Al Nassr secures 5-1 victory over Al Ain to edge closer to knockout stage    Saudi Deputy FM meets Lt. Gen. Al-Burhan of Sudan    Al-Khateeb: Saudi Arabia is the largest global investor in tourism sector "Saudi Land" pavilion inaugurated at World Travel Market in London    Saudi Crown Prince, Japanese PM discuss over phone efforts made to achieve peace in the region    Saudi Arabia, in its drive to enrich Arab culture, launches Arab Week at UNESCO in Paris    Neymar exits Al Hilal match with muscle injury, leaving fans disappointed    AlHisn Big Time Studios unveiled to transform film and TV production in Riyadh    Saudi Arabia approves cooperation agreement with US for the use of outer space for peaceful purposes    Quality of Life Program CEO highlights Saudi urban transformations at UN-Habitat conference in Cairo    Almarai wins 'Best Corporate Sukuk' at Asset Triple A Islamic Finance Awards    Top climber falls to death after rare Himalayan feat    US voters flying home in time for election    Drones and snipers on standby to protect Arizona vote-counters    India's Modi condemns violence after Canada temple incident    Elon Musk can keep giving $1m to voters, judge rules    Mitrovic's hat-trick leads Al Hilal to 3-0 victory over Esteghlal    Al Ahli extends perfect start with 5-1 victory over Al Shorta    Quincy Jones, titan of US music, dies aged 91    Hidden sugars in Asia's baby food spark concerns    HONOR unveils pre-order of the stunning HONOR MagicBook Art 14 Featuring an ultra-slim design, HONOR Eye Comfort Display and AI Cross-OS WorkStation    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Muted Eid celebrations for millions of Nigerian Muslims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Shameful treatment of Rohingya refugees
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 03 - 01 - 2013

THEY are inconvenient They are costly. They are troublesome. Thus most countries would rather that they had not come in the first place.
Nevertheless, refugees are a fact of life. They have been fleeing from the terrors of conflict throughout history.
Turkey and Jordan could have done without the hundreds of thousands of Syrians who have fled across their borders and taken refuge with them. Yet both Ankara and Amman have done the decent thing. Initially from their own resources, both countries set up camps and diverted food, water and medicine to care for the growing populations of these tent cities. Turkey, with its long experience of earthquakes, diverted a large number of its emergency stores of tents and supplies to deal with the increasing refugee flow.
Arab states, not least the Kingdom, have since joined with other members of the international community to bring a longer-lasting flow of assistance to the occupants of these canvas cities now having to endure the cold and wet of an unpleasant winter. This worldwide effort to support and sustain these hundreds of thousands of miserable unfortunates would not have been possible without the original foundations provided by Jordan and Turkey who responded quickly to the desperation of helpless people.
Now compare this with the behavior on Tuesday of the Thai authorities when they intercepted a boat off the resort town of Phuket. In the vessel were 73 Rohingya Muslim refugees, the majority of them women and children, who had been at sea for 13 days. They said they had run out of food and water and had been hoping to reach Malaysia. The Thais fed these luckless souls and then announced that they would be deported overland to Burma. The boat's passengers can expect little in the way of welcome from the Burmese authorities. What money and precious items they may have been able to keep while in Thai detention will almost certainly be taken from them on their return to the country from which they have fled.
This is by no means the first time that Thailand has acted in breach of its international obligations toward Rohingya refugees. Human Rights Watch claims that hundreds of fleeing Burmese Muslims have perished because of Thai actions. HRW says that Bangkok should be holding all refugees in humane detention until officials from the UN refugee agency, UNRA, can establish the legitimacy of their status. Economic migrants can be returned to their country of origin. Those fleeing for their lives, cannot.
HRW has told the Thais that it is perfectly clear that political violence, communal conflicts and serious human rights violations in the Rohingya's home state of Arakan are set to create a flood of genuine refugees. It has called on Thailand and other neighboring states to which these helpless people are likely to flee to quickly develop a coordinated policy that will reflect their international obligations toward refugees.
The Thais, of course, do not want to accommodate a refugee exodus any more than the Jordanians and Turks were eager to have desperate Syrians fleeing across their borders. But Turkey and Jordan stepped up to the plate and met their obligations, not simply under international law, but out of common humanity. The Thais may protest that at least they fed and watered the passengers on the boat they intercepted. Given their determination to send them back to an extremely uncertain fate in Burma, some might wonder why they bothered.


Clic here to read the story from its source.