49 Rohingya refugees, including 12 minors, rescued in Phuket
The refugees, spotted on a beach in Thalang, have been taken in by the authorities for screening before they are sent to a ‘third country’
Thai authorities rescued 49 Rohingya refugees on Tuesday after they were found on a beach in Phuket’s Talang district.
Initial investigation showed that the group had been abandoned by a Bangladeshi fishing boat on a coast near Malaysia and had made their way to Phuket on foot.
The group, including 12 minors and a pregnant woman, appeared frail and exhausted when they were spotted by villagers at the beach opposite Wat Tha Chat Chai at around 3am on Tuesday, Thalang district chief Siwat Rawangkul said.
The group was provided with food, water and medical assistance, though some are believed to have gone into hiding before authorities arrived.
Interviews conducted through interpreters revealed that the group initially comprised 75 individuals, and they had boarded a fishing boat from Bangladesh for Malaysia several days ago. However, they claimed many of them had been assaulted and some even died before they were forced to disembark. Fearing capture by the authorities, the group travelled on foot for five days until reaching Phuket.
The migrants were taken to the Chatchai Immigration Checkpoint, Siwat said, adding that the authorities are working to locate those who may have gone into hiding.
The district has also contacted the Immigration Bureau and the Social Development and Human Security to screen and interview the migrants are required by law. Officials said they are currently under temporary care and will be sent to a “third country”, though they did not elaborate.
The mostly Muslim Rohingya suffer persecution in their home country of Myanmar, with many fleeing to refugee camps in Bangladesh or taking perilous journeys to try to reach Malaysia or Indonesia through Thailand.
