PHUKET, Feb 26 – The police in this southern resort province of Phuket detained 65 ethnic Rohingyas from Myanmar after their boat was damaged by strong waves and washed aground in the provincial seat.
The ethnic minorities looked exhausted when they were found wandering about asking for food from local people.
According to Thai authorities, over 100 hundred Rohingyas had travelled from the border of Myanmar since early February in order to look for jobs in Malaysia. Before being blown ashore by strong winds, the boat ran out of fuel, leaving its passengers stranded at sea for over 3 days. The youngest in the group was a 13-year-old teenager.
About 20 of them managed to escape, police noted, adding they believed those fleeing were picked up by Thai agents, as the ethnic minorities had a Thai telephone number in their possession.
The local Thai police will send the detained Rohingyas to relevant agencies for deportation.
