The foreign ministers of Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand have agreed ontemporary solutions to deal with the wave of migrants reaching theirshores recently at a meeting on May 20 in Malaysia.
Malaysia and Indonesia will offer continued humanitarian assistance tonearly 7,000 illegal immigrants adrift at sea provided that they can beresettled or repatriated within a year. The two countries expressedhope that other countries in the region join the process, and lawenforcement bodies of relevant countries share information on humantrafficking.
The meeting between Thai Deputy PrimeMinister and Foreign Minister Tanasak Patimapragorn, Malaysian ForeignMinister Anifah Aman and his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi inthe Malaysian city of Putrajaya came as thousands of Bangladeshi andRohingya boat people sailed across the sea to seek asylum in Malaysia,Indonesia and Thailand.
In a statement issued afterthe meeting, the Ministers expressed concern over the boat people andcondemned human trafficking while vowing all necessary actions to bringthe perpetrators to justice.
They affirmed that thethree countries should take necessary measures to deal with themigration, emphasising that a comprehensive and sustainable solution tothe issue calls for the participation of concerned parties via differentinternational mechanisms.
They called for theinternational community to share the burden and give assistance,particularly financial support to provide temporary shelters for illegalimmigrants who will stay in designated areas under the watch of a jointspecial task force established by Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
The statement added that the international communityalso shares the responsibility for repatriating or resettling themigrants during the one-year period.
TheAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was urged to play anactive role in dealing with the problem promptly and effectively, thestatement said, calling for an urgent regional ministerial-level meetingon trans-national crime.
The above countries alsowelcomed the ASEAN’s initiative to establish a framework addressinghuman trafficking and supporting victims through the ASEAN Convention onTrafficking in Persons.-VNA
Malaysia and Indonesia will offer continued humanitarian assistance tonearly 7,000 illegal immigrants adrift at sea provided that they can beresettled or repatriated within a year. The two countries expressedhope that other countries in the region join the process, and lawenforcement bodies of relevant countries share information on humantrafficking.
The meeting between Thai Deputy PrimeMinister and Foreign Minister Tanasak Patimapragorn, Malaysian ForeignMinister Anifah Aman and his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi inthe Malaysian city of Putrajaya came as thousands of Bangladeshi andRohingya boat people sailed across the sea to seek asylum in Malaysia,Indonesia and Thailand.
In a statement issued afterthe meeting, the Ministers expressed concern over the boat people andcondemned human trafficking while vowing all necessary actions to bringthe perpetrators to justice.
They affirmed that thethree countries should take necessary measures to deal with themigration, emphasising that a comprehensive and sustainable solution tothe issue calls for the participation of concerned parties via differentinternational mechanisms.
They called for theinternational community to share the burden and give assistance,particularly financial support to provide temporary shelters for illegalimmigrants who will stay in designated areas under the watch of a jointspecial task force established by Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
The statement added that the international communityalso shares the responsibility for repatriating or resettling themigrants during the one-year period.
TheAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was urged to play anactive role in dealing with the problem promptly and effectively, thestatement said, calling for an urgent regional ministerial-level meetingon trans-national crime.
The above countries alsowelcomed the ASEAN’s initiative to establish a framework addressinghuman trafficking and supporting victims through the ASEAN Convention onTrafficking in Persons.-VNA
