Thailand missed diplomatic boat over Rohingya

[webfact]

BURNING ISSUE
Thailand missed diplomatic boat over Rohingya
SUPALAK GANJANAKHUNDEE
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THAILAND'S handling of the Rohingya and Bangladeshi boat people issue is no different from that of other countries in Southeast Asia - but the military government's diplomatic exposure has revealed nothing of value.

Irregular migrants from the Bay of Bengal are not new. The Thai military has been familiar with them for years, such as when the Navy towed refugee boats out from Thai territorial waters to the high seas in January 2009 - prompting international condemnation.

Normally, refugees who manage to land can live and work. But for those who get caught, the game is over and they are treated as "illegal migrants" who have entered the Kingdom without permission. They are prosecuted, detained and eventually deported.

More than 700 Rohingya are currently detained by Thai immigration.

While communal violence forced thousands of Rohingya to flee Myanmar in 2012, there was no report of how many of them obtained "asylum" from Thai authorities.

Prior to the meeting in Kuala Lumpur last week, Indonesia and Malaysia - believed to be their favoured destinations - offered the same treatment as Thailand.

However, the governments in Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur have better diplomatic skills than the Thai military. The two governments showed their "human face" to the international community, as they had the good sense to feel the world's mood over the plight of Asia's latest boat people.

Like Thailand, Malaysia realised it was under close scrutiny on the issue of refugees as the country has also been downgraded to the lowest level - Tier 3 - in the United States' annual report on Trafficking in Persons (TIP). Issues such as policy, stance and treatment of trafficked people are taken into account when a country's status is evaluated by the State Department.

The next TIP report is due to be released in the middle of June.

In fact, the military government led by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was well aware of the TIP report review being prepared by the US. The government has made the trafficking issue a national priority and began a crackdown on trafficking syndicates months ago. Dozens of suspects and uniformed officials have been arrested in connection with the trafficking of Rohingya and other migrants.

Malaysia has done even less than Thailand to crack down on trafficking - but the government in Kuala Lumpur has better diplomatic skills, how to talk and show "results" to soothe the international community. Malaysia called a meeting of affected countries, including Indonesia and Thailand, last week to seek a solution to the immediate crisis.

The foreign ministers of Malaysia and Indonesia announced humanitarian assistance to some 7,000 migrants who were still at sea - and offered to shelter them for one year pending repatriation. But the Thai foreign minister "went missing" during the announcement.

Shortly after the meeting, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak took all the credit when he ordered his navy to conduct a boat people search and rescue effort to prevent loss of life.

A day after the Kuala Lumpur meeting, Indonesian fishermen rescued hundreds of boat people, including a group believed to be on a boat that departed Thai waters days earlier. In fact, Thai officials provided people on the vessel with food and water, as well as helped fix their boat engine before they left, but this help won no credit as survivors told international media that they were threatened with guns and forced to leave.

As international concern grew louder from the UN and the US, Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman rushed to visit Myanmar to discuss the matter last Thursday - while the Thai government left all hope to a low-key meeting in Bangkok this Friday. The PM and his officials claimed things would be clear after the Bangkok meeting on irregular migrants - although they knew every well it would be a meeting of senior officials and experts on migration, not a summit of leaders to seek a decisive solution to the Rohingya predicament.

So, it was a little late when Prime Minister Prayut said on Monday that his government would organise a "floating platform" with a task force to take care of boat people in the Andaman Sea.

If Rohingya were found on vessels, they would be taken to the ship, where medical staff would take care of them. If they were sick, they would be treated. After that they would be sent to shelters provided for them in Indonesia and Malaysia, he said.

It sounded reassuring, but would have been better if his foreign minister had announced these plans when he was together with his colleagues in Malaysia last week.

Diplomatic credit can be gained if you say the right thing - at the right time.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Thailand-missed-diplomatic-boat-over-Rohingya-30261016.html


-- The Nation 2015-05-27

[steven100]

Who cares ... I think we've heard enough about boat people ..

[EnzoRippo]

Sorry but I don't understand Thai policy

1- Thailand request one million foreign workers to run the local economy (from Burma and Cambodia).

2- Some Burmese are arriving boat, not really legally, alike 500,000 of the migrant workers.

Thai economy which is in need of workers should take them, and that's it.

