PHUKET: Five boatpeople, victims of Thailand's traffickers, were buried in a Songkhla village yesterday while others continue to suffer disease and cramped conditions in secret jungle ''animal pens'' or official confinement.
Local Muslim authorities say that deaths from diseases and severe conditions are likely to continue until Thailand's government recognises that thousands of Rohingya, being smuggled through Thailand, should be accorded basic human rights.
''The men we buried today were aged 16 to 40,'' said Isma-Aen Mat-Adam, of the Rohingya Help Network in Thailand. ''All of them died after being 'rescued' from the secret jungle traffickers' camps. Hospitals could not save them
''These deaths show how bad the conditions are in the jungle camps and in Thailand's detention centres.''
The men had been confined by Thai authorities and by traffickers in a serial rights abuse since January last year.
In the hospital, where doctors and nurses tried to save the men from the ravages caused by constant cramped confinement at the hands of Thai officials and traffickers, the nameless dead men were recorded on official documents as ''Rohingya One,'' ''Rohingya Two,'' ''Rohingya Three'' . . .
The first man died on January 30. Another perished on February 1. The third death followed on February 2. Two more came on February 4 . . . it's likely their family and friends are among more than 700 Rohingya still being held in southern Thailand.
The boatpeople were ''rescued'' by Thai authorities late last month from two secret jungle camps, little more than animal pens with earthen floors and no room for the captives to stretch or stand.
Twenty-four men who were unable to walk were left after the ''rescue'' to fend for themselves in the jungle at one corral site, said the Chairman of the Muslim Committee of Songkhla province, Sakkeeya Binsala.
For many, it was the second time in the traffickers' camps, having been previously ''rescued'' in January last year then confined for all the intervening months in cramped Immigration or police cells before being ''deported'' into the arms of waiting traffickers.
And around they go again, seeking sanctuary in Malaysia . . . but finding only a kind of hell in Thailand.
Wrapped in white shrouds and buried by local residents, the five fresh anonymous graves at the village near Sadao now bear silent witness to the fate of the stateless in Thailand.
Local Muslim authorities say that deaths from diseases and severe conditions are likely to continue until Thailand's government recognises that thousands of Rohingya, being smuggled through Thailand, should be accorded basic human rights.
''The men we buried today were aged 16 to 40,'' said Isma-Aen Mat-Adam, of the Rohingya Help Network in Thailand. ''All of them died after being 'rescued' from the secret jungle traffickers' camps. Hospitals could not save them
''These deaths show how bad the conditions are in the jungle camps and in Thailand's detention centres.''
The men had been confined by Thai authorities and by traffickers in a serial rights abuse since January last year.
In the hospital, where doctors and nurses tried to save the men from the ravages caused by constant cramped confinement at the hands of Thai officials and traffickers, the nameless dead men were recorded on official documents as ''Rohingya One,'' ''Rohingya Two,'' ''Rohingya Three'' . . .
The first man died on January 30. Another perished on February 1. The third death followed on February 2. Two more came on February 4 . . . it's likely their family and friends are among more than 700 Rohingya still being held in southern Thailand.
The boatpeople were ''rescued'' by Thai authorities late last month from two secret jungle camps, little more than animal pens with earthen floors and no room for the captives to stretch or stand.
Twenty-four men who were unable to walk were left after the ''rescue'' to fend for themselves in the jungle at one corral site, said the Chairman of the Muslim Committee of Songkhla province, Sakkeeya Binsala.
For many, it was the second time in the traffickers' camps, having been previously ''rescued'' in January last year then confined for all the intervening months in cramped Immigration or police cells before being ''deported'' into the arms of waiting traffickers.
And around they go again, seeking sanctuary in Malaysia . . . but finding only a kind of hell in Thailand.
Wrapped in white shrouds and buried by local residents, the five fresh anonymous graves at the village near Sadao now bear silent witness to the fate of the stateless in Thailand.
Rohingya situation at the hands of traffickers and detention centers are very dire and miserable. The captives who failed to pay big amount of money are severely tortured and killed or left in the jungle without any support. if any local see any abounded dead body or sick people ,then the news come out .At present one tortured victim whose genital was hurt by traffickers is at the hospital in Hadjai. After learning the accident news our community members visited to the hospital at this weekend .At that times ,they were informed that five dead bodies were already at the hospital cold room for days .Finally ,all five dead bodies were buried at Baan Chalom of Songkhla division by a dozen of Rohingyas and local Muslim.The injured Rohingya,from Maungdaw,is going to be surgery today. Our BRAT member Salim and friends take care him. There is another severely sick Rohingya at the same hospital.There are many cases like this in remote areas where Rohingyas are being kept by traffickers. This is very difficult to get all death news and sick people. Most of them die due to torture and sickness at hand of traffickers. Most of the death cases are unknown.The Rohingyas boat people lives are circling in between traffickers and detention centers . Most of them felt at the hands of traffickers and detention more than one times . So the Rohingya naturally become so sick and die.The death cases are alarming. Thanks to the Phuketwan for high lighting forgotten Rohingyas' news.
Posted by Maung Kyaw Nu,Burmese Rohingya Association in Thailand ,BRAT. on February 12, 2014 14:00