation to Pakistan.[43] The proposal was never materialized since it was reportedly turned down by Jinnah saying that he was not in a position to interfere into Burmese matters.[43 Rohingya elders founded the Mujahid party as a jihad movement in northern Arakan in 1947.[55] The aim of the Mujahid party was to create an autonomous Muslim state in Arakan. By the 1950s, they began to use the term "Rohingya" to give a distinct identity and establish indigenous claims over the region. They were much more active before the 1962 Burmese coup d'état by General Ne Win. Ne Win carried out military operations against them over a period of two decades. The prominent one was Operation King Dragon, which took place in 1978; as a result, many Muslims in the region fled to neighboring Bangladesh as refugees. In addition to Bangladesh, a large number of Rohingyas also migrated to Karachi, Pakistan.[9]

Rohingya mujahideen are still active within the remote areas of Arakan. Quote:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Rakhine_State_riots

So they followed the game plan of a "we want our own state with our own laws and taxes.. until some young bucks gang raped a Buddhist Rakhines woman who died ( remember when this all came to a head...there were many stories of wrong doing on both sides both before and after the rape.... but... Islam means submit and the whole submit part is pretty serious stuff for the so called Radicals.... due to the Muslim breeding program, everything was progressing normally up to this point. By some estimates after the rape and murder and the Buddhist having had enough of the religion of peace in that area 160,000 Rohingya (if not more) were set running and packing for their lives..

Are these boat people all bad or Jihadist... of course not...is it a bad situation...yes and in a horrible way they or their forefathers, due to their inability to assimilate (or police their own) into any society that is not Muslim, brought much of this crap upon themselves. Easy to be a bleeding heart when you are not the one dogging bullets and bombs or having your daughter or wife raped by men who think she is a whore because she did not cover her head..

With the population of over 7 billion (soon to be 8) there will be more hungry desperate people who are looking for a place to live. None of us can blame them and only hope it does not happen to us too.. If you open your door for a long term guest it is common sense to open your door to someone who will respect your property and not claim the house you worked hard for as theirs after a short time..

Let them in, establish some roots, build some Mosque and it will be the same stuff all over again with wanting their own state within a state..

[rodney earl]

NO!!!!!!!!!

[lovelomsak]

A little history:

Quote:

During the Pakistan Movement in the 1940s, Rohingya Muslims in western Burma organized a separatist movement to merge the region into East Pakistan.[43] Before the independence of Burma in January 1948, Muslim leaders from Arakan addressed themselves to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, and asked his assistance in incorporating the Mayu region to Pakistan considering their religious affinity and geographical proximity with East Pakistan.[43]

Two months later, the north Arakan Muslim League was founded in Akyab (modern Sittwe). It demanded annexation to Pakistan.[43] The proposal was never materialized since it was reportedly turned down by Jinnah saying that he was not in a position to interfere into Burmese matters.[43 Rohingya elders founded the Mujahid party as a jihad movement in northern Arakan in 1947.[55] The aim of the Mujahid party was to create an autonomous Muslim state in Arakan. By the 1950s, they began to use the term "Rohingya" to give a distinct identity and establish indigenous claims over the region. They were much more active before the 1962 Burmese coup d'état by General Ne Win. Ne Win carried out military operations against them over a period of two decades. The prominent one was Operation King Dragon, which took place in 1978; as a result, many Muslims in the region fled to neighboring Bangladesh as refugees. In addition to Bangladesh, a large number of Rohingyas also migrated to Karachi, Pakistan.[9]

Rohingya mujahideen are still active within the remote areas of Arakan. Quote:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Rakhine_State_riots

So they followed the game plan of a "we want our own state with our own laws and taxes.. until some young bucks gang raped a Buddhist Rakhines woman who died ( remember when this all came to a head...there were many stories of wrong doing on both sides both before and after the rape.... but... Islam means submit and the whole submit part is pretty serious stuff for the so called Radicals.... due to the Muslim breeding program, everything was progressing normally up to this point. By some estimates after the rape and murder and the Buddhist having had enough of the religion of peace in that area 160,000 Rohingya (if not more) were set running and packing for their lives..

Are these boat people all bad or Jihadist... of course not...is it a bad situation...yes and in a horrible way they or their forefathers, due to their inability to assimilate (or police their own) into any society that is not Muslim, brought much of this crap upon themselves. Easy to be a bleeding heart when you are not the one dogging bullets and bombs or having your daughter or wife raped by men who think she is a whore because she did not cover her head..

