Exhausted and hungry, the Rohingya refugees wait to be
processed at Phuket Immigration. Photo: Phuket Marine Police
Phuket Gazette:
March 31, 2013
PHUKET: The arrival of more than 100 Rohingya men,
women and children last weekend has left Phuket Immigration overflowing, with
no respite on the horizon.
The huge influx of refugees fleeing strife-torn
Myanmar has forced Phuket Immigration to seek help elsewhere, said Capt Angkarn
Yasanop.
Of the 102 Rohingya taken into custody last weekend
when the refugees sought shelter on Koh Lone after their boat engine seized, 35
men were transferred to Ranong Immigration (story here).
“The women and children are now at a shelter on Koh
Sireh [on the east side of Phuket Town],” Capt Angkarn explained.
“We had to transfer some of them because Phuket
Immigration was built to accommodate only 50 people,” Capt Ankarn said, noting
that 67 Rohingya were still currently under detention.
And Ranong Immigration is also running out of room
following the arrest of another group of 39 Rohingya by Takuapa Police at Tab
Tawan beach in Phang Nga last Saturday.
“Police received a report from fishermen that they had
spotted a ‘suspicious’ boat at sea. At first we saw only an empty boat moored
at Tab Tawan beach in Ban Tab Tawan,” Takuapa Police Superintendent Khemarin
Hatsiri said.
“Police looked around the area and found the refugees
in a sea gypsy village,” Col Khemarin said.
“We arrested 37 men and two women who told us they
left Rakhine state in a fishing boat on March 6. They intended to reach either
Thailand or Malaysia to look for work.
“They said they were very exhausted and hungry from
the journey. They survived on water and uncooked rice,” he explained.
“They looked pitiful, and some of them cried out loud
when they saw us,” Col Khemarin added.
“We offered them food and water, then brought them all
to Takuapa police station to be processed. We intended to transfer them to
Phang Nga Immigration,” he said, “but Phang Nga Immigration has no room for
them; they are already at maximum capacity with Rohingya arrested previously,”
he explained.
“We do not have a place to detain them while they wait
to be deported,” he stated.
“I would like to ask the government to resolve the
problem of Rohingya as soon as possible,” Col Khemarin urged.
Phuket Immigration Superintendent Col Sunchai
Chokkajaykij said he did not know how long he will have to keep the Koh Lone
arrivals in custody.
“We are waiting for orders from our superiors in
Bangkok,” he said.
“There are more than 1,000 Rohingya being detained
across the country. We do not have room for all of them,” Col Sunchai added.
Meanwhile, Phuket Immigration is calling for donations
of essentials for the new arrivals.
“We are requesting donations of food, toiletries and
clothes for the Rohingya,” Capt Angkarn said.
“Especially useful would be donations of household
medicines and skincare products. Many of them have suffered severe sunburn and
dehydration from their journey in the open boat,” he added.
Additional reporting by Kritsada Mueanhawong