Thailand says not to push back stranded migrants at sea

Thailand attaches great importance to humanitarian assistance and will not push back migrants stranded in the Thai territorial water, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

A statement was released after Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tanasak Patimapragorn attended a three-nation meeting in Malaysia, which "urged for a comprehensive solution and concerted efforts in addressing the unprecedented increase of irregular migration in the region."

The meeting, also attended by foreign ministers of Malaysia and Indonesia, was held against the backdrop that thousands of Bangladeshis and Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims have been found abandoned at sea over the past week.

Tanasak emphasized at the meeting that the situation demands an immediate response for protection of irregular migrants at sea on the basis of international burden sharing and in accordance with their respective domestic laws.

The foreign ministers also underlined the need for medium- and long-term sustainable solutions. Countries of origin, transit, and destination as well as the international community must work collectively to solve this problem which should not be left to any country alone, the statement said.

They fully agreed with Thailand that relevant countries must express their strong commitment to work together and with other relevant parties to rid the region of people smugglers and human traffickers and to prevent irregular migration flows.

"This could be done by, among other things, creating and strengthening the network of law enforcement officers, increasing communication with people on the ground and promoting development at countries of origin," it said.

To explore possible cooperation from relevant countries and international organizations, Thailand will hold the Special Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Indian Ocean on May 29 in Bangkok, which will be attended by 17 countries, two observers and three international organizations. Endi