More Rohingyas flee from Thai immigration custody

RANONG, Thailand, August 23 (TNA) - A group of 10 more illegal Rohingya migrants escaped from Thailand's immigration custody on Friday morning, this time from a detention center in seaside Ranong province in the Thai South. Ranong immigration officers were searching for the 10 ethnic Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar after their escape. The escapees are among a total of 118 illegal Rohingya migrants detained at the provincial immigration custody since earlier this year. Local officers told reporters that the Rohingya detainees cut metal bars on the second floor of the immigration shelter before climbing down the building at about 4am, acknowledging that the illegal immigrants are believed to be hiding in the province and local officers have, thus, distributed photos of the escapees to people in nearby communities in hopes to recapture them. Wisut Binlaatah, Director of Office of Sheikul Islam, Southern Branch, said, meanwhile, that local officers rescued ethnic Rohingya Muslims from human trafficking gangs and sent them to several immigration detention centers, but, as they have been detained for a long period of time in a crowded condition, they appear to be stressful and have tried to run away several times. Wisut urged the government to speed up a clear move regarding the illegal Rohingyas based on their voluntary basis, whether to send them to third countries or to allow them to refuge in Thailand with their officially-approved status. Earlier this week, 87 illegal Rohingya migrants escaped from Sadao's immigration police custody in Songkhla province, also in the Thai South, but 30 of them were later found. (TNA)