The Foreign Affairs Ministry assures that Thailand’s treatment of all Rohingya migrants has always been provided on a humanitarian basis, even though they have entered the Kingdom illegally.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said on Sunday that the problems of the Rohingya migrants have been the responsibility of the National Security Council (NSC), with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Surapong said their joint meeting last week concluded that the Rohingyas currently under detention in Thailand must be treated as illegal migrants. He added that further verification will be conducted to determine whether they are security threats or merely migrants, seeking refuge in a third country.
Mr. Surapong, however, stated that the Prime Minister had instructed relevant government units to provide care to the Rohingyas in accordance with the humanitarian principles.
As for long-term solutions, the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the NSC will discuss the matters with related international organizations, said the minister.
Mr. Surapong reiterated that the Thai government always gave top priority to the problem of human trafficking as it could affect Thailand economically.
He assured that the government has continuously been tackling the problems of human trafficking in a bid to boost international confidence in Thailand after the U.S. Department of State put the country in the Tire 2 Watch List for three years in a row.