[oneday]

"...The government has made the trafficking issue a national priority and began a crackdown on trafficking syndicates months ago..."

Really? Really?

More like about a month ago when the first mass grave was found and then FINALLY things started to happen.

[Oziex1]

Who cares ... I think we've heard enough about boat people ..

So why do you bother to comment?

[JOC]

Who cares ... I think we've heard enough about boat people ..

The empathy, humanity and solidarity shown by some posters are truly touching!!

Next time before hitting the keyboard, try something new: Think.......

They are human beings.

[Toknarok]

The Nation in the OP stated

such as when the Navy towed refugee boats out from Thai territorial waters to the high seas in January 2009 - prompting international condemnation.

Isn't the Thai Navy prosecuting a Phuket journalist for defamation for publishing an article stating the same thing?

[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 ...

[Halion]

Whats this crap about showing your human face. The author of this bleating article was to get himself an education outside the bleeding liberals and tree huggers. All countries have immigration policy's and for good reason.

Many of these immigrants are economic immigrants and not political refuges forced out by persecution.

These refuges deliberately put themselves in harms way to order to appeal to all this humanitarian crap of been persecuted and starving.

They put themselves at risk by getting on to one of these stupid boats to elicit the humanitarian angle. Had 500 of them walked up to a border checkpoint looking for the same result them would simply have been told to <deleted> off , no harm ,no foul. but by putting themselves in duress in now becomes the duty of othersd to bend the bloody rules and take care of them.

F

[yellowboat]

Who cares ... I think we've heard enough about boat people ..

Why would you bother reading the article and commenting then? Hope you are never in a situation where you need help.

[fred Kubasa]

Thailand is always on the pier "waiting for their ship to come in" while the pier is rotting !

[chainarong]

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 ...

I think what you're saying is very similar to OZ thinking however to enlarge on that , how come these refugees always head or try to end up in countries with welfare systems, they cannot choose where they are relocated , so long as it is safe and they are not in danger , anyone coming illegally to OZ will be removed to New Guinea processed and then if refugee status , the last lot went to Cambodia, half of these nominated to go back home , 9/10 are not genuine refugees, economic refugees.

[chainarong]

Thailand has never been diplomatic minded, previous human rights record has proven that , in saying they missed the boat it is more like the flotilla , Thailand reals and stumbles from one situation to another instead of having a firm set of values and laws regarding refugee's , it use ad hoc measures to prop up a situation that needs good foundations of expert help and experience as you are immediately in the international spot light, adopt Australia's measures sending them back home safely if you need to but don't treat them like sh!!t, just 3 weeks ago OZ navy escorted a boat load (44) of Vietnamese back to Vietnam and I bet no -body knew about that in Thailand.

[Oziex1]

"Why do refugees head to countries with welfare systems"

Well maybe it is because those countries are advanced societies that care for people.

Where would you expect them to go, Somalia ?

[Srikcir]

"They are prosecuted, detained and eventually deported."

Hasn't it been more like -

"They are prosecuted, detained and eventually disappeared."

[149er]

It is important to help the Myanmar/Bangladeshi people at Sea -- but do not take them in. This will cause a stampede. Their problems should be solved at their home countries.

Where are the open heart countries? All they need is a liner big enough.

[Linzz]

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 ...

Still you say the same old same old Stevie boy when on every post you say they should go back to where they come from and every time I answer you, "what to?" But you have no answer because you know full well they go back to persecution, no work ,no citizenship, no future or worse being killed because of their race. So come on now why do you keep repeating this fallacy apart from the fact that the more you say it the more you might convince yourself that it might be true?

[Linzz]

"Why do refugees head to countries with welfare systems"

Well maybe it is because those countries are advanced societies that care for people.

Where would you expect them to go, Somalia ?

Don't worry Oziex1, can you imagine desperate people fleeing persecution risking theirs and their children's lives on leaky boats, with barely anything to survive with having sold up all and taking their chances, have any inclination of sitting and discussing "which country has the best welfare systems?" "Have you got your papers ready to give to Thai authorities?" " Nah lets go down to NZ, Australia's welfare is not as good" "Have you got your millions together to give to the smugglers so they won't kill us for more money and bury us in shallow graves?" "we should just turn around and go back home and ask the Buddists and the government very politely to stop their genocide?"

