Monday, 28 January 2013 12:23 THE BANGKOK POST
Thailand will shelter the Rohingya for six months and seek talks with
Myanmar and other countries to settle the fate of the illegal migrants,
Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said on Friday.
The decision was reached in talks between the Foreign Ministry and other
security agencies amid growing calls for Thailand not to turn the
migrants away after they have entered the kingdom.
The final say still rests with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who
has to endorse the plan after it is forwarded to her soon.
According to latest counts by officials, 1,390 Rohingya are in the
country, more than 200 of them women and children. Most of them are
staying in the southern border provinces, mainly in Songkhla.
The government will set aside a budget of 12 million baht (US $400,000)
or 75 baht ($2.50) a day for each of them for a daily allowance.
Bangkok will hold talks with international agencies including the United
Nations High Commission for Refugees, the International Organisation
for Migration, and the International Committee of the Red Cross for
support on Thailand's plan.
Thailand would also approach third countries willing to give the migrants a new home, the minister said.
Mr Surapong did not rule out sending the Rohingya back to Myanmar
because most of them came from the neighbouring country. The issue will
be the subject of talks between the two governments, he added.
Illegal migrants are subject to be deported in six months, according to Thai law.
Thailand will bring up the issue with officials of the Organisation of
Islamic Conference when they visit the southern region. Talks are also
planned with the British ambassador to Thailand in an attempt to find a
solution, as Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, was once a colony of
Britain.
The Rohingya are a Muslim minority in Myanmar. Most of them live in
Rakhine state in the west and face brutal treatment from Myanmar
authorities, including the reluctance of Naypyitaw to grant them
citizenship.
The current crisis came to light after authorities rounded up more than
900 Rohingya in separate operations in Songkhla as they were waiting to
be sent to work in Malaysia.
A police investigation found some Thai army soldiers were linked to
trafficking them from Myanmar to Malaysia through Thailand. Two of them
based in the southernmost region are being probed in connection with the
issue.
In Prachuap Khiri Khan province, meanwhile, Rohingya refugees have gone
on a hunger strike to demand an improvement in the meals provided by
authorities.
About 120 Rohingya men have been transferred from Phang Nga province to a
detention facility run by immigration police in Muang district,
awaiting their deportation.
Disease-control officials also gave the men physical check-ups with help from Burmese interpreters.
The Muslim refugees will remain at the facility until otherwise ordered. Two large rooms have been set aside for prayers.
An interpreter said that the refugees were demanding the Thai government
coordinate with the UN in helping them seek asylum in another country.
They refuse to return to Myanmar because they fear for their safety.
Many of them complained that the 75 baht allocated per day per person
for food is not enough. They want better quality food in larger
portions. They went on a hunger strike, but some were later talked out
of it.
Yusuf Towang, the president of a Muslim organisation in the province,
said he had been working with immigration authorities to help the
Rohingya.
The Muslim community would collect donations to buy them food, clothing
and other essentials to alleviate their problems before they are to be
moved to another location, he said.
This article first appeared in The Bangkok Post on January 25, 2013.
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Related articles:
http://www.mizzima.com/news/regional/8670-74-rohingyas-land-on-thai-island.html
http://www.mizzima.com/news/regional/8721-700-rohingyas-to-be-deported-from-thailand-ap.html
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