Thailand deports 1,300 Rohingyas

Thailand has sent around 1,300 Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar, a top official said yesterday, dismaying rights campaigners who warned 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.
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 healthcare and education.