PHUKET: A group of refugees from Sri Lanka was being held under arrest on Phuket today after riding from Malaysia expecting to find work on the holiday island.
The adults in the group of 25 were all able to produce United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees identity cards.
Police at Chalong in Phuket's south gave the group food and offered them showers.
Six women and one young boy were in the group. They had paid an agent between 3000 baht and 5000 baht each to travel to Thailand, leaving Malaysia without knowing where their destination would be.
Immigration officials turned up at Chalong Police Station and began interviewing the Sri Lankans. It's not known at this stage how Phuket officials will handle this unusual arrival.
Used to dealing with Burmese, Cambodians or Rohingya boatpeople, a group of people with refugee status from one country who have been living in another for years provides a different problem.
''Can you please give us a telephone number for the UNHCR,'' asked the mother of a two-year-old boy, Noor Jareena Thayaparan, in tears. Most of the group were content to sit in the shade and see what authorities decide for their future.
The Sri Lankans - believed to be Tamils - spent three days on the road from Kuala Lumpur. They were guided onto Phuket by a man on a green motorcycle, dropped off by a bus, then stopped by police as they walked around Chalong in groups.
First reports indicated they had been apprehended on the bus that brought them to Phuket. That report proved to be incorrect.
Patrol police spotted one group walking around Chalong and then other groups were discovered on foot around the district.
How a busload of Sri Lankans being people-trafficked from Malaysia managed to reach southern Phuket without detection raised fresh issues for officials in Thailand.
The list of refugees provided to Phuketwan is as follows. Most of them are believed to originally come from Trincomalee in Sri Lanka:
Mr Malcosvaran, 25
Mr Pathmaralani, 28
Mr Premaraj, 43
MrManesrawn, 43
Mr Dujkney,35
Ms K. Kalaishire,32
Ms K. Deepalakshmi,22
Mr S. Thaepyapin,46
Ms T. Norikarina,36
Ms T. Hoven Xyin, 2
Mr Gwanarnt, 40
Mr K. Rajasekasary, 32
Mr S. Pirateepan, 26
Mr T. Jeyanthiros, 38
Mr Johns, 20
Ms C.Lavshari,26
Ms Kalaivani, 42
Mr Vimalaratnam, 36
Mr Suren, 30
Mr Hoinoi Gzwans, 40
Mr Jeyarathop, 25
Mr T. Pathmaseelan,36
MrS.Vaikunthan, 43
Mr P.Tharshanirodie, 33
Mr S. Sotheesvaran, 24
The adults in the group of 25 were all able to produce United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees identity cards.
Police at Chalong in Phuket's south gave the group food and offered them showers.
Six women and one young boy were in the group. They had paid an agent between 3000 baht and 5000 baht each to travel to Thailand, leaving Malaysia without knowing where their destination would be.
Immigration officials turned up at Chalong Police Station and began interviewing the Sri Lankans. It's not known at this stage how Phuket officials will handle this unusual arrival.
Used to dealing with Burmese, Cambodians or Rohingya boatpeople, a group of people with refugee status from one country who have been living in another for years provides a different problem.
''Can you please give us a telephone number for the UNHCR,'' asked the mother of a two-year-old boy, Noor Jareena Thayaparan, in tears. Most of the group were content to sit in the shade and see what authorities decide for their future.
The Sri Lankans - believed to be Tamils - spent three days on the road from Kuala Lumpur. They were guided onto Phuket by a man on a green motorcycle, dropped off by a bus, then stopped by police as they walked around Chalong in groups.
First reports indicated they had been apprehended on the bus that brought them to Phuket. That report proved to be incorrect.
Patrol police spotted one group walking around Chalong and then other groups were discovered on foot around the district.
How a busload of Sri Lankans being people-trafficked from Malaysia managed to reach southern Phuket without detection raised fresh issues for officials in Thailand.
The list of refugees provided to Phuketwan is as follows. Most of them are believed to originally come from Trincomalee in Sri Lanka:
Mr Malcosvaran, 25
Mr Pathmaralani, 28
Mr Premaraj, 43
MrManesrawn, 43
Mr Dujkney,35
Ms K. Kalaishire,32
Ms K. Deepalakshmi,22
Mr S. Thaepyapin,46
Ms T. Norikarina,36
Ms T. Hoven Xyin, 2
Mr Gwanarnt, 40
Mr K. Rajasekasary, 32
Mr S. Pirateepan, 26
Mr T. Jeyanthiros, 38
Mr Johns, 20
Ms C.Lavshari,26
Ms Kalaivani, 42
Mr Vimalaratnam, 36
Mr Suren, 30
Mr Hoinoi Gzwans, 40
Mr Jeyarathop, 25
Mr T. Pathmaseelan,36
MrS.Vaikunthan, 43
Mr P.Tharshanirodie, 33
Mr S. Sotheesvaran, 24
Er Sri Lankan not Sir. Thanks.
Posted by Robin on March 20, 2013 12:36
Editor Comment:
Yes, women and one child, too.