Let Rohingya have their say | Bangkok Post: opinion

EDITORIAL

When Myanmar began opening up to the world and showed determination to reconnect with the global economy, many investors here feared the pool of cheap labour in Thailand would soon dry up as migrant workers from Myanmar started to head back home. After all, who would want to endure back-breaking work for low pay and the constant threat of police extortion here when they could go home again and find new work opportunities?

That may well be true for Myanmar nationals and some other ethnic groups, but it is certainly not the case for the Rohingya Muslims who still face violent persecution in Myanmar.

Last year, the world's enthusiasm at the prospect of political reform and an end to ethnic strife in Myanmar was quickly shattered by the outbreak of sectarian violence in Rakhine state. The bloodshed left about 200 people dead, more than 100,000 displaced and thousands of homes destroyed.