Thai carrier deployed for migrants adrift
Thailand has deployed a helicopter carrier in its waters to serve as a temporary medical and processing centre for migrants found adrift, its prime minister said yesterday.
The move came as the US offered to launch reconnaissance flights over the Bay of Bengal to locate any remaining vessels, with thousands of Bangladeshi and Myanmar boat people still believed to be stranded at sea.
The Thai carrier will act as a "floating base with medics and police" on board, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha told reporters.
"If any boats (with migrants) are found, the navy will lead it to this large navy vessel for assistance," he said adding Thailand will then "facilitate" their passage to "temporary shelters in Malaysia and Indonesia".
"If anyone is injured or sick, they can be treated at hospitals in Thailand but will face illegal entry charges -- it is up to them to decide," Prayut said.
"I have already assigned the Navy to take to the border line of the sea to act like a floating naval base."
In the event of Rohingya being found in vessels, they would be taken to the ship, where medical staff would take care of them. If they were sick, they would be treated. After that they would be sent to shelters provided for them in Indonesia and Malaysia, he said.
The PM stressed that Thailand would stick to its stance and send Rohingya or other migrants to destinations where they want to go.
The Air Force will also fly patrols and coordinate patrols by planes from other countries -over the sea to look for vessels carrying "boat people".
"We agreed to a request by the US to help by having its planes patrol in the areas. Any country could do the same as the US but they have to be under our supervision because it is our area. They will not independently patrol - they have to work with our task force," the prime minister said.
He also hit out at a CNN news report that claimed threats of |violence and guns were used to force a vessel with Rohingya out of Thai waters.
"How can we do that? Thailand has been helping them for a long time according to humanitarian principles. We are Buddhists, we consider every life matters.
"In treating the migrants, we did not divide the whole family, [to just] the sick ones. We took photos of every step for use as evidence. The media should not make a groundless allegation, as it will tarnish the country's reputation," he said.
The US embassy in Bangkok said America was "actively engaging with the governments of the region to obtain their support and permissions" for flights over the seas to spot stricken migrant boats.
But Prayut, a former army chief who leads the ruling junta, said any US missions would have to be conducted with Thai forces.
"We have started our operation, if they [the US] want to join, they can... [but] they cannot control the operation, we have to have sovereignty over both land and sea."
NO TRAFFICKING CAMPS IN SOUTH
Thai police said yesterday there were no human trafficking camps left in southern Thailand following a month-long crackdown and the discovery of seven camps in mountainous jungle near the Thai-Malaysian border.
Earlier this month, 36 bodies believed to be of migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar were found in Thailand's southern Songkhla province.
"Since we began our investigation, our big investigation, we have not found more graves or more trafficking camps apart from the ones already mentioned," Phuttichart Ekachan, deputy chief of Thailand's Provincial Police Region 9, told Reuters.
"We're still looking for camps but we think there are no more camps on the Thai side."
Thai police found seven human trafficking camps on Khao Kaew, which translates as Glass Mountain, in Sadao district in Songkhla Province, since May 1.
Many of the camps were just a few hundred meters from the border with Malaysia.
[From reports of AFP, Reuters and The Nation]
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