Mizzima News

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – The Thai government today divulged its official policy of deporting Rohingyas, who illegally arrive in Thailand by boat, and added that it would not open refugee camps to accept them, according to a Reuters report, which quoted Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban.

"We have no plan to open refugee camps for them. We cannot afford to shoulder the extra burden of accommodating 300,000 refugees on our soil. We will deport them to Burma, which is their country of origin," the Deputy PM said.

The Thai government announced its official policy towards these refugees after the 'Untied Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR) asked the Thai government to open temporary refugee camps for these migrants. The UNHCR is providing food to these refugees on a temporary basis.

However, about 500 local people from the southern Thai town Ranoung staged a protest demonstration yesterday, against these refugees in front of the Thai Immigration Office, fearing unnecessary problems arising due to these refugees and refugee camps.

An eyewitness, who is a local reporter, told Mizzima, "The local people cannot accept these refugees, in fear of unnecessary problems created by them. So they staged a protest demonstration here."

"The resident representative of UNHCR is a Thai citizen. The local people staged a demonstration when he and other NGOs were visiting their town," he added.

"There will be unnecessary problems in our area. So, we are asking the government not to accept them," a responsible person among the protesters said to the crowd of demonstrators.

International rights groups criticized the Thai government last month, for forcing about 400 Rohingya refugees back into international waters with the help of the Thai Navy.

They hailed from north of Rakhine State, in western Burma.

Earlier, the refugees used to migrate to Malaysia for work opportunities in boats, sailing through the seas under tremendous pressure of social and economic difficulties in their native country. They were frequently arrested by the Thai Navy near the coast of Southern Thailand.

According to the statistics released by the Thai government, 1,225 Rohingyas entered Thailand's territory by boats illegally in 2005-06 and this number has increased to 4,886 in 2007-08.