Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Thailand (Abstain)
Don Pramudwinai,

Background

The Rohingya people are a Muslim minority group residing in the Rakhine state,
formerly known as Arakan. The Rohingya people are considered “stateless entities”, as
the Myanmar government has refused to recognize them as one of the ethnic groups of the
country. For this reason, the Rohingya people lack legal protection from the Government of
Myanmar, are regarded as mere refugees from Bangladesh, and face strong hostility in the
country—often described as one of the most persecuted people on earth. To escape the
dire situation in Myanmar, the Rohingya try to illegally enter Southeast Asian states, begging for
humanitarian support from potential host countries.

United Nations General Assembly committee called on Myanmar to end

military operations that have “led to the systematic violation and abuse of human
rights” of Rohingya Muslims in the country’s Rakhine state.

The General Assembly’s Third Committee, which focuses on human rights,

voted 135 in favor, 10 against with 26 abstentions on the draft text that also asks U.N.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to appoint a special envoy on Myanmar.

Past Internal Actions / Country Policy

As a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Thailand needs
to take action to address its failure to offer protection to those most in need. For
the past month, the world has watched in horror as Myanmar’s army has carried
out a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing against members of the Rohingya
minority in the west of the country.

Underlying these grave human rights violations is a gaping hole in

Thailand’s refugee laws and policies. Our law does not give refugees and asylum-
seekers legal status, nor does it establish any formal measures to protect those
fleeing persecution and human rights violations in another country. Therefore,
refugees, like all other irregular migrants are considered “illegal” and are subject
to arrest, detention and deportation. While Thailand has made welcome
commitments to strengthening protections for refugees, to date these remain
little more than unfulfilled promises.
Possible Solutions

Thailand abstained from the recent UNGA resolutions about on the human rights in
Myanmar crisis but it would still provide humanitarian assistance and would not turn away
boats that wish to enter its waters.

Now home to the world’s fastest growing refugee crisis, Southeast Asia
needs leadership and a positive model for the treatment of refugees more than
ever before. Thailand, with its long history of hosting those fleeing persecution,
must step up to the mark. This statement is in response to views raised by some
human rights groups regarding Thailand’s position on the unrest in Rakhine.