With the population of over 7 billion (soon to be 8) there will be more hungry desperate people who are looking for a place to live. None of us can blame them and only hope it does not happen to us too.. If you open your door for a long term guest it is common sense to open your door to someone who will respect your property and not claim the house you worked hard for as theirs after a short time..

Let them in, establish some roots, build some Mosque and it will be the same stuff all over again with wanting their own state within a state..

This makes my placing them on a island and fend for themselves sound better all the time.

[Dublin]

The Problem is these people cannot assimilate they want to leave there own country for a better life, however once their feet are under the table they will want to turn Thailand into there home country and demand Thailand change to suit there believes. Which they have done all over the world, why not just move to another Muslim county.

[Saan]

And then there's me with an opinion so far out no one even cares to listen.

Being a sailor I feel putting out to see is very harsh.To me that is comparable to a death sentence.

I agree getting on a leaky boat isnot the proper way to attain immigration and should not be used as such. But they must be dealt with in a humane way.

I think of history. Australia was basically built by British criminals because Britian found a place to put them out of the way from everyone else. In this line of thought why not place these boat people on a remote island and let them start over there.A few matchetes and matches and let them make a new life on terra firma. Work their way out and creat their own new world..Better than slave or dieing at sea. Also no cost to anyone else. Maybe the Phillipines or some other country with many islands could simply donate one and when it starts to prosper take them under their government and utilize them.

They want a new start give it to them but no handouts.Except for the land on the island. But this cost can be recovered once they have an infrastructure and the country that gave the island to them takes them under their power and starts taxs ect.

Radical but hey people on leaky boats wanting to by pass immigration are a little radical by nature.So work with what we got.

Maybe Britain should assist in resettlement. They exacerbated the problem by bringing in farm labourers from Bengal to settle when they annexed Arakan state. Another fine mess.

[sdanielmcev]

From what I've read they certainly seem to be getting their just desserts here. Why I voted no. Britain's colonialism again the cause, so send them to England.

[i claudius]

NO NO NO....THAILAND DIDNT MAKE THESE PEOPLE GET IN A BOAT AND FLOAT AROUND FOR WEEKS MONTHS AND DIE OF STARVATION AND OTHER UNFORTUNATES

THAILAND OR ANY OTHER COUNTRY HAS NO OBLIGATION TO THESE MISFORTUNATES....

HOWEVER I DO THINK THE UK OWES THESE PEOPLE CITIZENSHIP SINCE THEY WERE THE ONES TO COAX THEM INTO BURMA ALMOST 100 YEARS AGO

That was 100 years ago ,not our problem ,its like apologising to black people for slavery ,i was not a slaver why should i apologise for something my ancestors did .? and once you open the doors look what happens , you have the multicultural rubbish mix we now have in the UK

[Thaddeus]

NO NO NO....THAILAND DIDNT MAKE THESE PEOPLE GET IN A BOAT AND FLOAT AROUND FOR WEEKS MONTHS AND DIE OF STARVATION AND OTHER UNFORTUNATES

THAILAND OR ANY OTHER COUNTRY HAS NO OBLIGATION TO THESE MISFORTUNATES....

HOWEVER I DO THINK THE UK OWES THESE PEOPLE CITIZENSHIP SINCE THEY WERE THE ONES TO COAX THEM INTO BURMA ALMOST 100 YEARS AGO

That was 100 years ago ,not our problem ,its like apologising to black people for slavery ,i was not a slaver why should i apologise for something my ancestors did .? and once you open the doors look what happens , you have the multicultural rubbish mix we now have in the UK

And it is just a little inconvenient for the blame gamers that the Rohingyas have been in Burma for a thousand years.

[ICECOOL]

The best solution in my opinion is to address it at the source. It would be better and cheaper long term is to pressure Bangladesh and Burma to find a solution at home. I always thought this is what the UN was established to manage etc and I always wonder why they let these situations arise.

[Saan]

NO NO NO....THAILAND DIDNT MAKE THESE PEOPLE GET IN A BOAT AND FLOAT AROUND FOR WEEKS MONTHS AND DIE OF STARVATION AND OTHER UNFORTUNATES

THAILAND OR ANY OTHER COUNTRY HAS NO OBLIGATION TO THESE MISFORTUNATES....