Edited May 27, 2015 by Linzz

[chainarong]

"Why do refugees head to countries with welfare systems"

Well maybe it is because those countries are advanced societies that care for people.

Where would you expect them to go, Somalia ?

just to bludge off the system

[Linzz]

Whats this crap about showing your human face. The author of this bleating article was to get himself an education outside the bleeding liberals and tree huggers. All countries have immigration policy's and for good reason.

Many of these immigrants are economic immigrants and not political refuges forced out by persecution.

These refuges deliberately put themselves in harms way to order to appeal to all this humanitarian crap of been persecuted and starving.

They put themselves at risk by getting on to one of these stupid boats to elicit the humanitarian angle. Had 500 of them walked up to a border checkpoint looking for the same result them would simply have been told to <deleted> off , no harm ,no foul. but by putting themselves in duress in now becomes the duty of othersd to bend the bloody rules and take care of them.

F

Where have you been Halion? what has this got to with tree huggers? Are you a fair minded person? Try this video

http://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000002939059/21st-century-concentration-camps.html

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MAY 27, 2015, 6:21 A.M. E.D.T.

Up to 280 Rohingya have been killed by machete-wielding mobs and tens of thousands have taken to the seas in wooden trawlers, hoping to find better lives elsewhere.

In recent weeks, more than 3,000 Rohingya and Bangladeshis fleeing persecution and poverty have landed in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.

"This is not Myanmar's problem, this is a global issue now," said Thuda Nanda, a Buddhist monk. "These boat people have made up the name 'Rohingya.' They are pretending to be refugees so they can find a way to come to Myanmar. We cannot accept them."

Myanmar's 1.3 million Rohingya are denied citizenship by national law, rendering them stateless. The government calls them "Bengalis," implying all are illegal migrants from neighboring Bangladesh, though many of their families arrived generations ago.

[Linzz]

Thailand has never been diplomatic minded, previous human rights record has proven that , in saying they missed the boat it is more like the flotilla , Thailand reals and stumbles from one situation to another instead of having a firm set of values and laws regarding refugee's , it use ad hoc measures to prop up a situation that needs good foundations of expert help and experience as you are immediately in the international spot light, adopt Australia's measures sending them back home safely if you need to but don't treat them like sh!!t, just 3 weeks ago OZ navy escorted a boat load (44) of Vietnamese back to Vietnam and I bet no -body knew about that in Thailand.

You are right to point out that there is a difference between economic migrants and refugees fleeing genocide. I am not aware of any reason to leave Vietnam other than economic ones, in fact it's a country doing much better than Thailand.

[steven100]

Who cares ... I think we've heard enough about boat people ..

The empathy, humanity and solidarity shown by some posters are truly touching!!

Next time before hitting the keyboard, try something new: Think.......

They are human beings.rohingya.jpg

Your right , they are human beings .... however the international community is not responsible for their choosing to move.

Yes, give them alot of food, water and money & fuel ... then send them on their way ....

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 ...

[Oziex1]

"Why do refugees head to countries with welfare systems"

Well maybe it is because those countries are advanced societies that care for people.

Where would you expect them to go, Somalia ?

Don't worry Oziex1, can you imagine desperate people fleeing persecution risking theirs and their children's lives on leaky boats, with barely anything to survive with having sold up all and taking their chances, have any inclination of sitting and discussing "which country has the best welfare systems?" "Have you got your papers ready to give to Thai authorities?" " Nah lets go down to NZ, Australia's welfare is not as good" "Have you got your millions together to give to the smugglers so they won't kill us for more money and bury us in shallow graves?" "we should just turn around and go back home and ask the Buddists and the government very politely to stop their genocide?"

Linzz I'm not sure if you have the context of my post. My opening line in inverted comas is a quote from post #12

[Linzz]

"Why do refugees head to countries with welfare systems"

Well maybe it is because those countries are advanced societies that care for people.

Where would you expect them to go, Somalia ?

Don't worry Oziex1, can you imagine desperate people fleeing persecution risking theirs and their children's lives on leaky boats, with barely anything to survive with having sold up all and taking their chances, have any inclination of sitting and discussing "which country has the best welfare systems?" "Have you got your papers ready to give to Thai authorities?" " Nah lets go down to NZ, Australia's welfare is not as good" "Have you got your millions together to give to the smugglers so they won't kill us for more money and bury us in shallow graves?" "we should just turn around and go back home and ask the Buddists and the government very politely to stop their genocide?"

