Thailand plans investigation into immigrant deaths

Jan 16, 2009, 13:30 GMT

Bangkok - Thailand's government is investigating reports that a boatload of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar were set adrift in an overcrowded boat by border officials in December, allegedly resulting in many deaths, the foreign ministry said Friday.

Thailand remains committed to 'humanitarian principles,' even in the face of the 'increasing urgency' and the 'increasing size' of human trafficking in the region, the statement added.

Human rights groups have condemned Thai officials for allegedly forcing hundreds of immigrants into a boat with very little water or food last month, in an apparent backlash to large numbers of migrants seeking to land in Thailand.

Indian authorities reported finding 105 people on the boat near the Andaman Islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean last month. The boat occupants told the Indian authorities that more than 300 people had jumped into the sea to try to swim ashore after the boat had drifted for a fortnight. The vessel was no more than 25 metres long, with no protection from the sun, according to reports.

Bangladeshis hoping to find work in Malaysia or Thailand - countries that each employ several million mostly illegal foreign workers - often pay traffickers several hundred dollars for the relatively short trip across the Indian Ocean. Some Myanmar Muslims - sometimes referred to as Rohingyas - frequently join the reputedly hazardous trips.

The chief of the Royal Thai Navy, Admiral Kamthorn Phumhiran, denied Friday reports that intercepted immigrants had been mistreated. He did so after the release of pictures of captured Myanmar Muslims forced to lie face down on a Thai beach.

'The Royal Thai Navy did not badly treat the Rohingyas. There was no setting them adrift as alleged,' said Admiral Kamthorn, according to the Nation.

The foreign ministry said it would 'reassess the overall situation of illegal immigrants, taking into consideration relevant developments.' It said Thailand wanted a coordinated response to human trafficking that 'must necessarily engage countries of origin, transit and destination'.

Thailand's foreign minister promised in January, before taking office, that Thailand would pursue a 'clean and humane' foreign policy. He contrasted this with what he called the 'tainted' and self-serving foreign policies persuaded by the former regime.

The number of underground workers in relatively rich Thailand and Malaysia is thought to be very large and economically useful for labour intensive businesses. But, as the economic crisis unfolds, many pundits have predicted that the illegal workforces will become increasing sensitive political problems in both countries.