HOWEVER I DO THINK THE UK OWES THESE PEOPLE CITIZENSHIP SINCE THEY WERE THE ONES TO COAX THEM INTO BURMA ALMOST 100 YEARS AGO

That was 100 years ago ,not our problem ,its like apologising to black people for slavery ,i was not a slaver why should i apologise for something my ancestors did .? and once you open the doors look what happens , you have the multicultural rubbish mix we now have in the UK

And it is just a little inconvenient for the blame gamers that the Rohingyas have been in Burma for a thousand years.

There were muslim settler but the numbers increased 4 fold when the British brought in the labourers.

[auric22]

Thailand should NOT allow any boat people to land and settle. Humanitarian aid to them on the water and off to Muslim countries who share their religion of peace. They will bring nothing to Thailand but problems and misery to Thai people. This is their nature and their culture.

[northernphil]

Regardless of race ,creed ,colour or religion doing the ostrich thing of putting your head in the sand cannot be the answer. What a way to live, drifting about in a boat for ever with the nearest country dropping of food and water every now and then until the boat drifts off to the coast of another country, then same same.

" Where are they today , let me borrow your binoculalrs. nope ,not our problem today "

[Thaddeus]

NO NO NO....THAILAND DIDNT MAKE THESE PEOPLE GET IN A BOAT AND FLOAT AROUND FOR WEEKS MONTHS AND DIE OF STARVATION AND OTHER UNFORTUNATES

THAILAND OR ANY OTHER COUNTRY HAS NO OBLIGATION TO THESE MISFORTUNATES....

HOWEVER I DO THINK THE UK OWES THESE PEOPLE CITIZENSHIP SINCE THEY WERE THE ONES TO COAX THEM INTO BURMA ALMOST 100 YEARS AGO

That was 100 years ago ,not our problem ,its like apologising to black people for slavery ,i was not a slaver why should i apologise for something my ancestors did .? and once you open the doors look what happens , you have the multicultural rubbish mix we now have in the UK

And it is just a little inconvenient for the blame gamers that the Rohingyas have been in Burma for a thousand years.

There were muslim settler but the numbers increased 4 fold when the British brought in the labourers.

They were not in shackles, they went willingly because the conditions for them there were better than what they had where they where.

Those conditions changed, Burma did that, no one else.

[GuestHouse]

Thailand and ASEAN have played their part in creating this problem.

In the first instance Thailans and ASEAN wrote clauses into the ASEAN treaties disallowing criticism of each other's internal policies, very specifically those policies relating to human rights.

Thailand and ASEAN have then stood by while Burma has ennacted laws and policies that amount to ethnic cleansing.

Meanwhile Thailand has for decades reaped huge proffits from people smuggling, and the slave/near slave labour of these people and many other minorities.

The solution is not hardlined migration policies but bringing Burma and others to task and demanding they afford basic human rights to the people within their borders.

The foremost of these rights is. The right to citizenship, a right Burma denies these people and a right Thailand denies to ethnic minorities who have lived in Thailand for generations (longer than most Bangok 'Thai' families)

[Strangebrew]

In my humble opinion I feel they should at least obey there own laws which state any boat entering Thai waters must have proper paperwork for all on board. With this being said No boat carrying Illegals should get to any country south of Thailand Effectively cutting off Trafficking for Human smugglers. Need I say more. The boat should be brought to shore the captain and crew arrested the people deported back to country of origin period. This alone would stop most of this Now for those coming over land same thing border patrol round them up bus them back take there pictures if caught again A jail would be in there future no frills type. But those caught aiding there crossing long time in jail at very hard labor. Such as taking huge rocks and turning them into sand Or powder. But also maybe if they offered visa for work in industries that needed help and they saved money to travel onward to another Muslim country.

[Saan]

These people are also victims of ISIS and other extremist Muslim groups. People are afraid of Muslims. Almost every conflict in the world is a Muslim conflict.

The religion seems to an insidious one which demands Sharia law be established where Muslims have been given sanctuary.

In Australia and other western countries extremist Muslims are leaving to fight in conflicts. These are not usually first generation Muslims but western born Muslims who have no intention of assimilating. They will want to return after the conflicts and where will they turn their attention next? To their host country? Probably.

It is a vexed problem as there is a real humanitarian issue.