Linzz I'm not sure if you have the context of my post. My opening line in inverted comas is a quote from post #12

Yes I know I was agreeing with you and then expanded on it.

[Oziex1]

"Why do refugees head to countries with welfare systems"

Well maybe it is because those countries are advanced societies that care for people.

Where would you expect them to go, Somalia ?

Don't worry Oziex1, can you imagine desperate people fleeing persecution risking theirs and their children's lives on leaky boats, with barely anything to survive with having sold up all and taking their chances, have any inclination of sitting and discussing "which country has the best welfare systems?" "Have you got your papers ready to give to Thai authorities?" " Nah lets go down to NZ, Australia's welfare is not as good" "Have you got your millions together to give to the smugglers so they won't kill us for more money and bury us in shallow graves?" "we should just turn around and go back home and ask the Buddists and the government very politely to stop their genocide?"

Linzz I'm not sure if you have the context of my post. My opening line in inverted comas is a quote from post #12

Yes I know I was agreeing with you and then expanded on it.

No worries

Cue Steven...

[Linzz]

I watched this on CNN just now. I saw bamboo an barbed wire cages. So the Malaysian authorities were complicit as well?

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/05/27/asia/hrw-rohingya-forced-onto-migrant-boats/

Camps, remains found

Malaysian authorities confirmed earlier this week that 139 graves and 28 abandoned camps discovered close to the Thai border were related to human trafficking.

Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said that Malaysian police and border guards, as part of an operation, found a burial site which contained corpses which had decomposed to the level that only skin and bones remained.

Fences and sentry posts indicated that the camps held captive migrants, he said.

"Some of the camps found showed that they have been occupied since 2013, and the latest two camps were abandoned two to three weeks ago," Khalid told Bernama, the Malaysian state news agency.

Those who have experienced the camps tell of a brutal existence as the brokers seek to extort the migrants' relatives.

"Brokers told our relatives to send the money and beat us when we were on the phone. They're very bad people," Sharuf Khan, a Rohingya migrant who spent seven months in a jungle camp, told CNN affiliate ITN. "There's little to eat here. Some people starve. Many are sick.

"One man didn't have the money to pay the ransom, so the brokers beat him. They handed him over to the camp guards, and said, 'you can finish him.' The guards took a rope and hanged him."

[cookee68]

Who cares ... I think we've heard enough about boat people ..

So why do you bother to comment?

So people can read and know that he is not alone on that subject, otherwise it will just become a trend, and a free year for trafficking smugglers, before the doors close

[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 ??

[Linzz]

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 ??

Steven,

" But we all understand that it's not the international communities problem"

Yes it is, it involves many countries now so it is an international problem because they are rejected by many countries and they have no home any longer.

It is now a shared problem.

"just because these economic and illegal migrants want to relocate wherever they choose."

They don't choose because choice has been taken away from them.

" if they don't want to go back to their loved one then thats their choice"

Again they have no choice because the Burmese government don't want them to return.

" 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."

​I never saw anywhere that they expect anyone to pay for them, they are not freeloaders. You don't seem to understand they have been evicted from their own country and/or forced onto boats at knife point in order to be held to ransom. The Burmese government and even some Thai officials are complicit in that. That's why the camps were in Southern Thailand and Northern Malaysia. And many killed when they were not able to pay up. This is a genocide.

"after a few days we help them to continue back to their loved ones in Myanmar, Bangladesh or India."

Again no one wants them in any of those countries. You want them to return to ghetto prison camps in those countries? Because that's all they have in Myanmar and Bangladesh.

" if they aren't safe in Bangladesh then go to another nearby country "

You just said it was not an international communities problem.

"not Indonesia or Malaysia or Thailand , these countries have enough problems of their own to deal with."

Every country has problems. These 3 countries are in a better economic position to help than any others you name, especially Malaysia

"and send them back ... this is the humane answer and the best thing to do."

Again you keep saying this endlessly and I keep having to ask, what to?

"or they can go to Gambia ? but I guess thats not good enough ??"

Better than drowning or being killed by traffickers. But it does not solve the problem in Myanmar