Rohingya Deaths Unfolds Human Trafficking Horror from Myanmar to Thailand

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Police have cordoned off the area where two Rohingya bodies were discovered in Moo 4, Wang Tako Subdistrict, Lang Suan District, Chumphon Province on October 17, 2024.

CHUMPHONThe tragic fate of Rohingya migrants fleeing from Myanmar’s Rakhine State periodically unfolds in various parts of Southeast Asia, including Thailand. In the latest incident, 26 Rohingya were smuggled by human traffickers in an enclosed pickup truck and hidden in a forest in Chumphon Province. Three of them died of suffocation.

Monks from Wat Sekharam discovered them on the morning of October 17. Each person was in a weakened state, some convulsing and struggling near death due to lack of oxygen from sitting in the nearly airless truck over a long distance.

The thicket where they were found is located near the foot of Wat Sekharam mountain, along Laem Sai Road, Moo 4, Wang Tako Subdistrict, Lang Suan District, Chumphon Province, about 2 kilometers from Petchkasem Road.

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Monks walk past the area where 26 Rohingya, who illegally entered Thailand, were found abandoned in a thicket in Moo 4, Wang Tako Subdistrict, Lang Suan District, Chumphon Province on October 17, 2024.

When the monks alerted the police who came to investigate, they found two Rohingya had already died, with another passing away at the hospital, totaling 3 fatalities. Six others were in a coma, one had improved and was out of danger, while the remaining 16 were safe.

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Subsequently, police gathered evidence from CCTV footage and obtained arrest warrants for 3 suspects from the Lang Suan Provincial Court.

On October 18, Lang Suan Police tracked down and arrested two suspects: Mr. Pitak, age 30, from Ratchaburi Province, the truck driver, and Mr. Seksun, age 21, from Samut Prakan Province, the guide vehicle driver. They were apprehended on Petchkasem Road, Khao Yai Subdistrict, Cha-am District, Phetchaburi Province at 00:20 a.m.

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Police have cordoned off the area where two Rohingya bodies were discovered in Moo 4, Wang Tako Subdistrict, Lang Suan District, Chumphon Province on October 17, 2024.

Officials seized two Isuzu enclosed pickup truck: a blue one with Samut Songkhram license plates that carried the Rohingya, and a gray one with Nong Khai license plates used as the guide vehicle, as evidence for prosecution.

Afterwards, officers from Lang Suan Police Station, Chumphon Provincial Police, and Region 8 Investigation team jointly interrogated the two suspects to expand the investigation into the transnational labor trafficking network and further questioned the 16 Rohingya who were safely rescued.

The investigation revealed that the transnational human trafficking gang operates as a large network, starting with the movement within Myanmar. All the foreigners were brought from Rakhine State, traveled to Yangon and Lemang, then stayed at a warehouse in Myawaddy.

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Officials seize two box truck pickups as evidence for prosecution.

Subsequently, soldiers from the Border Guard Force of ethnic minorities under Myanmar’s military would transport them in military vehicles near the border in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, before smuggling them into Thailand for further transit to Malaysia. The entire process takes nearly a month, with more than 300 migrants still waiting to cross into Thailand.

These foreigners pay 10 million kyat per person, divided into two installments. The first 5 million kyat is paid when Myanmar citizens reach the Thai-Malaysian border in southern Thailand. Relatives will pay the remaining 5 million kyat, totaling approximately 150,000 Thai baht ($4500).

Mr. Huseng Hammad, a 28-year-old Myanmar interpreter, revealed that upon questioning the Rohingya, they all said they were from Rakhine State, Myanmar, where there is ongoing conflict. This has led them to seek a new life in Malaysia, where they have relatives, in hopes of finding employment and improving their lives.

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Officials and an interpreter meet with Rohingya who survived the journey in the enclosed pickup truck to gather information, after three members of their group died on October 18, 2024.

Relatives in Malaysia had contacted Rohingya brokers in Malaysia, who then coordinated with brokers in Myanmar to arrange the smuggling of workers from Myanmar to Malaysia.

Mr. Huseng stated that after relatives in Malaysia had made all the arrangements, everyone gathered at a designated point in Rakhine State before starting their journey in Myanmar. They then took a long-tail boat to cross into Thailand, which took about 5 minutes, followed by a trek along natural paths.

Afterwards, they boarded an enclosed pickup truck, filling it with 26 people. A similar pickup truck led the way. They traveled for 4-5 hours before changing vehicles using the same method. They continued for another 4-6 hours before changing vehicles again.

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Officials interrogate two Thai suspects involved in the operation to transport Rohingya from Myanmar to Malaysia. Three Rohingya died from suffocation in the box truck pickup on October 18, 2024.

The interpreter said that the box truck pickup seized by the police was the third vehicle change. During the journey, the Rohingya became exhausted and started showing signs of distress due to difficulty breathing.

They began banging on the box truck pickup, forcing the driver to stop. Ten people were moved to another vehicle, and they continued their journey for a short while before stopping and returning to the original vehicle.

“Shortly after, two people fainted and died. Everyone then kicked and banged on the back door until it almost opened. Seeing the situation deteriorate, the driver stopped and opened the door to find everyone collapsing and piling up in the truck bed. The driver then asked those who still had strength to help drag everyone out before driving away, leaving only a few bottles of water and snacks,” the interpreter recounted the events as told by the surviving Rohingya.

Currently, the police are still pursuing the third suspect.

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