Thailand says it has 'escorted' an unspecified number of Rohingya boatpeople back out to sea, dashing the hopes of UN officials who had been seeking access to a group of 126 it believed were in Thai custody.
The statement came as Thailand offered yesterday to host a regional conference to stem the mass migration of the Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority whose homeland is along Myanmar's border with Bangladesh.
The latest expulsion, which was carried out in recent days, means Thailand no longer had any Rohingya in its custody, said Thani Thongpakdi, deputy spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He cited information provided by the army's Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), which has played a lead role in detaining and expelling Rohingya. 'All those who arrived illegally have been escorted out of Thailand,' Mr Thani said.
Recent investigations by the South China Morning Post have revealed that nearly 1,000 Rohingya were towed out to sea and abandoned, in boats with no engines or sails, by the Thai army last month. Hundreds died as a result.
The latest expulsions were carried out humanely, said Mr Thani, citing ISOC information. 'Their vessels have been repaired with engines, and they were provided with necessary food, water and medicines.'
Asked if the refugees had been sent back to Myanmar or Bangladesh, Mr Thani declined to speculate. 'We don't know where they came from. We escorted them back into international waters.'
