Mizzima News

New Delhi (Mizzima) – Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has said that the issue of Rohingya migrants, who in recent months have been washed up on the coasts of neighbouring countries, needs greater discussion in the form of a regional forum.

Vejjajiva, who is on a two-day visit to Indonesia, told reporters in Jakarta, on Friday, that regional governments would take up the issue of Rohingya refugees  at the Bali Process, a ministerial-level forum set up in 2002, and co-chaired by Indonesia and Australia, on human trafficking.

"Essentially, it is a regional problem and must be dealt with at a regional level," the Thai PM was quoted as saying by the AFP.

In recent months, Thailand has faced criticism over claims that its security forces abused Rohingya refugees, hundreds of whom have been rescued in Indian and Indonesian waters.

Indonesian authorities have said, about 400 Rohingya migrants have been rescued from its waters near Aceh province, while Indian authorities at Andaman Islands have said they have also rescued hundreds of refugees, who were washed ashore.

Survivors said they were first caught by Thai authorities and were later towed away into the sea after the engines of their boat were sabotaged. Thailand initially denied such claims.

However, in an interview with CNN last week, Vejjajiva admitted the possibility of Thai security forces towing away the boats.

Meanwhile, Indonesia said it was considering granting protection to the refugees, and was in negotiation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to assess the situation of the migrants.

But Thailand has said, they are not willing to open another refugee camp for the Rohingya migrants and it would crackdown on the illegal trafficking of Rohingya people.

The Thai PM also said the problem would be discussed at the 14th ASEAN Summit, to be held at Thailand's beach resort of Hua Hin on February 27.

"All affected countries must work together to make sure that our national security is protected and at the same time these people are treated in a humane way with their rights and their dignity respected," he added.

The Rohingya people, a Muslim minority from western Burma's Arakan state, have said they are forced to leave their homes because they face severe persecution, including denial of citizenship by the Burmese military government.

However, Burma's military rulers have persistently refused to recognize the presence of Rohingya, saying they are not among the over 100 ethnic minorities in the country.

Similarly, Bangladesh has also denied the presence of Rohingya minorities in their territory.

But the Rohingya survivors, in Indonesia and India's Andaman Islands said most of them hail from Maungdaw and Buthidaung, in northwestern Arakan state in Burma, and had crossed over to Bangladesh, where they faced similar discrimination.

They also said that they had boarded the boats in order to find a better place, where they could be safe and protected from abuse.

Meanwhile, authorities in Andaman Islands of India told Mizzima earlier that it was considering deporting the refugees to Bangladesh, from where they had originally boarded the boats.

And Indonesia said it was still negotiating with the UNHCR, to assess the protection required by the migrants.