BANGKOK, 25 January 2013 Fourth Army commander Lt Gen Udomchai Thamsarorat said Thailand is only a transit point for Rohingyas trying to migrate to a Muslim country, and there is no need to set up a migrant camp.
According to Lt Gen Udomchai, displaced Rohingyas have been sneaking into Thailand through passages in Ranong and Satun provinces or travelling by boat from the Andaman Sea. The army has been working side by side with the local Immigration Office in tracking those that have managed to dodge the Thai authority.
The Fourth Army commander, meanwhile, said the army would, on humanitarian grounds, temporarily take care of those refugees until they were transported to a Muslim country. He, however, did not see any need to set up a refugee camp; given a small number of Rohingyas were currently staying in Thailand.
He also urged everyone not to look at this issue as a religious matter and that the authorities were trying to identify suspects who had been behind the trafficking of these Rohingyas. The public was also encouraged to inform the authority should they witness any migrants illegally entering the country.
