Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) expresses grave concern over the discovery of several mass graves in jungles of Thailand from where skeleton and remains of migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar were exhumed.

According to local and foreign media reports, people who embarked on voyages to Malaysia or Thailand from Bangladesh and Myanmar held captive and oppressed in these jungles until the ransom is paid. The mass graves were of those who died due to starvation, disease or torture and some traffickers have long been waging these serious illegal operations. Poor people of Bangladesh-Myanmar border villages are enticed through the prospect of a job by the associates of traffickers.

Various human rights groups have complained since long that Thailand government is not taking any action against the human traffickers of the country. It is also alleged that some law enforcers helped traffickers in these human trafficking. Due to widespread criticism, Thai government has now launched a campaign against the traffickers.

We think that the Bangladesh Government has so much to do in this existing situation. Active human traffickers and their associates in Bangladesh territory as well as Bangladesh-Myanmar border must be brought to justice. Bangladesh and Myanmar governments should make endeavours to keep the risky villages under constant surveillance and to raise awareness among the villagers. Bangladesh government should take part in identification of dead and alive persons by keeping active contact with the Thai authority and make international endeavour to create pressure upon the Thai government.

We also think that the international community should come forward to play an important role in this regard. Human trafficking by sea has appeared as a serious global problem. Regional and International state alliances should take initiatives to make active action plans to deal with such problem.