Good for you Bangladesh! In the on-going saga of the Rohingya Muslim boat men, there is a bright spot. The Indian Navy had rescued some of the Rohingya men attempting to get to Malaysia and has detained them. Those identified as citizens of Bangladesh will be returned to that country. Now, isn’t that a sensible solution.
Bangladesh has accepted that at least 57 illegal migrants who made unsuccessful boat journeys to Thailand and Malaysia are its citizens.
More than 300 people, mostly Rohingya Muslim refugees originally from Burma but now living in Bangladesh, are in a jail in India’s Andamans islands.
Thailand is probing reports that troops sent the Rohingyas back to sea in boats without engines and little food.
[….]
Mr Hussain (Bangladesh’s foreign secretary) said Indian and Bangladeshi officials were now working out the most efficient way to repatriate the migrants.
Those rescued are Rohingya Muslims, originally from Burma’s Arakan province but many now settled as refugees in southern Bangladesh. Many have acquired Bangladesh citizenship.
Here is a first hand account in The National* from one of the survivors now in Indian custody. He just wants to go back to Bangladesh to his parents.
Akhtar’s friend Farid was among the dead. “I had no idea that the journey to Malaysia could be so dangerous. I hope the Indian government will send me to Bangladesh soon. I shall work in Bangladesh now and never venture to go to Malaysia again,” Akhtar said.
“More than three-quarters of us died. Allah has kept me alive. It’s a miracle to me. I have to live the rest of my life as a good Muslim. Allah will definitely help me in Bangladesh.”
Hopefully Akhtar will spread that message to other young men.
Note to Thailand and all countries dealing with illegal aliens: Feed them, treat them well, and return them to wherever they came from. When you do foolish things like our Embassy in Malta has done—bring African illegal aliens to the US as refugees—they will just keep coming.
*The National is a publication from the United Arab Emirates–note they have not offered to take any fellow Muslims to the UAE.