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UNHCR Briefing Notes:

Thailand: UNHCR requests access to Rohingya boat people

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 20 January 2009, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

We have today asked the Thai government for access to two groups totalling 126 Rohingya boat people who are in custody in southern Thailand in order to assess their situation and determine whether any of them are in need of international protection. This follows our expression of strong concern to the government last week over allegations that large groups of Rohingya boat people from Myanmar were intercepted in Thai waters, towed out to sea and left to die. click here to for full story....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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UNHCR Press Release

UNHCR seeks access to 126 Muslim Rohingya boat people in Thailand

GENEVA, January 20 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency on Tuesday asked the Thai government for access to 126 detained Muslim Rohingya boat people in order to assess their situation and determine whether any of them are in need of international protection.

This follows UNHCR's expression of strong concern to the government last week over allegations that large groups of Rohingya boat people from Myanmar were intercepted in Thai waters, towed out to sea and left to die.

"According to information from our sources, a group of 80 Rohingya boat people are being held on Koh Sai Daeng Island off the Thai coast in the Andaman Sea. A further 46 Rohingya who were intercepted on a boat last Friday were reportedly handed over to Thai military authorities, and we are trying to determine where they are now," said UNHCR spokesman, Ron Redmond.......