 |
| Immigration Bureau chief Pharnu Kerdlarpphon expressed concern over the number of Rohingya refugees in Thailand. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong |
May 5, 2013
Kritsada Mueanhawong
PHUKET: Immigration Bureau Commissioner Pharnu Kerdlarpphon, in Phuket
for a closed-door meeting of high-ranking officials, has expressed his
concern for the growing number of Rohingya refugees being detained in
Thailand.
Lt Gen Pharnu’s visit to Phuket on Tuesday was to head a meeting tabled
to discuss the bureau’s “working policy” at which Phuket’s own
immigration superintendent did not attend.
Following the meeting, Gen Pharnu told the press, “The number of
Rohingya entering the country is a worrying situation. We are now
detaining 1,936 Rohingya across the country, including 399 boys and 304
girls.
“Immigration Police shelters in the South have no more room for
refugees. We have even transferred some of the refugees to immigration
shelters across the Kingdom,” he said.
As an example, Gen Pharnu noted that 84 Rohingya are being held the Ranong Immigration shelter.
“We provide them medical checkups and they have a chance to exercise and relax during their time at the shelter,” he explained.
However, the refugees’ detention in Thailand is intended to be only temporary, he cautioned.
“The shelters are supposed to be for only temporary detention before
illegal immigrants are deported, but in the case of the Rohingya, we
cannot really deport them because their home country [Myanmar] does not
welcome them,” Gen Pharnu said.
“Now the Thai Government is in discussions with other countries to find a place the refugees can be transferred to.
“I have been assured that the Rohingya will be treated in a way that meets international-standards,” he added.
No comments:
Post a Comment