22 ARRESTED IN THAILAND FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING
BANGKOK, Thailand – Thai police said on Thursday that they
had arrested 22 people for alleged involvement in trafficking of Rohingya
migrants from Myanmar as part of an ongoing large-scale crackdown launched in
May, reported Vietnam News Agency (VNA).
According to Major-General Paween Pongsirin, a senior police
commander in south Thailand, 26 new arrest warrants have been issued for
suspects of human trading and money laundering, and 16 others for money
laundering related to trafficking, bringing the total number of warrants issued
to 145.
In July, Thai prosecutors also announced that 72 people have
been indicted for trans-boundary human trafficking.
Among those indicted was Lieutenant General Manas Kongpan,
who stands accused for overseeing trafficking in the country’s south.
Recently, over 3,500
Bangladeshi people and Myanmars Rohingya Muslim followers have fled to
Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Source: Vietnam News Agency, Bernama
MASS MIGRANT PRISON CAMP GRAVE FOUND IN MALAYSIAN-THAILAND BOARDER
Authorities in Thailand uncovered a mass grave in an abandoned jungle
camp Friday believed to contain the remains of migrants from Myanmar
and Bangladesh, a grisly find in a region notorious for people-smuggling
routes.
The discovery was made at a remote camp in Sadao district, in
Songkhla province bordering Malaysia, and comes as Thailand's junta
cracks down on human trafficking following accusations that officials
have been complicit in the trade.
The border area with Malaysia is notorious for its network of secret
camps where smuggled migrants are held, usually against their will until
relatives pay up hefty ransoms.
"There are 32 graves, four bodies have now been exhumed and are on
their way... to hospital for an autopsy," Sathit Thamsuwan, a rescue
worker who was at the scene soon after the site was found, told AFP,
saying it was unclear how they had died.
"The bodies were all decayed," he said, adding a single emaciated man
from Bangladesh survived and was being treated at a hospital in nearby
Padang Besar.
Tens of thousands of migrants from Myanmar, mainly from the Rohingya
Muslim minority but also increasingly from Bangladesh, make the
dangerous sea crossing to southern Thailand, a well-worn trafficking
route often on the way south to Malaysia and beyond.
Last week U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon described the condition of such camps as “untenable,” adding that their existence should “remain a matter of profound concern for the international community.”
Thailand has been criticized in the past for pushing boatloads of Rohingya entering Thai waters back out to sea, and for holding migrants in overcrowded facilities.
Source: Agency
Last week U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon described the condition of such camps as “untenable,” adding that their existence should “remain a matter of profound concern for the international community.”
Thailand has been criticized in the past for pushing boatloads of Rohingya entering Thai waters back out to sea, and for holding migrants in overcrowded facilities.
- The ruling junta says it has taken significant steps to combat trafficking since June, when the United States dumped Thailand to the bottom of its list of countries accused of failing to tackle modern-day slavery.
EARTHQUAKE OF 6.3 MAGNITUDE STRIKE THAILAND
BANGKOK, Thailand - An earthquake of 6 magnitude struck
northern Thailand on Monday causing some damage to buildings and roads
and knocking goods off shelves in shops. An elderly woman died and 23 other people were reported injured as a result of the earthquake.The aftershocks continued to rattle the mountainous region popular with tourists.
The quake struck 17 miles (27 km) southwest of the town of Chiang
Rai, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
It was felt in the Thai capital, Bangkok, and in neighbouring Myanmar.
It was felt in the Thai capital, Bangkok, and in neighbouring Myanmar.
"No injuries have been reported so far but we're hearing that some
provincial roads have sustained some damage with large cracks
appearing," said the officer, who declined to be identified as he is not
authorised to speak to the media.
The USGS initially said the quake was of 6.3 magnitude but later
downgraded it. It was at the relatively shallow depth of 7.4 km (4.5
miles).
Chiang Rai, in the mountainous north of Thailand, is near the
borders of both Myanmar and Laos.
Source:Reuters
THAILAND, MUSLIM REBELS AGREE TO RESUME TALKS
Thai authorities and Muslim rebels leaders have agreed to meet again
next month after a meeting in Malaysia aimed at ending nearly one decade
of violence that has killed thousands of people in southern Thailand.
Peace negotiators for the Thai government and Barisan Revolusi
Nasional (BRN) said in a joint statement on Friday that they had agreed
on the terms of reference for the negotiations.
The statement said that the two sides will resume discussion on April 29.
- Thursday's discussions focused on "approaches towards solving the issues of violence and stability in South Thailand," the negotiators said.
- "Both sides also exchanged views and information pertaining to the issue of violence in an open and sincere manner."
- More than 5,300 people have been killed in the conflict in the majority-Muslim provinces in Thailand, which are under emergency law.
- Rebels have carried out shootings and bombings on monks, teachers and village officials as symbols of the majority-Buddhist state.
Source: Al Jazeera
THAILAND PM REFUSES TO TALK ABOUT CABINET RESUFFLE
BANGKOK, Thailand - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has kept everyone guessing her next move despite the changing political developments.Although her brother Thaksin Shinawatra phoned in on Saturday to congratulate redshirt leader Jatuporn Promphan for his pending appointment, Yingluck kept mum on whether this meant she would shuffle her Cabinet.
- She said, however, that the people expected her to tackle their grievances instead of playing a political game.
- She repeated her stand that her government would let Parliament to play a lead role on bringing about reconciliation.
- She said she would allow the reconciliation process to run its course before tackling the legal issues involving Thaksin, including his homecoming despite his fugitive status.
- The prime minister reminded all sides not to draw a hasty conclusion that the Friday's verdict to strip Jatuporn of his MP status would lead to a further punishment by disbanding the Pheu Thai Party.
- She said her ruling party had fully complied with relevant laws and regulations in connection with the Jatuporn case.
The verdict said due to his detention from May to August last year, Jatuporn (left photo) had lost his party membership before the July general election. This resulted, in turn, to disqualify him from holding a House seat.Reacting to the judicial decision, the Democrats have threatened to initiate a separate litigation holding the ruling party accountable for fielding Jatuporn despite the lack of party membership.
- Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit said the Democrats had no justification sue the ruling party because the Jatuporn case was about an individual status without any linkage to the party.
- Prompong said he saw no possibility for disbanding the party.
- If the Democrats try to disband Pheu Thai, then the ruling party will retaliate by seeking to dissolve the main opposition party for bringing up a trumpup charge, he said.
- Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said he believed Thaksin's phonein to the reds rally was meant as a push for the new charter designed to strenthen the government.
- Abhisit said the ruling party was obsessed with the majority rule to push its agendas without paying due attention to the checking mechanisms.
- He said he suspected the new charter to accomplish two things weakening the judiciary and paving way for amnesty for Thaksin.
Commenting on the push for bringing the political disturbances in 2010 to the attention of the International Criminal Court, Abhisit (left photo) said he saw the push as a publicity stunt.Thaksin just wanted to mislead the red shirts in to believing that he had not forgotten about their blood spilled although the push would not bear any tangible results, he said.
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