Thai Navy abandons migrants

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Hundreds may have perished in Andaman Sea

By MICHAEL CASEY

Washington Post
The Associated Press
Saturday, January 17, 2009; 4:13 AM

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Thailand will investigate reports that the Thai navy abandoned migrants on a barge in the ocean where hundreds of them may have drowned, the government said Saturday.

The Thai Foreign Ministry also said it will reassess the overall situation of illegal immigration in light of the incident and would attempt to work with neighboring countries to better address the problem.

"Thai officials are currently investigating and verifying all the facts and surrounding circumstances," the ministry said in a statement, referring to the late December incident where more than 100 Myanmarese and Bangladeshi workers were rescued by Indian authorities from a barge adrift near the Andaman Islands.  more