Army link with trafficking not found yet: Thai deputy PM

[webfact]

Army link with trafficking not found yet: Thai deputy PM
Shamim Ashraf
Daily Star
Asia News Network

Says it's difficult to keep watch what's happening inside the bordering jungles; IOM seeks $26m to address the issue

BANGKOK: -- Amid different quarters’ insistence that Thailand must take steps against its army and police officials involved in human trafficking, the country’s deputy prime minister denied having found any army personnel’s link with the trade.

"We agree that high ranking officials were involved in trafficking of people. There are police among them. But so far, we haven’t found any army officials to be involved in this," General Tanasak Patimapragorn, who is also the foreign minister of the country, said at press conference during a Special Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Indian Ocean in Bangkok.

Investigation was on and if army officer was found involved, the Thai government will take action against them, said Patimapragorn.

As representatives from 17 countries directly and indirectly affected by "irregular migration in the Indian Ocean put their heads together to find solution to the crisis dogging Southeast Asia, International Organisation for Migration (IOM) sought US$6 million to address the issue.

Thailand called the special meeting of senior officials and experts from 17 countries and three international organisations to seek a solution to the migrant situation in the Indian Ocean.

Representatives from Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Vietnam, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran are attending the meeting.

Besides, officials from the US, Japan and Switzerland are participating as observers along with officials from international organizations including the UN refugee agency, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and IOM.

Addressing a press conference after opening of the meeting being held at Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel, the Thai deputy PM said 44 officials have been arrested for their link with the illegal human trade.

When asked why the Thai government did not act to bust the traffickers’ network although the trade has been continuing for many years, General Tanasak Patimapragorn said it is very hard to keep eyes on the bordering jungles so deep it is. "In some places, it takes three days to cover just 1 kilometre. You can’t see everything well. As a result, air surveillance doesn’t help much."

The issue is not new and the incumbent Thai government is now trying its best to stop this, he said. "We are doing it like never done before. Our friends and countries concerned are very happy with our steps."

Earlier in his opening remarks earlier at the meeting, the Thai deputy PM said stressed that the issue of irregular maritime migration in the region needs to be addressed in a collective and sustainable manner.

"The influx of irregular migrants in the Indian Ocean has reached an alarming level. Sadly, we have witnessed desperate migrants leaving their homes and risking their lives. The situation has affected various countries in the region. No country can solve this problem alone," he said, terming the problem, as "more complex than what we are seeing".

Malaysia and Indonesia also offered temporary shelter for the stranded migrants provided that the resettlement and repatriation process will be done in one year by the international community. "On our part, Thailand remains ready as always to provide humanitarian assistance to these migrants by tripling our efforts," the Thai foreign minister said.

"Since May 26, Royal Thai Navy vessels have been deployed to serve as floating platforms to provide humanitarian assistance to those migrants at sea. Personnel on these floating vessels consists of the followings: First a medical team to provide treatment, food and water; Second an investigation team to investigate the possibility of human trafficking activities; Third a registration team to identify and prepare for possible solutions, including referrals to shelters offered by Indonesia and Malaysia. If disembarkation is absolutely necessary, the migrants will be treated first and foremost according to humanitarian principles under Thai laws."

IOM seeks $26m

Saying that the boat people crisis has left 10,000 estimated people affected and 5,000 estimated people in need of return and reintegration assistance, IOM has placed an appeal for $26 million to address the issue.

As per its demand placed before the meeting, $12.8m will be spent for temporary shelter and non-food items; $1.4m for heart and nutrition support; $0.3m for psychological support; $10m for return and reintegration assistance; and $1.5m for migration management support and coordination.

Estimated 58000 people undertook an irregular and dangerous journey by boat in the Bay of Bengal and andaman sea in 2014, joined by a rusher 25000 in the first quarter of 2015. They are part of complex, mixucjuxuuuudrddddqqed migratory movement including refugees,ms tasteless people and economic migrants. munregulated andnuntilnrecently inconspicuous, the scale of the movement has tripled since 2012 and the abuse of voyagers has grown obscene.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/aec/Army-link-with-trafficking-not-found-yet-Thai-depu-30261199.html


-- The Nation 2015-05-29

[JOC]

Thousands of refugees living in an area mainly controlled by the army, and they knew nothing??

Sorry Gen Whatever, we are not that stupid..................

[CiaranO]

General - look a little harder. You will find them.

[Tatsujin]

Someone's telling porkies ... or they simply aren't looking hard enough.

[NongKhaiKid]

Don't worry, everybody absolutely believes this. It's so nice to have one's intelligence insulted.

All sorts of officials involved but no military.

[sprq]

Pull the other one.

[arthurboy]

Snore...

[Bluespunk]

There's a surprise.

[JOC]

[JeffreyO]

So a general with t he army didn't find anybody in the army with ties yet the people they often quarrel with, the police, they were able to find those. Yeah, I'm certain they looked REAL hard for them...

[MobileContent]

In some places, it takes three days to cover just 1 kilometre. You can’t see everything well. As a result, air surveillance doesn’t help much."

No wonder the Thai Army is useless on providing security in the Deep South. This could not have gone on without the green light of the Thai Army which is in charge of the borders.

Surely the immigration was involved in the smuggling of people's to the South but their were areas that is controlled by the army as they protect this KINGDOM from intruders.

[newcomer71]

Well, yeah, what you would expect if the Army would investigate about... the Army?

