Thailand: Police rescue 59 Rohingya refugees stranded on island

Thai authorities have rescued 59 Rohingya refugees, including children abandoned by traffickers on an island near the Malaysian border, police said today.

The refugees – 31 men, 23 women and five children – were found on Dong Island in Satun province, which borders Malaysia, National Police Deputy Chief Surasate Huckparn said in a statement.

“The driver of the boat told them they had arrived in Malaysia and left them on the island a few days before they were located,” he said. The island is a tourist destination but not inhabited.

Thailand has provided humanitarian assistance to refugees who have been detained for further questioning and will be prosecuted for entering Thailand illegally, Surasate added.

Source: AMPE