Malaysia, Indonesia agree on temporary migrant shelters

Tanasak had taken part in the meeting with his counterparts from Indonesia, Retno Marsudi, and Malaysia, Anifah Aman, to explore ways to solve the migrants crisis. 

The three countries earlier had sparked growing international outrage for driving away boats overloaded with exhausted and dying Rohingya, as well as Bangladeshis.

But Anifah, in a joint press appearance with Marsudi, announced that “the towing and the shooing [away of boats] is not going to happen” any longer. A statement issued after the meeting said: “Indonesia and Malaysia agreed to continue to provide humanitarian assistance to those 7,000 irregular migrants still at sea. We also agreed to offer them temporary shelter, provided that the resettlement and repatriation process will be done in one year by the international community. In the meantime, Malaysia and Indonesia invite other countries in the region to join in this endeavour.” 

Thailand, however, refrained from making any commitment at the meeting, with Tanasak saying he must check with his government first, according to Anifah.

“Everyone needs to follow domestic laws,” said the Malaysian foreign minister, without elaborating. “They [Thailand] are not saying they are not willing to accept [migrants],” he said during the press conference, which Tanasak did not attend.

Phil Robertson, deputy director, Asia Division – Human Rights Watch, said: “It’s disturbing that just when Indonesia and Malaysia agreed to at least provide temporary shelter for boat people, Thailand was missing in action. Let’s hope that this failure of Thai leadership is temporary, and that Bangkok recognises that it should urgently revamp its stance.”

 

Thai stance not final yet

In Bangkok, the secretary-general to the prime minister, General Wilas Arunsri, said yesterday that the Kingdom had not committed itself to Malaysia and Indonesia over the temporary sheltering of Rohingya and other migrants stranded at sea because it was awaiting the results of a Bangkok meeting on the matter on May 29.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said later that the process for dealing with the migration issue was ongoing and called for the issue not being stirred up into conflicts between Thailand and other countries involved in the migration.

“Thailand is shouldering the biggest burden among all the countries, and has always been willing to cooperate, but how and where the migrants should be housed initially will be discussed later,” he explained.

Thailand will host a meeting of officials and experts from 17 countries and three international organisations on May 29 on the issue of irregular migrants in the Indian Ocean.

Myanmar Deputy Foreign Minister Thant Kyaw told his Thai counterpart Don Pramudwinai yesterday that his government would send representatives to the meeting.

Nay Pyi Taw has softened its stance after receiving strong criticism for refusing to join the coming Bangkok meeting and responding negatively to the Rohingya crisis. 

Southern Ranong residents, meanwhile, will oppose any plan to set up local temporary shelters for Rohingya and other migrants, leaders of local civic groups said yesterday.

Sucheep Phatthong said all civic groups stood by their public stance agreed five years ago that local residents would rally against any plan to build shelters for migrants.

“The people who initiated the plan [for shelters] are based in Bangkok, but the people who will suffer from the plight are Ranong residents,” he stressed.

The Rayong reaction came yesterday as a result of the military dispatching a team of surveyors to select the two most suitable sites to be used as temporary shelters – initially on two islands, or alternatively on three inland sites – that should be sited near military barracks to ensure close supervision.

One of the two preferred inland sites is located near Fort Rattanarangsan in Muang district, and the other in a coastal area near Laem Son National Park in Kapur district. The two preferred islands are Koh Kam Yai and Koh Khangkhao, with the islands of Koh Yeepun and Koh Siad also being put forward.