[heybruce]

"When asked why the Thai government did not act to bust the traffickers’ network although the trade has been continuing for many years, General Tanasak Patimapragorn said it is very hard to keep eyes on the bordering jungles so deep it is. "In some places, it takes three days to cover just 1 kilometre."

Are we to believe thousands of refugees covered the distance from the Myanmar to Malaysia borders through these dense jungles on foot and unobserved? Or that they traveled on trucks that weren't checked at the frequent checkpoints (or if they were checked nobody noticed they were loaded with refugees)?

Sorry, nobody is buying it. At the very least some commanders should be charged with dereliction of duty for not seeing anything along the border they were supposed to be guarding.

[orchidlady]

Maybe if they used their airship they could spot the army officers involved in trafficking...oh wait it can't get off the ground can it?

[englishoak]

So on and off over the past decade the Army has been directly and souly responsible for security and safety in the south over and over, and they are all blissfully unaware or uninvolved in trafficking, smuggling and slavery ?

Is that because they are incompetent, bribed, involved or just running the trafficking show ?

That has to be the biggest, stupidest lie hes spun yet

This makes the Thai Army the most dumbest, ineffective and useless armed force in its history if innocent......................... either that or its the biggest line of BS yet.Or its all the navy's fault

Edited May 29, 2015 by englishoak

[Thakkar]

"General Tanasak Patimapragorn said it is very hard to keep eyes on the bordering jungles..."

...but you can definately rely on us to defend the country's borders against any intruders.

T

[ExPratt]

"In some places, it takes three days to cover just 1 kilometre. You can’t see everything well. As a result, air surveillance doesn’t help much."

A General said That, believe it or not,Better hope Thailand don;t ever get invaded , it could ll be too far , or too hot , or too rainy

You could say if your are not corrupt then you are incompetent,

[whatawonderfulday]

It is simply that the deputy PM ( and the PM for that matter) really believe through their lifetime of indoctrination that the people of this country are as naïve and stupid as they are. Unfortunately, and it is something they will never find out due to their egotistical and arrogant outlook, they will never meet some of the impoverished and less educated folk that keeps this country going. If he did he may just find out that some of those people have more common sense then he will ever have. Thainess = denial to the people of what is undeniable.

[eliotness]

There is none so blind as those that don't want to see, or something along those lines !

[elgordo38]

General - look a little harder. You will find them.

Your turning over the wrong rocks.

[elgordo38]

There is none so blind as those that don't want to see, or something along those lines !

My sainted old grandmother often said " I can see said the blind man after he fell into the ditch"

[masquerade]

Well, son of a gun, who would think any different? Only most of the world you clown.

[Srikcir]

So indirectly the Deputy PM has not ruled out the NAVY and AIR FORCE as having involvement in human trafficking. In fact last year the Junta arrested one naval officer as having connections with human trafficking; case seems to have disappeared though.

[borisloosebrain]

Men in uniform but when the s%#! hits the fan not a man among them.

"The jungle vegetation is too thick " lol more like you can't see the forest for the trees from your golf courses eh General

Edited May 29, 2015 by borisloosebrain

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

The first worlds spoken by most Thai males: It wasn't me

[ExPratt]

I recall a month or so ago the PM telling the press he would not take kindly to any criticism of the Army. I know its an emotive subject but the Army had no responsibility in the killing of protesters in 2010 even though they fired the bullets ?.And Human Trafficking camps operating for years holding hundreds of refugees in an area controlled by the Army , is nothing to do with them either ?

[kareona]

This is from the Bangkok Post January 19, 2013 (writer Wassana Nanuam and Wassayos Ngamkham)

Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha has admitted some of his soldiers in the Far South are involves in trafficking Rohingya migrants into Thailand before sending them to work in Thailand.

Gen Prayuth said some members of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) were linked to smugling rings and he promised to track them down.

'These bad apples must be punished and get rid of', he said on Saterday.

In the beginning of 2013 Prayuth knew soldiers were involved in human trafficking. Were they tracked down and punished? I don't think so.

Edited May 30, 2015 by kareona

[kiwikeith]

Well, yeah, what you would expect if the Army would investigate about... the Army?

This is a genuine case of "didn't see em, didn't do it!---

[Always18]

I have a feeling that the D.P.M. is hiding behind semantics here.

If memory serves me correctly, the Border Rangers are actually a branch of the R.T.P. but to all intents and purposes are controlled by the military - this may be a convenient get-out clause for them...........................

[ExPratt]

Six Malaysia-Thailand Border Rat Trails

KANGAR, May 30 (Bernama) -- Six routes along the Malaysia- Thailand border are believed to be human trafficking and goods smuggling rat trails.

Kampung Syed Omar Village Development and Security Committee chairman Nor Mahizan Kasim said syndicates had been using the routes for more than 10 years.

"The Malaysia-Thailand border routes were initially used by local residents from both sides to strengthen ties with each other.

"But syndicate agents took advantage and misused the routes," he told Bernama here Saturday.

Among the identified shortcuts were Felcra Lubuk Sireh, Felda Mata Ayer, Ladang Tebu Chuping, Wang Kelian and Kampung Syed Omar/Kampung Puju, and Bukit Batu Putih.

"Admittedly there is lack of security control at the border but it is not due to weakness of the authorities. Flexibility was given because of the close ties between the people of both countries.

"Aside from that, local and Thai residents are also involved in bilateral trading," Nor Mahizan said.