UN visits boat people detained in Thailand

[Coventina]

Source: Associated Press

RANONG, Thailand (AP) — U.N. officials were allowed to meet Thursday with boat people detained by Thailand and interviewed a dozen migrants as young as 14 about their perilous journey and allegations they were abused.

The meeting came after weeks of calls by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and rights groups for Thailand to provide access to the Rohingyas — members of a stateless Muslim ethnic group who fled persecution in Myanmar — and explain allegations that it forced out to sea as many as 1,000 migrants.

UNHCR officials were granted access to 12 young people, aged 14 to 17, from a group of 78 Rohingyas who were rescued by the Thai navy on Monday night, said Kitty McKinsey, the U.N. agency's Asia spokeswoman.

"They were in good condition," she said. "It's a big step forward that we have gotten access to them. We're now getting good cooperation from the Thai government to solve this issue."



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