Thai summit to spotlight Myanmar, Bangladesh
AFP
Myanmar and Bangladesh face renewed pressure to tackle the root causes of an annual migration crisis after Thailand yesterday announced a regional summit ahead of the new sailing season, reports AFP from Bangkok.
Tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have fled western Myanmar in recent years, joined increasingly by Bangladeshis escaping poverty, on dangerous and often fatal sea journeys through the Bay of Bengal towards Malaysia. Boats crammed with migrants traditionally depart following the end of the monsoon season expected in November. It is not clear whether migrants will take to the seas in the same numbers this year after Thailand launched a crackdown on major human trafficking rings in May. That resulted in thousands of migrants being abandoned in fetid jungle camps and at sea and the arrest of scores of people, including a Thai general and other officials for orchestrating the multi-million dollar trade. Stories of kidnap, coercion and hunger emerged from the hundreds who staggered ashore or were belatedly rescued by Thai, Indonesian and Malaysian authorities after weeks at sea.
In a statement announcing the December 4 summit in Bangkok, Thailands Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the crackdown had resulted in a substantive reduction of the trade. But it added that more needs to be done to solve this problem effectively and permanently. Affected countries in the region and relevant partners must work together to address the root causes as well as all the contributing factors along the way, the statement said.