[Dublin]

NO NO NO....THAILAND DIDNT MAKE THESE PEOPLE GET IN A BOAT AND FLOAT AROUND FOR WEEKS MONTHS AND DIE OF STARVATION AND OTHER UNFORTUNATES

THAILAND OR ANY OTHER COUNTRY HAS NO OBLIGATION TO THESE MISFORTUNATES....

HOWEVER I DO THINK THE UK OWES THESE PEOPLE CITIZENSHIP SINCE THEY WERE THE ONES TO COAX THEM INTO BURMA ALMOST 100 YEARS AGO

THAILAND OR ANY OTHER COUNTRY HAS NO OBLIGATION TO THESE MISFORTUNATES....

Judging by the colossal International help Thailand received during the 2004 Tsunani, I would have thought Thailand owes more in help than any other country!

Thailand did not ask for boat people to be taken in following the Tsunami, international aid came to assist following and an unplanned event caused by an earthquake not a government failing its people and not only were Thais involved there were tourists from all over the world who were effected.. Similar to Thailand providing Aid to Nepal following the Earthquakes and may I add Thailand was one of the first countries to provide aid in that instance.

Don’t confuse the 2 issues they ain't same same

Edited May 26, 2015 by Dublin

[allane]

What makes these people think that they would be an asset to Thailand, or any other country in the world ? My understanding is that they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, who have been squatting in Burma. If they are an asset, Burma would want to keep them.

[Linzz]

In my humble opinion I feel they should at least obey there own laws which state any boat entering Thai waters must have proper paperwork for all on board. With this being said No boat carrying Illegals should get to any country south of Thailand Effectively cutting off Trafficking for Human smugglers. Need I say more. The boat should be brought to shore the captain and crew arrested the people deported back to country of origin period. This alone would stop most of this Now for those coming over land same thing border patrol round them up bus them back take there pictures if caught again A jail would be in there future no frills type. But those caught aiding there crossing long time in jail at very hard labor. Such as taking huge rocks and turning them into sand Or powder. But also maybe if they offered visa for work in industries that needed help and they saved money to travel onward to another Muslim country.

Oh yeah! I can just see it... They take their chances trying to escape brutality from where there is no acceptance and not allowed to work, have citizenship, medical aid or basic human rights, they gather what little they have after selling whatever, they sit half starved in squalor in leaky boats, suddenly they see the coast of Thailand and they say to one another "have you got your paperwork ready?"

[Linzz]

What makes these people think that they would be an asset to Thailand, or any other country in the world ? My understanding is that they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, who have been squatting in Burma. If they are an asset, Burma would want to keep them.

Asset? Asset? If you are helping someone avoid certain death you are not thinking about whether they are an asset or not !

Or perhaps you would....

[steven100]

illegal boat people are simply that ... illegal. They should come in the correct way if they want to resettle somewhere. If they can afford to pay a smuggler they can afford a passport and proper entry.

As for now we must care for them. We are humanitarian and we care about them, that is why it's best to get them back to their loved one's and friends in Myanmar, Bangladesh or wherever they were born.

Linzz, we must feed them, provide water and fuel and help them get back to their loved one's. We don't have the right to force them onto Malaysia or Indonesia or Thailand ...

see .. take care of them and send them back ...best idea.

[steven100]

Thailand is giving food, water & medicines and taking care of the sick and weary. Then provide enough fuel to return to their birth place either Bangladesh, Myanmar or India or wherever.

It is not up to the international community to accept illegal boat people wherever they decided they want to settle. Thailand didn't force them to pay a boat people smuggler. Thailand or the international community didn't say you get on that boat ...

Why should other countries pay for the relocation of thousands when it's their plight and choice to go elsewhere. ?

Thailand is correct in the firm stance they are taking and most don't want them here. Imagine them resettling in the south and in two years wanting autonomy from Thailand. Killings and bombings etc ... all because the doo gooders want to force countries to accept them.

No thanks. Check the survey results ...

[attento]

There is a genuine problem with the term "Temporary".

It is one thing to refuse entry to boat loads of immigrants, but it would be a totally different matter to put them back in the boats and push them out to sea again, when the "temporary" stay is over. Does the government take over the role that was started by the racketeers? If so, how can the government pursue the original racketeers if they are going to behave in the same manner?

