Saving stranded lives at sea top priority

HANOI:

United Nation chief Ban Kimoon said
that saving the lives of migrants stranded
at sea in  southeast Asia should be a top
priority as the  region battles with an exodus
of  boat people fleeing persecution and
poverty.

The UN Secretary General said he hoped
regional nations would tackle the "root causes"
of the current exodus at an upcoming conference
in Thailand  later this month.

"But when people are drifting on the sea ,how
we can search and rescue them and provide
life saving humanitarian assistance ,that is a
top priority at this time ",he told reporter
during a visit to Hanoi.

Ban said he had been in recent discussion with
regional leaders in Thailland, Malaysia and
Myanmar and urged a "very clear addressing
of the root causes of this issue,why people
are fleeing",

Ban's  comments come as Myanmar face growing
international pressure to address its treatment
of the country 's 13 million Rohingya minority
muslims

The widespread persecution of the impoverished
community in the western Rakhine states is one
of the primary causes for the current regional
exodus ,along side growing numbers trying to
escape poverty in neighbouring  Bangladesh.

Most migrants aimfor Malaysia and Indonesia
through dangerous and lucrative smuggling
networks that criss-cross the region.

Ban also called on counties who receive migrants
"not to send them back to a dangerous circumstance
or situation",
Thailand  has organised a regional conference
in Bangkok on May to address the CRISIS.
AFP