Ex-chief of rights group calls for Asean solution to Rohingya issue
THE FORMER chair of the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) has called on Asean to come up with solutions in response to the status and legal rights of the Rohingya people.
Sriprapha Petcharamesree, who first pushed the Rohingya issue at AICHR following their mass migration in 2009, yesterday said Rohingya emigrating from Myanmar faced different challenges to other migrants and as such had different problems and status. Their status included illegal migrants, trafficked persons and refugees.
Sriprapha said this was universally regarded as a Rohingya problem and the solutions in combating it had been misguided. To effectively tackle the issue, their status needs to be separately addressed so right solutions can be offered, she said.
She made her suggestions at the Ratchadamnoen Forum, organised by the Thai Journalists Association in collaboration with the Asean Journalists Club and the Isra Institute.
The forum was held to discuss the issue so recommendations in dealing with it could be drawn up and forwarded to Asean governments before representatives of these governments meet to discuss “irregular migration” in the Indian Ocean in Bangkok today.
“If Asean representatives manage to do so [find common ground at today’s] meeting, it could be the most concrete outcome that helps pave the way for the right solutions to the issue,” she said.
Sriprapha added that the United Nations High Commission for Refugees should help with classifying the migrants’ status if Asean countries are unable to manage this huge cross-border issue.
She said Asean countries should come up with a regional-policy framework and comprehensive action plans to tackle the problem.
Siwawong Sukthawee, coordinator of the Migrants’ Working Group, said Sriprapha’s principal recommendation to Asean governments had provided a comprehensive resolution to the issue.
However, he said human trafficking played a key role in the Rohingya mass migration and misfortune, and Thailand’s migration policies had played a large role in the harsher conditions they faced. Siwawong said Thailand should review its policies and laws concerning the issue.
He expressed hope today’s meeting would be a good start for a regional-scale resolution, as at least all the parties concerned would discuss the issue together.
Abdul Kalum, a Rohingya man living in Thailand for over 20 years, said Asean countries would no longer act alone in response to the problem. “Every one here is Asean’s population, but we keep talking only about economic integration, not social integration. The Rohingya issue has shown us it’s everyone’s problem.”
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