Expectations run high for the delivery of substantive measures to stop the modern-day slave trade at the regional meeting today in Thailand on solutions for the surging boat people crisis.
Participating countries must remember this is not the time for finger-pointing nor migrant bashing. Instead, it is a critical moment to join forces to eradicate human trafficking syndicates, to provide humanitarian assistance and safety to the victims, and to stop the "push factor" by improving the lives and human rights conditions in the boat people's home countries.
In the past month, the world has been repeatedly shocked by the discovery of mass graves on both sides of the Thai-Malaysian border, the harrowing images of sea migrants abandoned at sea by traffickers following the Thai crackdown, and the initial insistence by Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia on pushing them away from their shores.
The world finally breathed a sigh of relief when Malaysia and Indonesia agreed to provide immediate humanitarian assistance and temporary shelter on the condition the international community resettle or repatriate the boat people within one year. Earlier this week, Thailand also suspended its pushback policy, offering to use navy ships to rescue migrants stranded at sea.
Now is also the time for international organisations and other countries to pacify local anxiety about the long-term burden by offering substantial assistance.
The trafficking syndicates — with collusion from corrupt officials — exploit the suffering of the Rohingya and the Bangladeshis wishing to escape violent oppression, chronic hunger and harsh poverty. The syndicates have developed a vast web of brokers regionwide to dupe people, pick them up at different ports along the coasts, ferry them to Thai shores, torture them for ransom at jungle camps, killing and burying some, before bringing those who can pay to Malaysia.
The regional talks should come up with measures from Bangladesh, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand to patrol the seas, share intelligence about the syndicates, and work together to arrest the masterminds, brokers and corrupt officials, and send them to jail.
Thailand has a special responsibility on this front because it is no secret Thai citizens own the boats and act as the nerve centre of the trafficking rings. The meeting should also agree to allow international agencies and civil society to interview the boat people and process them for repatriation and resettlement. The interviews will also provide key information to arrest the traffickers.
Myanmar is fiercely resistant to accepting ethnic Rohingya Muslims as its citizens. Still, being stateless does not mean the Rohingya can be deprived of basic rights or subject to violence. It is the same with the Rohingya who migrated to Bangladesh. To stem the exodus, they should allow outside assistance to improve the livelihoods of these people; few would want to leave their homes and families if the situation was not intolerable.
Indeed, there are many things that can be done to stop the exodus — if there is a will to do so, and the necessary compassion. The main problem is psychological resistance rooted in racist nationalism. As countries strive to mete out substantive measures to stop the sea migrants, Thailand, and Myanmar in particular, needs to do some deep soul-searching. Buddhism teaches that we are the same despite our different creeds, races, gender, and status, which is why we have to transcend these things.
As they observe Visakha Bucha Day on Monday, Thais should contemplate compassion for all. Letting compassion enter their hearts will undo the Rohingya suffering, end the boat people exodus, and save themselves from contributing to the ethnic violence.