Thailand should establish temporary border shelters for Rohingya migrants, to protect them from falling victim to human trafficking networks, as their sole reason for leaving Myanmar is the ongoing internal conflict, said Siyeed Alam, president of the Rohingya Association of Thailand.
Siyeed told Transborder News that, with such shelters, Rohingya migrants could stay there and return to Myanmar once the fighting in Rakhine State subsides.
"This will prevent them from seeking help from human traffickers to leave Myanmar," Siyeed said.
Rakhine State has historically been home to the Muslim ethnic Rohingya, who have faced persecution by the Myanmar government for decades.
He claimed that a large number of Rohingya migrants have been trafficked into Thailand and are hiding in various provinces, waiting to travel to Bangkok.
On November 16, around 30 Rohingya migrants were arrested during their journey to Kamphaeng Phet province.
Siyeed said the Rohingya have to pay brokers from 70,000 to 100,000 baht per person to escape from Rakhine State. He added that he wishes to urge Thai authorities to crack down on these trafficking rings.
He noted that migrants trafficked from Myanmar’s border town of Myawaddy are often sold for 150,000 to 160,000 baht each. Some migrants who are arrested and deported to Myanmar eventually return to Thailand after paying traffickers again.
“They have nothing to eat or do as the fighting continues in Rakhine State, so they escape to Thailand with the help of human trafficking networks. Many are abused, tortured or raped before being sold into the fishing industry,” he said.
Thai police in the southern province of Phang Nga recently detained more than 100 Rohingya migrants, who were hiding in forests in Takuapa and Kuraburi districts.
Police are uncertain whether the group consisted solely of Rohingya migrants or included Bangladeshis as well.
The migrants reportedly told local villagers that they had travelled to the province on a large vessel carrying around 300 people. Upon reaching Thai waters, they were separated onto smaller boats.
The migrants were informed that their ultimate destination was a third country.
The smuggling of the migrants usually ceases during rainy season, because they travel by sea. The smuggling activities will resume during the dry season.
