Migrants were taken to shelters after being rescused from the sea
Thai prosecutors have indicted 72 people, including politicians and an army general, over the trafficking of migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Arrest warrants have been issued for more than 30 others, the attorney general’s office said. The investigation follows the discovery of mass graves, believed to contain the bodies of refugees, in jungle camps near the Thai-Malaysian border in May. Many migrants endured arduous sea journeys before arriving in Thailand.
The suspects face charges including human trafficking, partaking in a transnational crime network, and bringing aliens into the kingdom illegally. Most of those indicted are from Thailand, but several Myanmar and Bangladeshi citizens are also being held. “We will not let influential people rise above justice,” said Wanchai Roujanavong, a spokesman for the attorney general’s office (OAG). “The OAG has given priority to the issue, as it is a big group of people involving international systems. It has caused a lot of damage to the country as dead bodies were found,” he added.