2015-05-22
While the practice of destination countries to push the migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar – the “boat people” – is deplorable (ST, May 16), the present humanitarian crisis highlights not only the responsibility of the Myanmar government, but also the impotence of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). In fact the Ministry of Home Affairs in Singapore has taken a similar stance on these migrants, arguing on Friday that because of limited land the country “is not in a position to accept any persons seeking political asylum or refugee status, regardless of their ethnicity or place of origin”. Continue reading →