By Bill O’Toole

An estimated 1400 Rohingya refugees in southern Thailand face an uncertain future, as the Thai government mulls a change in its policy towards the boatloads of refugees from western Myanmar that have been arriving on the country’s shores.

Thailand has been heavily criticised in the past for turning away the refugees, many of whom come from Rakhine State and identify themselves as Rohingya.

In recent months, the sheer number of displaced peoples fleeing ethnic violence in Rakhine State has drawn the attention of aid groups both in Thailand and internationally, prompting the Thai Department of Foreign Affairs to announce on January 25 that some Rohingya refugees would be allowed to stay in Thailand for at least six months as the government prepares a new policy on the issue.

By Alan Morison and Chutima Sidasathian

PHUKET: Concern is growing about the large number of Rohingya boatpeople being held in a crowded detention centre north of Phuket.

A total of 295 men and boys are still being held at the Phang Nga Immigration Centre, a spokesperson confirmed by telephone today.

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Four Rohingya minor children from one family of Rohingya community were slaughtered and one Rakhine was killed and three wounded by unknown miscreants in Maungdaw north yesterday night, said a village admin office member who denied to be named.
“On that night, a group of unknown miscreants went to Deen Mohamed’s house of Khaza Bill (Sapaikone) village,under Nasaka area No.5 of Maungdaw north while he was not present in the house. He has been working with GE military at Burma- Bangladesh border. After entering the house, the miscreants slaughtered all four minor children – Nuruzawma, Rozena Begum,Yasmin Ara and Mozena, aged 10, 8, 6 and 4 (three females and one male) in the house. The miscreants also abducted the mother –Roza- of the children and she is yet to be found.”

By Devex Editor
EDITOR’S NOTE: There needs to be a coordinated response to the plight of the Rohingya people, many of which have been driven out western Burma by government forces lately. Wealthier Muslim countries should step up, writes Joshua Kurlantzick, fellow for southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Over the past year, as conflict has flared in Rakhine State in Myanmar, growing numbers of Rohingya have fled their homes. It remains unclear to me — even after a trip to Rakhine State — exactly why the conflict started now, and what role the local security forces have played, if any. However, it is abundantly clear that the region’s management of Rohingya outflows is horrendous, a failure pointed out by the increasing numbers of Rohingya who are fleeing by boat, rather than going to camps in Myanmar or Bangladesh.