Burma contains a number of groups / tribes who do not recognise the central administration and as a result have been persecuted by the central government and it's military forces. For example, the Karen is just one of the hill tribes conducting a low-level civil war. It is too simplistic to try and interpret historic racial/tribal problems by looking at relatively recent national boundaries. The Rohingya people have been living in north west Burma and southern Bangladesh for many more centuries then some contributors here would have us believe ( my guess they didn't get far beyond the first para of their wiki search )

These are very complex problems, and glib or ill-researched answers maybe amusing, but will not provide a resolution

[h90]

I voted for the first option.

Whilst I don't think it is Thailand's job to just welcome these people with open arms, I do think Thailand, along with the like of Malaysia, Indonesia and Myanmar, have a humanitarian duty to offer assistance to these people in their time of need, before resettlement can be arranged.

Let's face it, I don't think it is unfair to assume that some of these boat people probably found themselves in this situation having been at the mercy of Thai human trafficking gangs.

With Thailand being heavily criticised for the conditions in which people work in its fishing industry, helping these boat people would send out a positive message politically to foreign govt's who have been critical of Thailand.

However, it seems that Thailand is less than interested in this given that they didn't even bother to attend the meeting last week held to discuss this issue with the neighboring states.

Do they give the random Farang "asylum"?

Do they give North Koreans asylum?

Why should they give it for some radical Muslims?

[Guest]

I do not understand why, if you choose to pay to get on a boat illegally and sail to another country, that you should get special treatment and be allowed to stay and get all the benifits of that country because you break the rules and law, if one boat is allowed to stay then thousands will follow, we do not negotiate with criminals or terrorists why then are we having this conversation with boat people.

[Guest]

I voted for the first option.

Whilst I don't think it is Thailand's job to just welcome these people with open arms, I do think Thailand, along with the like of Malaysia, Indonesia and Myanmar, have a humanitarian duty to offer assistance to these people in their time of need, before resettlement can be arranged.

Let's face it, I don't think it is unfair to assume that some of these boat people probably found themselves in this situation having been at the mercy of Thai human trafficking gangs.

With Thailand being heavily criticised for the conditions in which people work in its fishing industry, helping these boat people would send out a positive message politically to foreign govt's who have been critical of Thailand.

However, it seems that Thailand is less than interested in this given that they didn't even bother to attend the meeting last week held to discuss this issue with the neighboring states.

Do they give the random Farang "asylum"?

Do they give North Koreans asylum?

Why should they give it for some radical Muslims?

in their time of need??? their time of need was in their own country not here, they choose this and think everyone else will just take them in, well i applaud thai officials for not attending the meeting it is of no concern of thailand or any of the neighboring countries, as for sending a political messsage sod it ! turn them around and send them back.

[maidee]

look at average thai ...

what will they think :

who can they bill if they help, as they surely will not

[janpharma]

Why do the rich muslim countries in the Middle East don't take care of their "brothers"?

[gyrosman]

Its the same problem in the USA, how about spending that money in an agreement to build a better infrastructure of the country where they come from and produce food, farming, training etc... The billions spent to just feed them on foreign soil is a waste. They have no skills, so crime grows etc..

A man in the USA EDDIE ALBERT a WWll General/Movie star took his fortune and sent farm equipment to Africa no weapons or build refugee camps.

Sometimes old school is right.

[steven100]

Everyone wants to help these poor souls and we will help them. But we all understand that it's not the international communities problem just because these economic and illegal migrants want to relocate wherever they choose.

Everyone is against letting them in because it sends the wrong message ... letting them in will only have thousands more come .......surely you can see that as being irresponsible for any country.

Lets be humanitarians ... we provide food ... lots of it !! ... water & medicine , take care of the weak and frail.

Then when they are stronger after a few days we help them to continue back to their loved ones in Myanmar, Bangladesh or India.

We cannot force them to stay at sea ... if they don't want to go back to their loved one then thats their choice. The world will not be held accountable to these illegal migrant just because they seek a better life ... many people in the world seek a better life but they are not expecting the international community to jump up and offer and pay for everything.

These people do have a place to go back to ... you say they don't but everyone know they are economically suppressed, which I agree ... they need help to create farm land and shops and make a living. If they are persecuted in Myanmar then go to Bangladesh or wherever they were born, if they aren't safe in Bangladesh then go to another nearby country .. near where they originated from .. not Indonesia or Malaysia or Thailand , these countries have enough problems of their own to deal with.

We must take care of these poor people and send them back ... this is the humane answer and the best thing to do.

The world wants it this way and thats what will happen.. or they can go to Gambia ? but I guess thats not good enough ??