Fury as 1,300 Rohingya refugees are sent back by Thailand

Thailand has sent about 1,300 Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar, a top official said yesterday, dismaying rights campaigners who warned that the minority Muslims face persecution in the former junta-ruled country.

Thousands of Rohingya, described by the United Nations as among the world's most persecuted minorities, have fled sectarian violence in western Myanmar in rickety boats since 2012, mostly heading for Malaysia.

About 2,000 who arrived in Thai waters were locked up in overcrowded immigration prisons or held in shelters for women and children.

Thai authorities began deporting the Rohingya in September through a border checkpoint in the province of Ranong, national immigration chief Lieutenant General Pharnu Kerdlarpphon said. "The whole deportation process was completed in early November," he added.

It was the first official news of the deportation. It is unclear what happened to them after they left. Rights activists criticised the move to return them to Myanmar, where they face travel restrictions, forced labour and limited access to health care and education.

"The deportation of Rohingya is a blatant violation of international laws that prohibit sending back refugees and asylum seekers to a place where they can face danger and persecution," said Sunai Phasuk, a senior researcher with New York-based Human Rights Watch.