27.01.09 Myanmar to help Thailand on Rohingyas minority
Source: TNA
BANGKOK, Jan 27 (TNA) - Myanmar's military leaders agreed to help
Thailand to solve the problem of the Rohingya, an ethnic Muslim
minority group from Myanmar, who risked uncertain passage on the high
seas to seek work or asylum in the kingdom, according to Thai Supreme
Commander Gen. Songkitti Jaggabatara.
Gen. Songkitti, who has returned from Myanmar, said that he met
Myanmar's Vice Chairman of the ruling State Peace and Development
Council (SPDC) and Army Chief Deputy Senior General Muang Aye and had
discussed the Rohingya problem.
He said that Gen. Muang Mye had accepted Thailand's request to help
address the Rohingya issue even though the Rohingya ethnic group was
not on the official list of 120 ethnic minorities in Myanmar.
Initially, however, he indicated that Myanmar would cooperate by preventing the Rohingya from approaching Thai territory.
However, Gen Songkitti did not give further detail about the measures Myanmar would apply to solve the problem in the long term.
As
for the overlapped boundaries problem and disputes along Thai and
Myanmar border, Gen. Songkitti said both sides agreed that they were
normal and not significant.
Both countries, the Thai Supreme Commander said, believed that such
problems could be solved at talks contacted by local authorities of the
two sides.
Thailand's Royal Thai Navy has been under criticism
after international media reported claims that the Thai armed forces
had mistreated the Rohingyas.
Gen. Songkitti earlier reiterated that the Thai navy had not
committed any harsh or inhumane acts against Rohingyas who sought
asylum in Thailand and did not otherwise violate their human rights.
The Thai military leader said that Thailand had treated the Rohingya
according to international standards, but could not absorb the burden
of the high cost of letting them take refuge in the country. (TNA)
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