Grisly discovery – 30 graves found at migrant detention camp – and one lone survivor

In southern Thailand the remains of at least thirty migrant workers have been found at a detention camp along with one long survivor.

Lt. General Prawut Thavornsiri said that the lone survivor is “very sick” and has been hospitalized. His nationality has yet to be confirmed but it is thought he is Burmese.

The location of the camp was discovered when local authorities got a tip off, however whether or not the camp is linked to Human Trafficking has not been revealed. Some of the remains were discovered in an advanced state of decay making identification almost impossible.

Human Rights Watch believe the dead of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar or Bangladesh. In a statement released on Friday they said the victims may have starved to death or possibly died from disease while being held by traffickers waiting for either payment or ransoms.

Some of the bodies were found in shallow graves at the site, others were simply left out on in the open and covered with either blankets or clothing. The HWR claimed that the camp was in the Sadao district of Songklha, a region known as a hot spot for human trafficking.

Last year the U.S State Department, in its Trafficking in Person report downgraded Thailand to tier 3 – the worse possible ranking. The report goes on to say that ethnic minorities and citizens of neighbouring countries were especially at risk of exploitation in Thailand through forced labor and the sex trade.

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