RANONG, Nov 11 – Military personnel in this southwestern province have been on special alert for Rohingya ethnic people who may illegally enter Thailand from neighbouring Myanmar.
Uthit Anantananon, deputy director of the Region 4 Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), said Rohingya migrants regularly leave their home country for Thailand and other countries in the region from November to April every year.
The Thai authorities predicted that at least 10,000 Rohingya people would leave Myanmar for neighbouring countries via Thailand’s southwestern provinces, particularly Ranong, he said.
Col Uthit said preparations have been planned to deal with the ethnic people who will possibly be sent back to their country of origin.
If they are found drifting at sea, they would be given food and medicine on humanitarian grounds and told to continue their journeys to other countries, he said.
