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Deputy UN chief discusses migrants issue with head of ASEAN

Xinhua, May 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

The deputy UN secretary- general, Jan Eliasson, and the secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Le Luong Minh, on Thursday discussed the situation of migrants and refugees stranded on vessels in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, a UN spokesman told reporters here.

"The deputy secretary-general encouraged rescue operations and efforts to reach a durable long term solution," Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesman, said at a daily news briefing here.

Eliasson and Minh talked over phone earlier Thursday, Haq said.

The UN related agencies on Tuesday issued a joint statement, strongly urging the leaders of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand to protect migrants and refugees stranded on vessels in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, to facilitate safe disembarkation, and to give priority to saving lives.

"We are deeply concerned at reports that boats full of vulnerable women, men and children are unable to land and are stranded at sea without access to urgently needed food, water, and medical assistance. We urge States in the region to protect the lives of all aboard by allowing the passengers on these overcrowded boats to disembark safely," the statement said.

The joint statement was signed by UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, Director-General of the International Organization for Migration William L. Swing, and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for International Migration and Development Peter Sutherland.

According to the statement, in Southeast Asia, more than 88,000 people have made the dangerous voyage by sea since 2014, including 25,000 who arrived in the first quarter of this year alone.

Nearly 1,000 are believed to have perished at sea due to the precarious conditions of the voyage, and an equal number because of mistreatment and privation at the hands of traffickers and abusive smugglers.

"In the Bay of Bengal, migrants and refugees are fed only white rice and are subjected to violence, including sexual violence. Women are raped. Children are separated from their families and abused. Men are beaten and thrown overboard," the statement said. Endite