The riot on Tuesday night at the Mae La refugee camp in Tak province along the Myanmar border speaks volumes on the issues surrounding migrant relations in Thailand.
The camp in Tha Song Yang district, thought to be one of oldest refugee camps in the country, made headlines when about 1,000 Myanmar refugees set fire to officials' kiosks as well as living quarters, vehicles and shops belonging to both territorial defence volunteers and refugees.
The unrest broke out amid a protest against a backdrop Covid-19 curbs and alleged corruption under the management of Thai officials. Authorities should pay attention to this case because the incident reflects problems in the handling of refugees and migrant labourers.
The Mae La camp has been around for three decades. Tha Song Yang district is just opposite Myanmar's Kayin state, where locals have been affected by intense fighting between Karen rebel and junta forces.
The camp was created at a 1,159 rai site in 1984 to host about a thousand refugees, according to Border Consortium (TBC), a group of international NGOs providing food and shelter to refugees in camps along the border. Today, that number has swelled to about 29,000 people.
The camp in the early days was filled with rudimentary tents, but today, it functions like a small village, complete with basic infrastructure, such as paved roads, and shops selling consumer goods such as kitchen appliances.
Only authorised persons can enter the premises, but mobile phone coverage was provided up in 2008, and a year later, it was connected to an electrical grid for centres supporting health, education and social work.
But regardless of the improvements made, the camp has its problems, likely exacerbated amid the Covid-19 pandemic. About 100 Karen refugee houses at the site were engulfed in flames in February. It is unclear what caused the fire.
During the protest on Tuesday, refugees demanded the transfer of the site's chief and other Thai officials, including security volunteers, and the lifting of curbs which they said led to unfair controls over their movements.
Demonstrators accused the officials of charging them to move in and out of the camp, and the dwellers wanted the practice to stop and be allowed to leave as they wish.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, refugees also are required to comply with strict lockdown measures. But discontent and frustration grew when refugees accused some Thai officials of allowing some dwellers to leave the camp in exchange for money. Now, authorities are vowing to take legal action over the riot.
While legal action should be taken against people who destroyed property, one must consider what drove them to riot in the first place.
If graft played a role in stoking resentment, officials must ensure such corrupt practices stop. If a Covid-19 outbreak happens due to a lack of enforcement of the rules, that could kickstart mass infections in Tak as the kingdom tries to regain the economic footing lost during the pandemic.
Yongyut Suksiri, district chief of Tha Song Yang and acting chief of the camp, said he did not have the authority to meet the demands of the demonstrators and that officials had prohibited refugees from exiting the camp due to Covid-19 concerns.
While he is correct on the lockdown issue, he does have the power to clamp down on corruption on behalf of the public.
Mr Yongyut, as district chief, should work with law enforcement agents to crack down on corruption at the camp and ensure the safety of its occupants. If lockdown restrictions are unfair, it might be time for provincial officials to consider relaxing some of the rules if infection numbers are low, as curbs are being eased in other parts of the country.
Those living at the camp should understand that lockdown rules keep the province safe from a potential outbreak. Any complaints about camp conditions should be forwarded to NGO or district officials as global donors have funded many programmes and facilities.
Myanmar's security situation is not cooling off any time soon. The conflict between ethnic minority rebels and the Tatmadaw could go on for years. Recently, about 2,500 people Myanmar fled across the Thai border in Tak province, due to a flare-up in fighting in the country's eastern area. These refugees are likely to be placed in several camps for the displaced along the border, including Mae La.
To ensure the smooth transition for these people in need, the public must pressure the government to clamp down on the alleged bribery and evaluate the impact of Covid-19 restrictions on the refugees.
The refugee situation in Thailand may not be perfect, but many around the world are looking to local officials for proper leadership on the issue.