Meeting of Nations for Rohingha Boat People
Thailand and Indonesia yesterday agreed to a meeting of nations that are concerned with the plight of the Rohingya - an issue that drew global attention after reports said Thai security officials had abused them.
The summit could kick off as early as late March, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said after a two-hour meeting with his Indonesian counterpart, Hassan Wirajuda. Both ministers believe that the problems with the Rohingya - a stateless Muslim minority residing in Burma's Rakhine State, with many reportedly forced into work camps - could be solved through discussions with the international community.
Hassan said the meeting should also include nations where the problems with the Rohingya people originated, as well as the countries that they stopped at or were destined for. Kasit said the meeting should be held in Bali either in late March or early April.
The Rohingya became an issue after reports surfaced that the Thai Navy had - using violent means - forced them back to sea, where they were rescued by Indonesian and Indian sailors.
Kasit told Indonesian media that while the Thai Navy had denied such reports, the Thai government was conducting a joint investigation with an independent human-rights body, which would be given full access to the 20,000 Rohingya in Thailand.
Meanwhile, experts suggested yesterday that Thailand should find and enforce new legal instruments for the handling of refugees who are fleeing for fear of death.
Strict immigration laws are not effective way in such cases because these people could never be able to entry a country legally, said Veerawit Tianchainan, country director of the US Committee for Refugees and Immigration. He was speaking at a seminar at Chulalongkorn University.
Most Thai officials do not understand their obligations to refugees and human rights, he said.
Thailand is not a contracting party to the refugee convention, but is a member of the human-rights convention and the convention against torture.
"The main obligation is not to push away people who are fleeing for fear of death or torture," Veerawit said.
Panitan Wattanayakorn, deputy secretary-general to the PM's Office, said the Rohingya would be regarded as normal migrants and deported to their place of origin, adding that the government needed to find a balance between national security and human rights.
Surapong Kongchantuk from the Human Rights Committee of the Lawyers' Council of Thailand, argued that the government's policy was wrong. "We cannot have more security and less human rights, the country will be secure only when people have all the rights," Surapong said.
Abu Karam from the Burmese Refugee Helping Body told the seminar that the Rohingya were seeking better lives. The Burmese military junta has been suppressing the minority for more than 30 years.
"We cannot tolerate the suffering any more. We would rather go to sea. Live or die, it's up to God," he said.
Source - The Nation